A new source for pocket change?

Here's DH with his hastily thrown together basket of garden produce. He was prepared to enter the individual vegetable categories at the county fair but hadn't really considered the real money-making possibilities of the special classes. At best a blue ribbon for a plate of 5 red-ripe tomatoes would net $3, but throw together a dozen or more different types of home garden crops and he claimed 12 bucks for third place.

And after watching my DMom win a first place in the farm-garden implement arrangement category last year, he decided he could do that, too, and won another 15 bucks for his first place entry (photo below) featuring his favorite old metal gathering dishpan.

Well, I thought he should have some competition so I put together an arrangement featuring an old straw hat and a few of my favorite (hand) tools. It took a respectable second place, thank you very much. And that was with a whole wealth of entries -- I was glad to see them all because the first year the category had set empty with none. Last year was the second year it was listed and DMom couldn't stand that no one had entered the year before so when I added the class to her entry form before submitting it to the fair office (not exactly "fair," I know) she came up with her first place "garden guy." It was sort of a scarecrow kind of arrangement with a barn fork for the face and torso, some plant material for the hair, etc. Maybe now folks will see the potential for fun with this category. And that will mean all kinds of ideas to steal for use here at home!