Horticulture Contest

The 2008 Horticulture Judging and Identification Contest will be held:
Monday, July 21, Time TBA

...Did you know that begonias are a tart and tasty snack?
...Or that a form of aspirin first came from willow trees?
...Have you ever seen basil seeds germinate before your eyes?

The Horticulture Judging and Identification Contest is a great way to introduce the very cool stories that plants are hoping to tell. This contest is a training program concerned with teaching youth to recognize and identify some of the most important horticultural crops, to learn criteria influencing quality and to be able to answer questions and solve problems relating to the art and science of horticulture. There are three portions of the test, including knowledge, judging and identification.

Youth ages 9-19 are welcome to participate in the horticulture contest at state congress. Youth ages 9-19 can compete individually, but it is required that youth 15-19 form a team of 3-4 indidividuals to be eligible to continue on and compete at the National Finals at the National Junior Horticultural Association annual convention as a 4-H team. Individual state winners, ages 15-19, are welcome to compete at NJHA, but currently there is no funding to support their national efforts. Team members must be 15 years old by December 31 of the current year to compete in the national contest. The highest total county score is declared the state winner. The winning team members each receive a $150 scholarship towards expenses to the NJHA Convention. The three highest scoring individuals become the official team.

Any youth interested in just trying out the Horticulture Contest are welcome to attend and either take it as a practice or simply to observe.

For more information about this Horticulture Opportunity, call us here at the Extension Office at 318-6000.