Gardening in Alaska : State Fair opens

Talk Dirt To Me

Do you love to make mud pies, grow a houseplant, eat veggies, or stop to smell the bouquet on your co-workers desk? Everyone enjoys a bit of green growing around him or her and then there are those that are passionate and needy when it comes to dabbling in the dirt. With this blog, we'll try to satisfy those needs and tell you about what's going on with the Anchorage gardening scene. You know, as I finally learned, it's all about the dirt.

Photographer and gardener Fran Durner (fdurner@adn.com) writes the blog.

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State Fair opens

Posted by talkdirt

Posted: August 20, 2008 - 5:07 pm

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Let us know in the comments below what you entered in the State Fair and how you did!

Four-yr-old Spencer Bailey holds a bouquet of flowers he helped grow and is entering in the Alaska State Fair flower exhibits this year. Fran Durner/ADNHeaded out to Palmer to take a look at the first flower and crop entries at the Alaska State Fair early this afternoon and was not surprised to find very little entered yet tho not sure if it was because of the crummy summer or if people are waiting til after school and work or til the second entry next week.

Indra and Rick Bloom prepare an entry of Asiatic lillies at the flower entries building at the Alaksa State Fair on Wednesday, August 20, 20008. Fran Durner/ADNAlso was surprised that perennial flower superintendant Jaime Rodriguez was not on duty this year.

L-R, Rose Frisco of California, Florence Hubacek and Leize Day of Palmer and Lorna Palmer of Las Vegas gather for a photo round the 41.2 pound cabbage that Hubacek's husband Steve grew and entered in the Alaska State Fair on Wednesday, August 20, 2008. Fran Durner/ADNInside the farm exhibits building where veggies are entered, Steve Hubacek's 41.2 lb big-leafed cabbage held the seat of honor in the giant veggies exhibit looking like a little girl surrounded by a large ruffled dress. Crops superintendent Kathy Liska said she knows of an Anchorage grower who is signed up to enter the giant pumpkin competition next Wednesday along with J. D. Megchelsen of Nikiski. A look at J.D.'s online growers diary has an entry from Sunday that currently estimates his pumpkin at 770 lbs. Not the thousand pounder he was hoping for but he still has a week to go. Wonder what the Anchorage grower has in his pumpkin patch?

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5 November 18, 2008 - 4:26pm | abidiks

A great read, very

A great read, very informative
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4 September 4, 2008 - 9:08am | akliska

A Thank You from Crops

I would like to give a big "Thank you" to all who entered in the Crops Department this year. It was a great display of Alaska Grown fruits and vegetables to see. Everyone should be proud of what they accomplished with the summer we were given. Also, many thanks to the awesome volunteer Clerks & Judges. Without your immeasureable knowledge, help and dedication, my job would not be possible or as much fun as it is. Hope to see you again next year!
Kathy - Crops Superintendent

3 August 29, 2008 - 12:01pm | dpmarshall

Second place for pumpkin weighoff

Our pumpkin came in second place at 328!
My son Leven and I had a great time growing it this summer. Did you know it's the biggest pumpkin to ever come out of Anchorage?
It also was a pleasure meeting J.D. ,what a nice guy. I am looking forward to seeing him again next year.
We will be back next year with bigger and better veggies , hopefully! -- Dale
(adding pics, hope I do it right)

August 31, 2008 - 8:18pm | talkdirt

What a beauty!

Thanks for sharing your photo - can't wait to see what you do next year!

September 1, 2008 - 4:54pm | tagalak

photo post?

Fran,
can you post the pumpkin photo or what?

September 2, 2008 - 8:41am | talkdirt

Check out the Garden Gallery!

The pumpkin photo is posted to the garden gallery as well as many other photos of people's beautiful flowers and gardens, so check them out by clicking on the link at the top of this blogpost!

2 August 25, 2008 - 8:29pm | akliska

Alaska State Fair Vegetables

I want to let everyone know that all vegetable entries at the Alaska State Fair Crops Department are donated to the Food Bank of Alaska at the end of each week, and distributed to those who need it, i.e. Senior Homes & Centers, Shelters, etc. What they do not take is then offered to 4-H for the animals. This means little if any waste. A great community service.

