 It’s time to start planting those
flower and vegetable seeds for the 74th Annual Arroyo Grande Valley Harvest Festival.
This year’s theme, “Harvesting
Community Pride and Celebrating Our City's Centennial” is
kicked off by this year’s Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Contests!
These traditional contests from the early days
of the Harvest Festival have returned for 2011 and everyone is invited to participate.
In 1976 the Burpee Seed Company issued a catalogue
commemorating their 100th Anniversary by featuring a reproduction of their 1888
seed catalogue.
Arroyo Grande Farmers were featured in the
catalogue because they won many cash prizes for their outstanding vegetables and flowers.
“At the turn of the century the prolific soils in Arroyo Grande Valley produced prize
winning bumper crops of cabbages, carrots, beans, peas, pumpkins, onions, flowers and
other crops,” local Historian Doris Olsen
wrote in the Santa Maria Times.
 “The local farmers won so many cash
awards that they boasted they were the only valley in the world by reason of its prolific
soil to be barred from the national seed contest.” (The Arroyo Grande Farmers were
banned to participate so others would have a chance to win, however they were given a
lifetime achievement award.)
But…. You are not barred from the growing
contests!
All ages are encouraged to join in and compete by
bringing their largest apples, ugliest melons, heaviest tomatoes, heirloom fruits and
vegetables and their most beautiful cut flowers to be judged by members of the
Woman’s Club of Arroyo Grande, Harvest Festival Officials and the Festival’s
Grand Marshal on September 24th.
Categories will include, children, adults and commercial
growers.
We have the Greatest Soil in the World, so
let’s see what we can grow!
Sign up forms available at the festival, or click below!
Veggie, Pumpkin, Fruit, Gourd, etc. Entry Form
Flower or Plant Entry
Form
For more information on the Harvest Festival visit
www.agharvestfestival.com or email any questions to info@agharvestfestival.com |