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• On the Farm: Vermont Farm Show 2001 ... Just Around the Corner

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Farm News & Views:  Vermont Farm Show 2001
        Just Around the Corner / Barre Civic Center, January 23-25

The Vermont Farm Show 2001 is just around the corner.  The show is set for January 23rd-25th, over the ridge at the Barre Civic Center.

Folks who've been there before know the drill.  But for those who don't, we thought we'd devote this issue to a quick look at the Farm Show, especially the contests.  Who knows?  There might be someone out there with silage, hay, handspun fibers or a double-crust apple pie who might want to try their hand this time around.

Of course, in addition to the contests, there'll be plenty of others showcasing their wares, both at the Auditorium and the Ice Arena.  And there'll be a host of meetings throughout the three-day affair, including {January 23rd} the Vermont Beekeeper's Association Winter Meeting, and the Vermont Maple Sugarmaker's Association Annual Meeting and Banquet ... {January 24th} a meeting of the New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association, the Vermont FFA Annual Competition and Awards Luncheon Annual Meeting, and a meeting of the Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers Association ... and ending with the Dairy Farmers' Banquet and Awards on January 25th.  Of special note might be Wednesday's "Vermont Political Pull" Milking Contest, part of the Consumer Night goings-on at the Farm Show Banquet Hall.

Back to the contests.  ...  There are thirteen major categories in which products will be judged and prizes awarded:  {For a complete listing, click here, or visit the Farm Show's Contest Page.}

• Home Products, including breads, biscuits, pies, and a special two-crust apple pie contest ...

• Home Product Specialties, including jellies, jams, and pickles ...

• Honey, combed, various grades, and a special honey-recipe contest ...

• Christmas Trees, including fir, pine, spruce, and other ...

• Wreaths, both decorated & undecorated ...

• Apples, including Macs, Red Delicious, and commercial packs ...

• Eggs, both white & brown ...

• Vegetables, including Potatoes, Carrots,  Turnips or Rutabaga,  Squash,  Onions, Pumpkin, Dried Produce, Ornamental Corn or Popcorn and more ...

• Handspun Fibers, including 2-ply fine, medium & coarse, as well as a nod to some of the newer county residents with a special class for llamas & alpacas ...

• Silage, including corn, chopped hay crop grass and legume, and more ...

• Hay, including 1st & 2nd cuts of mostly grass, mostly legume, and mixed ...

• Maple Products, including Indian Sugar, Maple Cream,  Maple Sugar Cakes,  and pure Maple Fudge, and finally ...

• Maple Syrup, including Fancy, Medium Amber & Dark Amber

The Rules:  According to the Vermont Farm Show ...

All entries must have been produced in Vermont by resident farmers or homemakers, except for members in the VT-NH associations. Any youth that has had an active part of farm products may submit one entry per class. (Youths are those under 19 years of age.) Only one adult entry per farm is allowed in each class except Class C apples and Class A potatoes. Each entry must have an Official Entry Tag completely filled out.

All contestants must make out their own entry tag. Tags should also be marked at the top in such a way that only contestants can recognize their own entry. The contestant's name and address will not be exposed on tags where products are not judged to be excellent. Judges may state suggestions for improvement.

All products must be delivered by hand, not mailed, and must be presented to attendants between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday, January 22, in the front lobby of the Barre Auditorium. Judging will begin at 4 p.m., Monday, January 22, 2001. After the Show, ribbons and cash awards will be mailed to each contestant. All entries, containers, score cards, and recipes become property of the Vermont Farm Show. All rulings of the contest superintendents are final.

For further information, or to arrange transportation, call the Farm Show Office at 828-2433 or your local UVM Extension office.  To visit the Farm Show web site, click here ... or type in ...  http://ctr.uvm.edu/farmshow/  ...

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Lou Colasanti, Editor & Laura Wisniewski, Associate Editor
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