Page 66 - Simply Vegetables Autumn 2021

Irish Section
Ireland News
A year ago, we were faced with the reality of no shows
for our members in 2020 but it was difficult to believe
that two years in a row, Ireland’s Shows would fall victim to the global pandemic. Irish members again turned to virtual competitions in 2021 for a chance to showcase their gardens and quality vegetable exhibits.
Congratulations to the winners of our virtual vegetable competition, which have been published on our Facebook page. We will provide further details and photos of the winners in the winter edition of Simply Vegetables.
The Irish DA would like to thank the southern branch for holding a virtual championship in July. Irish members won two first prizes, three second prizes, three third prizes. Best in Show was awarded to Raymond Higgins for his peas.
Raymond Higgins Best in Show
Erica’s Winning Entry
Congratulations to our Junior members Erica and Evanna Tully who were winners in the Under 16’s Competition.
Any number of vegetables or flowers contained within a standard size seed tray, max size 39cm x 25cm.
Vegetable Growing – the next Olympic Sport?
Sport is defined as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Over the past week I have been
to set national or world records and feature in the pages of the Guinness Book of Records, alongside Usain Bolt and Co. These records though are for giant or heaviest vegetables.
enjoying watching the Olympics.
One thing that
amazes me is that the
list of sports seems
to get longer every 4
years, Sport climbing,
Surfing and Skateboarding being the new arrivals this year, while Breakdancing will debut at the Paris 2024 games. At the 1948 London Olympics Art and Sculpture were Olympic events so could we develop a vegetable based Olympic event?
Comparing vegetable growing against the definition of a sport. It fits the criteria in that it has plenty of physical exertion and skill involved in digging and caring for crops. Individuals compete against others for entertainment. It’s even possible
Most people who enter the vegetable classes at shows tend to look down on these giant vegetable growers,
but they do put a huge effort into growing their heaviest and
longest specimens. Three world records were set last year at Britain’s Grow Show Tour, the heaviest red cabbage (31.6 kg), longest salsify and longest beetroot, although this received little exposure in televised media, social media sources would indicate a significant surge of interest in all things garden related during lockdown.
Simply looking at selections of vegetables being judged mightn’t make riveting television, so some other aspect of activity would need
a vegetable based Olympic event?
to be included. In Ireland we have Loy Digging competitions where competitors dig and make a ten- yard-long ridge using a traditional one side spade called a Loy. Freestyle Weeding might make entertaining television with two competitors in their national colours in an exertion of fitness and skill, weeding parallel plots. The vegetable plots could be in the middle of the Olympic stadium next to the long jump pit and the neatly finished plots would look good at the closing ceremony. Aspiring competitors can start training now, I’ll let them practice on my garden!
66 Simply Vegetables