The North Royalton Community Garden represented North Royalton well at the 120th annual Cuyahoga County Fair, which took place from August 8 – 14, with the award of a blue ribbon for their display.
The Cuyahoga County Fair has been an annual event since 1893, except for 1932, with the depression and 1942-43, during World War II. Each year the event has been held at the 117-acre Fairgrounds in Berea. In the beginning, the event was held in the fall, when the farmers where done with their crops.
This year, the North Royalton Community Garden received the first place blue ribbon for their display entry in the Community Garden Display category, along with a check for $100. The prize was awarded on factors, such as General Appearance, Arrangement of Materials, Accessories/ Decoration, Labeling, General Conditions and Appearance. The group received the most points, which placed them ahead of their competitor, Ben Franklin, from Cleveland.
This year’s theme was “Bountiful Harvest,” said Community Garden Coordinator Dejana Cinquepalmi. The exhibit was decked out in fall colors, complete with a pumpkin and scarecrow. It showcased that bounty, with a nice variety of produce, including red and green cabbage, onions, tomatoes, leeks, carrots, peppers, beets, potatoes, celery, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, yellow and green beans, as well as some herbs. Decorative labels were also included for all the produce, for identification.
The North Royalton Community Garden has been competing at the Cuyahoga County Fair since its second year of operation, in 2012. They have been very successful in this competition, winning every year, except for last year, when they walked away with the second place red ribbon. Although the competition has been small, with only two or three gardens competing, it is their hope that have more gardens participate in the event, as there are about 150 community gardens in Cuyahoga County, according to Cinquepalmi. “This type of friendly competition really helps our garden by pushing our gardeners to plant, maintain and harvest some of the best local produce around for their personal use and also to donate/compete,” she said.
Past blue ribbon wins in the Community Garden Display category include:
2012- Italian Picnic
2013- Grown in the USA
2014- On the Farm
2015 – Where in the World did Your Food Come From
“We are very proud of our well groomed garden and all its members who continue to amaze,” said Cinquepalmi. “Their dedication and hard work in the garden, the generosity of donating their produce which is distributed to the Senior Center daily and the ongoing community spirit it brings. We have the opportunity to meet our neighbors and make new friends while sharing an interest and love of gardening, and feeling very accomplished at harvest time. Our hope is that our community and city are very proud of the garden and its overall accomplishments over these past seven years. With community involvement, all things are possible, and we are proof of that.”

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer