Horticulture needs better representation at agricultural shows | OPINION

He didn't need that competition though. Instead, he was granted the RAS president's certificate of appreciation, the only one given out this year.

Leigh, a well-known face around horticulture circles throughout New South Wales, has become a stalwart of the show, helping to keep things ticking over.

Shows are big events that appear to run like clockwork but it is go-to people like Leigh that maintain the momentum for such things.

It's great to be able to highlight a horticulture story from the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

It doesn't happen too often.

This column has spoken previously, over the years, about the demise of horticulture representation at royal agricultural (think, capital city) shows.

There are the big pumpkin competitions and district exhibits, both of which are very popular.

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Beyond that though, it seems displays of certain commodities have gone by the wayside.

The individual horticulture commodities have to be careful with how they spend their money these days so splashing out on an exhibit at the Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne Shows, or the Royal Queensland Show (been a while since there was a healthy display of pineapples or bananas there) may not be ranking highly on the commitment list.

Major growers don't seem to have time anymore to enter a carton of capsicums, a tray of apples (Royal Adelaide excepted), a hand of bananas or a box of carrots for judging at local shows, let alone paying for shipping to get them to the nearest capital city.

It's understandable but also a shame as hundreds of thousands of sets of eyes pass over such displays.

What an opportunity to educate and inspire the consumers who may have no idea how something is grown.

Like many such events, the backbone of them will be volunteers, like Leigh.

Perhaps a rallying cry could be put out by the various groups asking for those in the industry to contribute to a stand.

A spot of healthy competition (tropical vs temperate, tree nuts vs oil seeds, glasshouse vs in-field vegetables, etc) might spur on some interest as to who can outdo who in terms of visual impact.

This editor has often toyed with the idea of a Good Fruit & Vegetables Fresh Produce Competition.

The thought would be a nationwide competition open to all agricultural shows to highlight the local vegetables, herbs, nuts and fruit grown in the area, presented in the grandest fashion.

It's a nice thought but like getting more horticulture displays up at shows in the first place, time and money hold things back.

Perhaps we need a Leigh James to get behind it.

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