Got vegetables?

A peek at our local papers shows that interest in the first ever Okeechobee County Fair is beginning to grow.  County Fairs are a fun way to not only have a great time, but also can be a nice way to strut your stuff.

At this year’s first ever Fair, I’ve been asked to help coordinate the exhibits and entries of our local garden enthusiasts.  Vegetables from your home garden will be the emphasis on this year’s horticultural divisions.  With a good turnout of both exhibitors and helpers, the Fair will expand in future years to include other kinds of garden goodies, such as foliage and flowers.

If you would like to know more about how to grow vegetables, next Saturday, January 13th I will be part of an open house at Varri Green Farm, one of our local vegetable farms.  Our new FYN Program Assistant, Angela Sachson, will also be at the Thursday night Main Street Farmer’s Market to give out good gardening gleanings.

You can stop by and ask us more about how to get ready for the Fair.  At that time, copies of the rules and entry forms will be available to guide local gardeners on their way to a blue ribbon or purple rosette.

Farm Tour & Farmer’s Market

Last spring I wrote an article on Organic Gardening, and featured a local organic farm.  Sal and Holly have been working hard at Varri Green Farm to produce “produce” without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.  Their farm is designed to meet the increased desires of consumers for locally grown healthy food, and is based on a concern for sustainable agriculture.

A farm tour will be held this coming Saturday at the Varri-Green Farm, from 10 AM to 4 PM.  Besides getting a chance to see what organic vegetable production looks like, there will be products to taste, music to sooth the soul and presentations on food preparation that will please your eyes.  There will also be fresh produce available for purchase.  

Please wear protective clothing (like closed toed shoes) and bring a chair or blanket.  For directions and additional info call the farm at 863-357-2747 or check their website at www.varrigreenfarm.com.

Other Fresh from Florida farm products are featured at local farmer’s markets, including our own Okeechobee Main Street's Farmers Market.  The Market is open every Thursday night from 4 - 7 PM between November and April.  Visitors will find fresh produce, honey, and local products of other specialty products sure to give you a taste of the Tropics.  Call Main Street at 357-MAIN for more information, or go on line: www.mainstreetokeechobee.com.

Vegetable Gardening Exhibits

Vegetable gardeners will be able to bring the fruits of their labors to this year’s Fair.  There will be three different vegetable exhibiting sections for both youth and adults at the Fair:

*       A garden vegetable table display is a chance to put together a basket, bowl or other suitable container of five different kinds of vegetables or fruits that have come from your own garden.  Not only do the individual items need to be clean, fresh and fully ready to eat, they should be arranged in a pleasing manner, and of course have come from your home garden.

*       Individual plates of the same kind of vegetables may also be entered in the Fair.  For example, a plate of three red ripe tomatoes or ears of sweet corn from your own garden might be what you want to show off.

*       A final category will be the largest vegetable contest, where you bring in the largest example of your radish, zucchini, or head of cabbage.  Be sure to keep in mind that these need to be free of any soil or excess materials.  We will establish a county record from this year’s Fair and compare them with other state-wide records of vegetables.

Sound like fun?  Be sure to pick up an entry form and get it to our office no later than Friday February 16, 2007.  Check with the Fair website for details on these and other contests and events: www.okeechobeecountyfair.com.

And, plan now to have your garden at the right stage of production so that your vegetables are at their prime on Friday March 9, 2007. That’s the day we hope to see the Fair invaded by lots of homegrown killer tomatoes and crispy collards.  You may contact our office if you have any questions on how to best grow your home-grown vegetables.

Know Your Vegetables

Youth will also be able to sign up for our local  Vegetable identification and judging contest, modeled after the annual Florida FFA contest.  It involves not only identifying the produce itself, but will also include the identification of vegetable seed, weeds, and pests with a couple of judging classes thrown in (the students get to be the judges!)   This contest will be open to teams of youth representing their school, classroom, church or 4-H club.  And if we hear from enough adults, I’m going to push for a separate contest to see if the adults also know their vegetables.

I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  If you need additional information on vegetable gardening or exhibiting, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons. 

GO GATORS!

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Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean Last update: 03/23/2007 .  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert 

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