Vegetables to take over Farm Show
Butler County Master Gardeners chose vegetables as the theme for this year's Butler Farm Show exhibit. Not the most thrilling theme on the planet, I thought. But that was before I talked with Eileen Stroup, who is chairing the Farm Show exhibit committee for the fourth year.
Stroup's first responses to my question "Why vegetables?" were "There's nothing better than a home-grown tomato," and "Everyone deserves fresh tomatoes and lettuce for their dinner table." No quarrel there, but I still wasn't convinced that vegetables were worthy of a farm show exhibit.
Stroup didn't stop with that and her enthusiasm for vegetables was contagious. By the time we ended our conversation, I was convinced that not only are vegetables deserving of a farm show exhibit, but I was making new plans for next year's vegetable garden.
To begin with, there's the increasing practice of growing vegetables in containers. Container gardening has been on the rise and is an excellent option for gardeners with limited space or mobility. New varieties, bush versions, early maturing, compact or dwarf types of vegetables increase your chances of success. Containers full of colorful peppers, tomatoes and different kinds of lettuce add a nice touch to your patio or porch.
Variety is another good reason to grow vegetables. Tomatoes sold at the supermarket are grown so they travel well, so they can be picked green and ripen in transit. There are no such constraints when your vegetables have to travel only the few steps from garden to kitchen. So the tomatoes you grow can be juicier and more delicate. They will certainly taste better.
Then there's the excitement surrounding heirloom vegetables, which home gardeners have been planting in increasing numbers and varieties for the past decade. The exact definition of an "heirloom" vegetable is not authoritatively established. It is generally agreed that they are from seeds passed down generation to generation from old, open pollinated plants before plant breeders began introducing hybrids in 1951. If you save the seeds from an heirloom vegetable to plant next year, you can rely on getting the same quality vegetable you had this year.
There are more than 200 varieties of heirloom tomatoes available in most colors of the rainbow and all sizes and shapes. While tomatoes are the most popular of the heirloom vegetables, there are heirloom varieties of most vegetables, including beans, cabbage and carrots.
Another reason to grow vegetables is that you know what you're getting from seed to table. You know what's in the growing mix, you know what kind and how much pesticide you used, if you used pesticides at all. You can rest easy being sure there's nothing added to that cucumber or pepper to make it look more appealing or to preserve its fresh appearance.
A vegetable garden can become a family affair where everyone contributes and gets their own special reward. The man of the house contributes by doing something he loves most, using a machine with a gas-powered engine, to till the soil. His reward is out-of-this-world tomatoes for his sandwiches.
School-age kids love to plant seeds and watch them grow into something they can pick and eat in a short time. They take special pride in using "their" zucchini for bread and carving "their" pumpkin. In addition, the garden becomes a summer biology lab, with informal lessons in identifying insects and discussing whether they are harmful or beneficial.
Visit the Master Gardener booth at the Farm Show. You'll get a solid consumer horticulture education. Stroup wants you to go away with at least five important new facts about growing vegetables. You'll get tips and handouts on identifying disease, how to select plants that will grow best, how to pick disease-resistant plants, soil preparation, mulching and what to do with your vegetable garden in the fall.
You may even decide to go home and try your hand at some late-season crops like radishes, spinach and lettuce.
In addition to information about vegetables, the Master Gardeners are handing out seeds collected from their own gardens, along with instructions on how to plant the seeds and care for the plants.
Preparation for the Farm Show exhibit starts more than a year before the actual event. That gives the exhibit committee time to collect pictures and information during the previous growing season and try growing plants for show.
Growing vegetable plants for the exhibit has been an adventure in itself. Stroup and her committee have been growing full-size tomatoes in buckets. Some are beautiful, as you will see when you visit the exhibit; others will not make it to the farm show. Stroup is trying her hand at an "upside-down" tomato plant. She hasn't decided if and how it will make it to the farm show.
Asked if she has anything to say to gardeners considering volunteering for the Master Gardener Program, Stroup says, "If you're interested in meeting people who share your passion for gardening; if you want to learn more than you ever thought you could learn about gardening, then go for it. It's a worthwhile and rewarding experience."
Stroup wants to specially thank and recognize the Master Gardeners who put in many hours to make the 2006 Farm Show exhibit a success. Committee members include Jan Sterling, Jean Rugg, Cindy Weiland, Deanna Clouse, Peg Campbell, Cindy Sabish and Mary Ellen Walters.
The Master Gardener program offers opportunities for gardeners from all walks of life: retirees, professionals, workers and students.
Whether you prefer working with plants or using your talents for planning, writing, photography, teaching, public speaking or other skills, the Master Gardeners have a way for you to share your love of planting and growing.
Eileen Stroup, in her work as chairwoman of the Farm Show exhibit committee, uses her organizational and teamwork skills along with her love of working with plants. She says the project lets her give her inner artist a workout and, as an added bonus, it's really fun.
Susan Struthers is a Master Gardener with the Penn State Master Gardener program.
