Page 17 - Simply Veg Issue 1 2016

Finally colour which carries two points. This is obvious to the eye and pure white leeks are easy to identify. Leeks can look grey or even green if the light has got to the barrels during the growing season.
The two shows I judged had quality exhibits throughout the classes but although the standard was high some faults were evident in all the exhibits, even the winning stands. At both shows the winners
had a variation in uniformity of the buttons but the blanch was much the same in each leek. This was down pointed in both exhibits, but quality of the leeks stood out above all the other exhibits displayed. We are not looking for perfect vegetables but the best in the class
at whatever level of show we judge, yes faults were seen and some faults only seen by the judges as it is possible to hide faults if the leeks are displayed carefully. The prizes were awarded taking into account the degree of faults in each exhibit. I can honestly say I handled all
the exhibits to assess their merits and came to a decision taking into account all the above.
Judging Vegetables is not an exact science but with thorough inspection and awarding the points correctly the results will identify the correct order the prizes are awarded.
The process I have described above applies to only one class of vegetables and most shows have anywhere between 20 and 40 classes to judge with each vegetable having its own pointing system. However when judging collections each vegetable has to be pointed individually and I would now like to give you my thoughts on the process I use to judge collections.
At The South Causey Inn Show there were 24 collections in 3 classes, judging this part of the show alone took me two and a half hours to complete, it is a very time consuming process. This still only allows about One minute per vegetable to assess the merits and award the appropriate points in comparison to the rest of the exhibits. When judging collections I look for the best specimen of each type of vegetable in turn and award points according to its merits then point the others against this bench mark, by doing this each vegetable
is pointed against the bench mark set by other vegetables types to get consistency across the board. For example an onion may score 18 points as the best specimen on the table but parsnips may start
at 16 points if the best specimen is not as good as the onion some specimens of the same kind will score the same points. It is only when the points are added up that I know the outcome of the winning stands.
People have commented that I can be harsh with the points as I do score low if a vegetable has severe faults but I believe that there has to be more than the odd point difference between a near perfect specimen and one with major faults, this is what the pointing system is for. This, I feel is the only way to get consistency when judging collections. I feel it is important never to try and identify the exhibitors while judging as this can create an unfair bias. I am judging the exhibits in-front of me not the people who have grown them.
I enjoy judging at all levels and enjoy talking to new exhibitors and top class exhibitors alike. I have learned a lot over the years and hope to continue for some time yet. I know I will not please everyone and never will as people have their own views on what is best. My aim
is to be fair and consistent judging to the best of my ability, always looking to learn and share my knowledge with others.
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and tasty vegetables. We are particularly proud of our extensive selection of chillies and sweet peppers, available as both seeds and plug plants. Many of the chillies are sold only by us, including the Dorset Naga, one of the hottest chillies in the world.
Other favourites of ours include lettuces for salads as well as Oriental greens and mustards for salads and stir fries. Selected for bolt resistance, most are suitable for cut-and-grow-again – that means a single sowing can be harvested as baby leaves at least two, and possibly three, times before running to seed.
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simplyvegetables 17