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Giant pumpkins, perfect tomatoes and the sweetest corn — the county fair offers the chance to win bragging rights and a little bit of prize money
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by SUSAN CRATON
Walter Russell prepares strawberry popcorn bundles for sale, setting aside a few to consider entering in the St. Mary's County Fair. The fair will be held Sept. 24 to 27, with entry day being Wednesday, Sept. 23.
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He says they are the biggest he's ever grown. Walter Russell of Clements didn't want any photos taken of his giant pumpkins, but he was willing to offer a glimpse of the three mammoth orange vegetables he's been tending to all summer. Mostly hidden by vines and deep blue morning glories, Russell pushed against the largest of the three to gauge how much it weighed. It hardly budged.
He wouldn't even guess how many pounds it was.
"I'm interested in how much it weighs," he said, unable to hold back a broad smile. "I just hope it doesn't rot the day before or something."
The "day before" refers to the day before entry day, Sept. 23, for the 63rd Annual St. Mary's County Fair. Russell and his wife, Betty, are traditionally among the biggest competitors at the county fair, submitting 200 to 250 entries. They own about 427 acres and farm about 200 acres of that — 150 acres in produce. So the Russells have plenty to pick from when preparing for the fair.
The contest for the biggest pumpkin is one Walter most wants to win.
It was the first week in September when Walter went to check on the pumpkins, and Betty sat under the awning at one of the Russells' two roadside stands, tying together ears of red, strawberry popcorn — She dropped some bundles in a basket next to her seat. The best looking ones, she set aside on the table to consider for the county fair. "It's a process of elimination," she said.
She kept working as she talked. "It's like any other profession," Betty said of aiming for honors at the county fair. "It gives you a sense of recognition. It's like the Olympics. You compete."
The Russells generally do well at the fair. "We get a basketful," Walter said of the number of ribbons they win.
Norris and Betty Shepherd have been in charge of the produce and crop section of the county fair – everything except the beekeeping exhibit – for the past 35 years. They've learned to expect the Russells to show up ready to compete. "She'll pull into the fairgrounds with two pickup loads," Betty Shepherd said of Betty Russell.
Each year, the Shepherds have learned to plan for between 800 and 1,000 entries for the fair's agricultural section — the number is higher when it's been a good growing season like this year.
Anyone from the Southern Maryland region, which includes Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties, may enter their best apples, largest eggplant, most uniform group of zucchini or produce in any of the dozens of other fair categories. There is no charge.
"That's the prettiest building in the fair," Betty Shepherd said, noting the fruits and vegetables' range of bright colors.
The most popular competitions are for the largest pumpkin and largest watermelon, according to the Shepherds. The biggest pumpkin on record for the fair was last year's winner, which was 290-something pounds, according to the Shepherds, and was grown in the 7th District. The biggest watermelon ever was approximately 96 or 97 pounds, the Shepherds said, and was entered a few years ago.
The Shepherds offered a few tips for those who want to see how their fruits, vegetables and herbs compare with other growers in the area. Most importantly, the entry should be clean, they said. "It should be washed," Betty Shepherd said.
If more than one of an item is required, all the produce in that group should be as uniform in size and color as possible.
And, finally, the Shepherds urged people to consult their fair book so they would know how many of an item is required to participate.
They said it is heart breaking to see young people arrive at the fairgrounds on entry day with only one patty pan summer squash, for instance, when three are required in that category.
However, some of the most important preparation for the fair really takes place in the spring before planting. Norris noted that some summer crops, for instance, need to be planted on the late side to mature at county fair time. The timing can be tricky.
People who plan to enter produce in the fair should wait until just before taking their entry to the fair to pick it, if possible. While judging begins first thing on Thursday morning, the day after entry day, some more tender items don't look fresh for very long.
Over the years, the Shepherds have seen entries to the fair change along with Southern Maryland culture, reflecting how farming has become less prevalent. "You're getting a lot more vegetables, a lot more herbs," Norris said. "The farm crops have declined — tobacco, corn … things like that."
The Shepherds noted that they used to get as many as 50 samples of tobacco entered in the fair. "Now we're lucky to have six," Norris said.
"It's a shame, because that's our heritage," Betty Shepherd said.
A reflection of the region's farming history is one of the things they see in the people entering their items in the agriculture competition. They encourage area farmers and gardeners to participate.
While the fair requires a huge amount of effort on the part of the Shepherds and other volunteers, they say they don't mind manning the agriculture building every hour of the fair and they're glad to answer questions. "I just love the fair," Betty Shepherd said. "I love it. I say I'm getting too old. But when it gets fair time, I get so excited."
In the meantime, Walter Russell is considering how he can get his giant pumpkin to the fair.
"I'm going to try to get some men to pick it up and carry it and then put it on something soft in the truck," he said, as he considered the potential problems.
He can't wait, he said. "I get a big kick out of this stuff. I really do."
If you want to enter
The 63rd Annual St. Mary's County Fair will be held Sept. 24 to 27 at the fairgrounds in Leonardtown. Entry day is Wednesday, Sept. 23, when entries in the agricultural exhibits will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the fairgrounds.
This year's fair book, which includes a catalogue of classes and competitions and a schedule of events, is available at the three county library branches and online at www.smcfair.somd.com.
