I can think clearly now, the headache is gone! Well, at least for a
while. After 5+ weeks of daily agony, having a few hours free of pain
while not suffering from a drug hangover is a blessed event.

Anyway, I'm writing from the viewpoint of the person who not only did
the Premium Guide last year but have looked at it from the standpoint of
being interested in entering several categories. To be honest, it is
quite confusing and doesn't make a lot of sense, not to mention boring.
Perhaps what has happened is that it has always been done this way and
no one has really looked at it with a fresh view. Take Vegetables, for
example. (I'm interested in this since I'm regressing in age and
becoming involved with doing what I HAD to do as a child, but this time
it is for fun, exercise and just to see if I can do it. Plus, if my back
yard is one giant garden, Linda won't have to mow it!). Here's what the
listings in Vegetables say:
Sweet Bell Peppers, Hot Peppers, Onion Family, Root Vegetables and Vine
Family (except for largest in each category) 3 on a plate.
PRIZES
1st - $5.00   2nd - $3.00    3rd - $1.50
3 on a plate-Tomato
11-1 Beefsteak
11-2 Yellow
11-3 Yellow Pear
11-4 Plum
11-5 Cherry
11-6 Standard Round Red
11-7 Other Pink
11-8 Other Orange
11-9 Other - Not Listed
11-10 Largest Tomato, one per plate
Sweet Bell Peppers
11-15 Green
11-16 Red
11-17 Yellow
11-18 Sweet Banana
11-19 Italian Sweet
11-20 Other Sweet
11-21 Largest Sweet Pepper, 1 per plate
etc.

Okay, these are fairly understandable, but to someone who has never
exhibited anything, a lot more info should be included. Do I need to
supply the plate? If so, paper, china, plastic? What are the veggies
judged on? Size, ripeness, uniformity. Should they be picked on Sunday,
Saturday or even Friday and left to ripen a bit? When is the judging
date? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday? If I pick a ripe tomato on Sunday and
it's not judged until Wednesday, then it will be a tad overripe. But if
I pick one nearly ripe on Saturday and it's judged Tuesday, it should be
ideal.

Next:
CONTAINER GARDENING
PRIZES
1st $10.00 2nd $8.00   3rd $5.00
*ornamentals will be disqualified
*11-101 Vegetable in a 10" or under
    container with roots, tomato
*11-102 Vegetable in a 10" or under
    container with roots, pepper
11-103 Vegetable in a 10" or under
    container with roots, any other variety.
*11-104 Vegetable in a 10" or over
    container with roots, tomato
*11-105 Vegetable in a 10" or over
    container with roots, pepper
11-106 Best Display of Garden Products     by an individual or organization

Should it be 10" or under and Over 10"? When are these judged? I saw the
displays on either Thursday or Friday and they looked like they really
needed a dose of water. Can exhibitors water their plants during the
fair? Those building get hot, very hot, and there is next to no
moisture. Even during summer, the dew provides a bit of moisture and the
temps drop below 85.

There are more than likely several other categories that more info can
be provided.

VEGETABLE DISPLAY
PRIZES (No store-bought produce)
1st - $15.00   2nd - $10.00   3rd - $5.00
11-95 Best Display Peppers
11-96 Best Display Gourds
11-97 Best arrangement of vegetables in a basket or tray.
DISPLAY OF GARDEN PRODUCTS BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR ORGANIZATION
PRIZES
1st - $45.00  2nd - $30.00  3rd - $15.00
11-98 Adult
1st $30.00 2nd $20.00 3rd $10.00

What is mean by Best Display? Is this a variety of veggies in one
container? Or on one plate? How many veggies or what types?

Point 2)
I would like to get the paper out much, much earlier. June 1, at the
latest. Why? So more people can learn about the exhibition opportunities
available. Also, I would like to be able to work with Kroger, UDF and
several Senior Citizen groups and have papers available there. Maybe
even contact Boy and Girl Scout groups as they have a lot of Merit
Badges that dovetail with Art, Photography, etc. Perhaps even offer
Junior Exhibition and Senior Citizen Memberships at a discount. In
addition, the paper would have more info about growing veggies, canning
produce, taking pictures, etc. Yes, printing an additional 7,500 -
10,000 papers would add a few hundred dollars to the total cost (I'm not
sure the exact cost - probably 5-8¢ per paper although you could cut
back a bit on the number of papers that goes to each library), but you
could easily pick up an additional 100 exhibitors. That would more than
pay for the cost of printing. Plus, if they bring a couple of friends
with them as well as spread the word, you could make money doing it this
way. You know if Kelsey was to enter something and win a ribbon, we
would have to attend the fair to see it. So would some grandparents,
neighbors, etc.

I also have access to several gardening articles (supplied by the OSU Ag
Service) that I can send to other newspapers (or people could sign up at
the Fair's web site to receive a newsletter via e-mail) that have tips
about raising veggies, such as now being the time to start seedlings
indoors. It would be too late this year, but next year the Fair should
be able to get a grant to help fund this. That could pay for the paper
itself and then some.

One other idea - perhaps for this year, would be to get in touch with
Burpee Seeds. Have them help sponsor the veggie prizes. Perhaps not with
a huge cash donation, but with a donation of seeds. Anything to get more
people involved.

And yes, I do plan on entering several categories. That's what inspired
me to really take a look at the Premium guide. I have three types of
tomatoes, two types of sweet peppers, five types of spicy peppers and
some basil already planted. I intend to add some more tomatoes, green
beans, cucumbers and another herb or two. I figure by the time summer is
over, I'll have about 50 bushels of tomatoes, 30 bushels of beans, a
couple bushels of cucumbers and peppers and a few pounds of basil. I
might even give you a bean or two!

Mike