And that is why judges don't taste canned goods many times. Here we have to include a recipe card that lists ingredients, techniques, times. If it's not there, the item is disqualified.

As for salsa, I've found that mine rarely places. It's become too "commonplace", Judges seem to be looking for items that are unique or grab their attention.

And, for some reason my fresh produce and baked goods also did better than the canned items, who knows what the Judges are looking for? I sure don't...

Congratulations on the ribbons, and the $72.00. Here the grand total for my winnings was $12.00, LOL. A Grand Champion ribbon is worth $3.00, a blue ribbon gets you a buck, 2nd place is 50 cents, 3rd place or lower has no monetary value. We used to win things like cases of canning jars and the Ball Blue Book, but that stopped a long time ago, maybe 15 years. Maybe more.

It definitely does not pay for the lids, and our judges do taste things like jams and jellies, pickles, but oddly enough, many times the hot pepper relish or hot sauce never gets opened and tasted. Between the lids and the product that must be thrown out because it was opened and unrefrigerated for a week, or the baked goods that sit in the display cases for that same week, the Fair is a losing proposition, but it's still fun!

Annie

The Ag building upped the Premiums quite a few years ago, almost double of the Horticulture building. Perhaps, because the fair is the largest Agricultural fair on the East Coast. Get your list in early and get a spot for the scarecrow contest first prize is 100.00, to date when the kids were younger we came in second, but they used our scarecrow for the front of the program following year, that was kewl.

it would be nice if they changed the rules and regulations here, only guidance is, jars must have rings and correct jar size. One year I had a canary, canned meat display, blue ribbon, rusted lids and rings, liquid was have way down the jar. I don’t can meat, but really?

Unusual doesn’t seem to make a difference here, I was the first to enter cheddar cauliflower, under misc because no category, but it didn’t win , now it is in premium book, go figure.

This year was the first year, ag premium book only online, that messed some up, I was told the 86 year old judge only had 2 pages of categories to go on.

We have a new ag director as of this fair, who knows what next year. It is a pain if entering Hort ,arts and crafts with ag only online.

I may enter Pa Farm Show in January, as long as not a big snow storm to drive the hour and half. Have to choose carefully, as the family living departments are not all on same day,so don’t want to keep driving back and forth for 3 days. Plus, they upped the entry fee to 2.00 Per item! The home ec judges there open and taste, check, jams, jellies, tomato and pickled products.

liz

Here there's no entry fee either, that's free, so maybe it makes up for the premiums a little. They did put the Fair Book on line one year, but that didn't work out well at all. We have advance registration, but if you miss the deadline you have to bring your product and your registration sheet to the Display Building on Saturday morning, wait in line to register, get all your tags, affix them to your jars or containers and leave them for placement. Baked goods are required to be on a plate or cardboard circle, no convenience mixes of any kind are ever allowed and canned goods must be in jars labelled for canning, i.e. Ball/Kerr/Golden Harvest/etc. A complete recipe including instructions must be attached to all products, whether they are baked or canned. We do have an "entree" division but no one ever enters it, I'm assuming because there is no refrigeration available. Maybe I'll do that next year.

Good luck at the Farm Show, if you go. I'll cross my fingers for you that the weather holds out.

Annie