Wednesday of last week was a great day for the Vineyard.
Members of the Martha’s Vineyard Bonsai Society asked visitors to their display at the Agricultural Fair to choose their favorite bonsai. The clear first place winner was a Japanese maple grown by Don Sibley.
The number of votes for the following honors was very close; in second place was a cedar forest grown by Jeff Donaroma, and in third place, a Chinese elm grown by Betty Trider.
Three plants were awarded honorable mention: Vincent Dellatorra’s grape vine; Ernie Carlomagno’s small leaf jade and his Shimpaku juniper.
Junior Goats
General, over 2 years doe: 1. Thea Keene, 1. Adelaide Keene.
Junior Swine
General, Sow under 1 year: 1. Nathaniel W. Packer, 2. Charlotte Packer, 3. David Packer.
Junior Swine, General, Barrow under 1 year: 1. Nathaniel W. Packer, 2. Charlotte Packer, 3.David Packer.
Junior Swine, General, Barrow over 1 year: 1. Nathaniel W. Packer, 1. Charlotte Packer, 2. David Packer.
Junior Sheep, Pure Bred, Sheep: 1. Lucy Tompson, 1. Oscar Thompson.
Junior Sheep
Sam Hayes of Edgartown affectionately pinned back the ears of his giant American pit bull terrier, Wallace, as owner and canine took a breather from Sunday’s dog show.
It was the last day of the 147th Annual Livestock Show and Fair of the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society. A total of 29,706 entrance tickets were sold, happily surprising organizers who were braced for recession-era frugality and low returns on a late summer start date.
All paths, roads, streams and trails point this weekend to the 147th annual Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Fair in West Tisbury. Clear skies and warm, dry temperatures are predicted for the next three days and that means, if you’ll pardon the pun, fair weather.
“The summer colors are here. Blue and green. The sky is blue and the grass is green. This is perfect weather for a fair. What could be better?” asked Eleanor Neubert, fair manager.
Crispy vegetable tempura. The Salt and Pepper shaker. Low-fat muffins. These are the things which were not at the first Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair held in West Tisbury 147 years ago.
And here are the things that were: goats for milking, oxen for pulling carts and chickens whose eggs made breakfast in the morning and whose meat went into supper.
In just a few weeks, the agricultural hall grounds in West Tisbury will be abuzz with activity. Already there are signs that the annual Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair — the first day is August 21 — is just around the corner.
