Gertrude frowned before looking behind Jamie only to see his showpiece covered in black cloth-like material.
"I'm surprised you showed Sinclair, but I'm happy you did. Now I'll prove those three years were merely flukes", She sought to get the upper hand by talking down to Jamie.
"Miss Gertrude, why burden yourself with such matters; it's merely some friendly competition. If you won I would be just as happy that you regained your title", Jamie lied, this wasn't just competition but mind games as well. He knew it was all a show by Gertrude to gauge how confident he was and he would not give her even the slightest whiff. Why else would she spread the news of her impending victory if not to shatter his confidence, leading to mistakes in preparation for the fair?
Seeing his nonchalant mannerism, Gertrude indeed was no better off but she still smirked confidently. There was no way on Earth it was possible to lose with what she had planned. "Tonight I'll see a frown on that pretty young face for the first time and I'll enjoy every moment of it", she said before walking away with her boys who gave Jamie the death stare.
Merve and Kelly, who remained quiet, looked starstruck at Gertrude while she walked away. She was one determined woman who had that aura about her.
Kelly couldn't help but mention this, "She seems super confident, I guess the rumours weren't lying". The couple then looked at Jamie who simply smiled before covering his face once more with the big hat. Many might think he was calling Gertrude's bluff but it was the opposite. He wanted her to present something that even blew his mind.
An hour later the fair began with the Mayor of Franklers conducting the opening ceremonies. This was a huge annual income generator for the town so he was all smiling.
Mayor: "Friends, welcome. For forty-five years our seven towns have come together to share our means of a bountiful harvest. As farmers, we are the oldest known profession and arguably the most essential to life. Yet we go a step further pushing to provide the best live stack and ground provision for consumption. Without a doubt gathered in my humble small town are the elites of this ancient profession. Now eat, frolic, be awed and intrigued by what this year's fair will provide".
With the Mayor of Flankers' final words, the fair began and as predicted there were a record amount of new entries. This was great news as it meant the younger generation had taken to the profession. Perhaps they were encouraged by the young starlet, Jamie. He gave them the belief that anything was possible.
As a three-time blue ribbon winner, one of his obligations was to be a part of the pink and yellow ribbon judging panel which had by far the most participants. It was a means for the more experienced farmers to give insight encouraging the novice.
Being that he was only twenty, those he judged were either of the same age or above so it was quite the sight. But the manner in which he carried himself showed he was worthy of the occasion. Currently, he was judging the Orchids which could be a task. Orchids are one of the oldest families of flowering plants. With variations found all over the world as well as having over 25000 species. This leads experts to believe they have been around since before the continents separated.
The key error he found was that participants were unaware that not all orchids could be treated in the same manner. Before him was a young woman who looked pleased with her orchid ( The Venus Slipper), one of the most popular Orkin. It was quite beautiful, no wonder the girl was so confident.
When judging however Jamie frowned causing the girl to panic somewhat. "Tell me, how many times a week do you water and the amount of sunlight in that time frame?" The young woman knowing she had taken the utmost care in this regard regained her confidence.
She responded, "I ensured to keep the pot moist based on the guideline set. Being that the Venus Slipper favours the hotter climates I give it an adequate amount of sunlight by leaving it within the greenhouse".
"Well done", he commended her, causing a bright smile to form until his next words, "You have done a fair job but have made some key mistakes. For instance, based on the paleness of the stem and the dwarfed growth it can be seen that the irrigated water used is treated, right?"
When she heard Jamie's assessment she was stumped. He wasn't wrong, due to the recent drought there was a need to use piped treated water. Yet she knew this was harmful so to ensure the chlorine's effects were minimal she placed the water in a drum, then it could settle for two weeks. After all that preparation, how did chlorine still find itself within the plant? This she explained to Jamie who understood what took place.
"You attached a pipe to the drum but placed it at the base which was a mistake. When you placed the pipe water to settle for two weeks it purifies and goes to the top, but that means that all the chlorine concentrate descended to the bottom. Meaning the whole time you were defeating the purpose", He ended by saying.
When Jamie explained it to her, she felt quite embarrassed, this was a rookie mistake at its best.
"Don't be disheartened however, by placing the orchid in the greenhouse you mitigated the effects, giving the Venus Slipper adequate exposure as well as some dew from the night skies. Your orchid is then well deserving of this", Jamie said smiling, giving her the pink ribbon. The last thing he wanted was to be too hard on a rookie.
"Yes! Thank you! Thank you!" She screamed in joy before hugging Jamie.
"The benefits of being young. You won't see us getting that kind of thanks", Said one of the older judges jokingly when seeing how firmly the girl hugged Jamie. Realizing what she did she looked away embarrassingly, people were watching after all.
Once more Jamie continued with his rounds going for another 2 and a half hours before he had to leave to prepare for the main event. What most came to witness, the clash of the titans.