Greenhouse competition celebrates 15th year

The annual local greenhouse competition held by R.E.A.C.H. International was held last week and winners were presented with their trophies at a gathering at the Kingsville Community Centre. This year featured the addition of a specialty berry category and a Chef’s Choice Award.

“We are so excited about these new chef’s choice awards,” said President of R.E.A.CH. International, Art Barron. “Chef Henry Furtado had 136 products to go through and choose some produce to inspire some appetizers that were served at the awards ceremony. He chose 11 products that were each awarded Chef’s Choice certificates.”

The competition is in its 15th year with proceeds going to sponsor over 50 children in Uganda annually. Visit reaching.org for more information on the charity.

This year’s greenhouse winners were: Cocktail Cucumbers, Nature Fresh Farms; Mini Cucumbers, Pure Flavor; English Cucumbers, Sunset Mastronardi Produce. Overall Best Cucumber was the Pure Flavor Mini Cucumber.

In the pepper category were Red Bell Pepper from Nature Fresh Farms; Yellow Bell Pepper, Pure Flavor; Orange Bell Pepper, Nature Fresh Farms; Specialty Mini Pepper, Mucci Farms; Specialty Long Pepper, SunsetMastronardi Produce; Hot Pepper, Sunset Mastronardi Produce. Hottest Pepper was Mucci Farms’ Carolina Reaper. Overall Best Pepper was Nature Fresh Red Bell Pepper.

In the Best Berry category, Sunset Mastronardi Produce took best strawberry and best specialty berry. Their Pear Berry took Best Overall Berry prize.

In the Hottest Tomato category, Beefsteak was taken by Nature Fresh Farms; Tomato on Vine by Mucci Farms; Roma by Nature Fresh Farms, Cocktail by DelFresco Pure; Specialty Tomato by Nature Fresh Farms; Bitesize by Red Sun Farms. Best Overall Tomato was given to Nature Fresh Black Label Hiiros.

Finally, in the Chef’s Choice category, four tomatoes took honours, with three from Sunset Mastronardi Produce and one from DelFresco Pure. Four peppers were also honoured, with two from Sunset Mastronardi Produce and one each from Nature Fresh Farms and Mucci Farms. The Coolest Cucumber honourees were from Nature Fresh Farms and Topline Farms. The Best Berry was from Sunset Mastronardi Produce.