Palamuse fair draws 20,000 visitors with giant vegetables

ERR reports that the traditional Paunvere exhibition and fair in Palamuse, Estonia, attracted 20,000 people, with unusual and giant vegetables proving the main attraction.

The event’s competition featured a 53-kilogram pumpkin. Its owner, Toomas Puusepp, said growing such a giant required fertile soil as well as regular care.

“You still have to go and stroke it and water it. It does not get weeds because the pumpkin is so big. Cabbage needs even more attention because cabbage worms are so diligent,” Puusepp said.

Puusepp brought his giant produce to the fair on a ride-on lawnmower. The vegetables included 53-kilogram and 42-kilogram pumpkins and a 14-kilogram cabbage. The large produce was sold to new owners at the fair’s auction.

For vegetable growers, the season brought mixed results. One grower, Tatjana, said the harvest was better than last year, although fewer people had come to buy produce than in previous years.

Cold and rainy weather in spring almost completely ruined the open-field cucumber and tomato harvest. Cheaper imported produce has also made it harder to market locally grown vegetables.

“The year was not particularly productive. We have half as many cucumbers as last year,” said Igor, another vegetable grower. He said that while the farm previously supplied 300 kilograms each to two shops, it was now delivering a combined 300 kilograms to shops in Tartu.

Watermelons, a more exotic crop, withstood the cool conditions. Raimo, a watermelon grower from southern Estonia, harvested four tonnes.

He said the plants were grown outdoors under plastic and covered with horticultural fleece in spring to keep them warm.

The Paunvere exhibition was held for the 27th time.