August 26, 2008 - 8:31am | tagalak

Good job

Glad to hear that the entries are used to help the needy. Are the 'pieces' of veggies that fall (or are taken) off in the grooming get donated to the animals?
And Kathy Liska, Thanks for your dedication to the Crops Department from your Muldoon clerks.

August 26, 2008 - 12:44am | terri50

Thank you for posting this info,

I'm glad to read that the produce exhibits are put to good use. That has not always been the case.

I still have an issue with the low premiums. In the mid to late 80's the premiums were greatly reduced. IMO higher exhibit premiums would benefit all departments of the fair.

I have been a long time exhibitor and volunteer at the fair (my exhibitor number is embarrassingly low), and have watched the Alaska State fair, Inc. become too tight with premiums and complimentary tickets.

If I bring a big load of vegetables and flowers to the second entry on Wednesday, will I have to pay to get in? Will I be allowed to drive my entries through the gate?

August 26, 2008 - 8:35am | tagalak

Please put your entries in

I wondered these same questions ... and found out that when you are at the gate on Wednesday in your vehicle you let them know you are headed to the Crops barn or Flower barn with your entries and then will be leaving.. it doesn't cost you to enter the Fair. Please bring those entries to Palmer on Wednesday. The more the merrier and even though the $$ premium isn't anything, the notoriety is immense! We love seeing new winners, too. sincerely, Nickel LaFleur - a Crop's clerk

August 26, 2008 - 8:25pm | akliska

Entries and Parking

As stated, there is no cost to the Entrant to bring Crops, Flowers or Baked Goods to the State Fair on the 2nd Entry, Wednesday 8/27. You can drive in and drop off your entries and will be given a parking pass good for General Parking for the entire day. And as along as you get your hand stamped on the way out to park, Entrants are not charged admission, though if you bring other family or friends they will need to pay. A huge thank you to all who enter ... you are the show!

August 26, 2008 - 12:48pm | terri50

Thanks,

Maybe I'll bring some veggies in tomorrow.

Also, I apologize for forgetting to thank all the amazing volunteers in the crops department! Even if I don't make it in tomorrow with veggies, one of my kids is entering a cabbage on Friday. So I will see you then (pending lack of slugs, hail, moose, and explosions)!

August 30, 2008 - 1:16am | terri50

Well,

I brought veggies to the second entry of the fair on Wed night. Entering was pretty chaotic with lines at every Division table. The volunteers were all nice, but the parking/traffic guy wasn't.

I got two blues, two whites, and two HM's (green). I entered a couple of herbs, apples, and greens.

My child's giant cabbage was in the top 20, so won $50 in prize money.

September 2, 2008 - 8:44am | talkdirt

Congratulations!

Hi Terri, If you have any photos of your crops or of you and your children with them and/or ribbons, please post them to the garden gallery so we can all see! Thanks so much!

September 4, 2008 - 1:45am | terri50

I submitted a photo,

of my daughter and her cabbage at home taken the night before the Weigh Off.

I forgot to write in the caption that the holes in the cabbage were from a bad halestorm in July.

September 4, 2008 - 1:47am | terri50

Sorry,

I posted twice by mistake.

September 5, 2008 - 2:57pm | tagalak

no worries

considering what time you were posting, ...
doing it twice is no big whoop! best from muldoon.

August 31, 2008 - 6:19pm | tagalak

Yoooo-hoooo-- Congrats on the entries.

Too bad about the parking craziness of it all.... but glad to hear that you were treated kindly by the volunteers in the Crops Barn. Thank you for entering so many different things.. Getting $50 is a lot of money, must have been a fabulous cabbage! It's not about the money, it's about participation! Thanks for taking the time to show your stuff. Nickel LaFleur - crops clerk

1 August 23, 2008 - 8:42am | tagalak

sparse entries and gas?

Entering perishables in the Fair was not an easy task before gas prices soared with the drive to the Fair on Wednesday afternoon/evening.... but now, even more of a concern. I applaud those that do take the time to enter crops and flowers for the rest of us to enjoy. See you at the Fair.

August 25, 2008 - 4:52pm | terri50

My thoughts on entering veggies...

I'm going to be honest and say that I don't like entering veggies in the AK State Fair because the tiny premiums are not worth wasting my beautiful organic veggies (you don't get them back at the end of the fair). It might be an incentive to enter if the fair at least gave a free admission ticket for exhibitors. They don't even give a free ticket for entering in the Giant Cabbage Weigh Off!

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