| MARCH 2, 2011 -- This year’s seed contest is going to be butternut squash seeds. For those members who like a traditional Grange contest, there will be a decorated squash contest for display at State Session in October. Yes, your squash will need to be judged first at the subordinate and pomona levels first.
The main purpose of our squash growing contest, however, will be a State wide effort to grow butternut squashes for donation to the Conn Food Bank and its affiliated soup kitchens. The Grange that grows the most pounds of squash will win our second contest. Those that do the best job of documenting their efforts to get non-grangers involved in this program will be the winners of our third contest.
So fellow members, if you look at this contest a little differently than past years you will see that it is a tool to advertise your Grange to the general public. So consider having a meeting to invite: local land trust, local community gardeners, local 4H clubs, local agricultural schools and the general public to grow the squash with you. Don’t know how to grow squash, the seeds will come with instructions, need more help, call your ag committee. These are easy to grow and usually prolific plants. If you get outside interest, have a second meeting planned to collect your fruit and a third meeting to thank those who participated. If you have these meeting in conjunction with your regular meetings there should be very little extra effort needed. |
