Page 16 - Simply Veg Issue 1 2016

Why I judge veg!
Adrian Read FNVS Northern Branch
As I write this article the showing year is coming to an end as far as the judging of vegetable shows is concerned. I have thoroughly enjoyed the season with
my last three shows being the national championships in Scotland, The South Causey Inn near Stanley, in conjunction with the National Pot Leek Society and nally the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show.
All three shows were lled with top class exhibits throughout with competitors coming from all areas of the
country to compete against each other.
I have handled some of the nest vegetables
ever grown and been privileged to assess them for their merits without having too many faults to contend with. It is true that judging at the highest level can be much easier than judging at the small local shows. At national level you are looking for minor faults rather than at local level trying to identify the exhibit with the least faults.
foliage together clear of the barrels. The pointing system we follow is 6 points for condition 4 points for uniformity, 5 points for size, 3 points for shape and 2 points for colour. The leeks are judged for condition of foliage, dark green with no blanching of the leaf area, no sign of seed heads, no pest damage or disease evident and a fresh condition of the barrel, The barrel is the main part of the leek and we are looking for, a straight parallel barrel, none bulbous, solid to the feel with a
tight button. The button is where the last ag (or leaf) joins together at the top of the barrel. Leeks with quality display a shine to the barrel and no coarseness or decay marks should be evident throughout the barrel. The base of the leek should be smooth without ribbing or over
The base of the leek should be smooth without ribbing or over stripping
stripping. The roots should be white and fresh without trimming. These are the main areas that will determine the condition points.
Uniformity requires all leeks to be alike in size, shape and colour. The size should be the same on all leeks with the barrel circumference being the same and the length to the button been equal. Care must be taken not to award points for uniformity when all the specimens display a fault. The length of the leek should be
I have been judging now for well over 20 years and grown and shown for the last 40 years. I do not exhibit much myself now other than on the displays at the Harrogate Spring Show, The Great Yorkshire Show and this year we put a stand on at The Holker hall Garden Festival along with members from the Westmoreland and Lancashire DA’s in May. I am also chairman of our local NVS District Association South Durham and North Yorkshire) and I have been doing this for the last 14 years, as well as doing talks to garden clubs and DA’s throughout the northern branch.
proportionate to the girth. The minimum length is 350mm or 14 inch, we are looking at leeks in excess of this especially if the girth is larger. Most leeks are displayed with around 16 to 18 inch of blanch and 8 inch and above girth which gives a good balance through the leek. Leeks that are just over the required size with a large girth are down pointed on uniformity. Some exhibitors have been very critical on the uniformity of the buttons between each leek even when the blanch is almost the same on every leek. This is a fault and will down point the
I also work full time for North Yorkshire County Council as a Home Care manager
in charge of staff who care for the elderly.
This is a very demanding job and can require some long hours and weekend working to resolve issues that arise. I use up my holidays throughout the year attending events on behalf of the NVS. I really must get a life someday!
Shape requires the leek barrel to be parallel from the button to the base
stand but if only say one specimen is short to the button you should only knock off the odd point, if the leek itself is not of poor quality or in any way inferior to the other specimens.
Shape requires the leek barrel to be parallel from the button to the base, all leeks do have some taper to some extent but this should not be too visible to the eye. Barrels should not be bulbous or bent.
In this article I want to explain a bit about
the judging process and try to explain what a
judge is looking for when choosing the best exhibits in a class. I will take you through the judging of Blanch leeks as I have recently judged these at the National and at the Harrogate shows. At the National show this year two judges worked together and we collectively agree on the outcome. I can honestly say we agreed on all the decisions without any serious debate as the placement of most classes were quite obvious once we had handled and inspected the exhibits.
Firstly the schedule called for ve leeks at the National and three at Harrogate. The leeks are set out by the exhibitors side by side with
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Size is awarded as long as the quality is not affected by oversize as with all veg there is a point when size is detrimental to the quality and coarseness comes
in, in my view at this point size points can be deducted rather than added for oversize specimens. Small exhibits will of course be given less size points.
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