The South Marysburgh Mirror 11 Grow Your Own By Nancy Butler & Sarah Moran Collier Nothing quite shows community pride like the tables loaded with exhibits at the Milford Fair. Every year, making an entry in the Milford Fair - in any category - is an important and easy way to take an ac(cid:415)ve part the community. This year it's more even in important. Let us explain: this year, the fair theme is "Back the Build" in support of building a new Picton Hospital. Hmmmm. We were stumped at first, about how to connect the grain, vegetable, fruit and honey exhibits to this year's fair theme. Well, the smart and crea(cid:415)ve Trevor Collier came to our rescue, with a great solu(cid:415)on; make a dona(cid:415)on to match the number of entries. Here's what we're going to do: for each entry into any of the grain, vegetable, fruit and honey categories, we will donate 50 cents to "Back the Build". All you have to do is put together as many entries to exhibit as you can, because the more you enter, the more money we give to "Back the Build". The math is simple; if there are 100 entries in total, it would be a $50 dona(cid:415)on from us, but if you bring lots of entries and help reach 300 entries in total, we'd make a $150 dona(cid:415)on. Please go above and beyond this year and find as many entries in your garden as you can. When you come along and take part, you really feel how our fair is all about community. So is pulling together behind our amazing local hospital. Every year when the doors of the Milford shed are thrown open a(cid:332)er judging and everyone pours in to view the exhibits, we overhear people saying they wished they'd entered their tomatoes (or mel- ons, squash, beans, honey, apples.) Maybe they thought their produce was not absolutely perfect (whose is?) or that they didn't have the spare (cid:415)me it takes (who does?) If you've never entered anything in the vegeta- ble, fruit, grain or honey compe(cid:415)(cid:415)on in the Milford Fair, this is year to do it. And if you have entered before, this is the year to enter more of your great growing work. The purpose of our column is to encourage eve- ryone to make entries. The most important piece of advice we can give is that you read the fair booklet, early and o(cid:332)en. Find all the categories you could make an entry in, and make note of the rules and the (cid:415)mes to bring your entries in. In the week (or so) before the fair take a look at your garden with an eye to what would make a good entry. From the beginning of September keep the Fair in mind and plan to make as many entries as you can. Whether your garden/honey/grain this year is the best or the worst it's ever been, we encourage you to put in as many entries as you can. We all gain: you can win prize money, we raise more for the hospital fund, and the fair con(cid:415)nues to be a live- ly and important community event. We appeal to your pride in being a part of South Marysburgh, in what we produce here and in the people who make it such a vibrant community. It's a great theme. You can help make it a suc- cess. We look forward to seeing all our old friends at the fair, and to making new friends too. Follow The South Marysburgh Mirror on Facebook South Bay U.C.W. Upcoming Meetings & Events Wed. Sept. 11 - U.C.W. will meet at South Bay United Church at 1:00 p.m. Joyce Minaker has Devo(cid:415)onal; Roll Call - a summer's story; Program - Nora Parker; Objec(cid:415)ve - Terry Fox Run; Lunch - Maureen Rudd and Carol Branscombe Saturday, November 16 - South Bay United Church luncheon and Cra(cid:332) Sale 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bake Table, Homemade soup, sandwiches, dessert, tea, coffee Hand-made Scarves, Mitts, Socks & Hats,Toys, Receiving Blankets, Baby & Lap Quilts, & a selection of Jams. Open by chance or appointment Pat York, 379 County Road 13, 613.476.6929 Follow me at Pat's Playhouse on Facebook!