Consumer entries accepted for organic gardening competition

Organic gardeners throughout the United States will have the opportunity to compete for prizes including a Bitcoin, a new electric vehicle and a small farm as the first-ever Johnny Appleseed Organic Invitational gets underway on Sun., Sept. 26.

The launch date coincides with the birthday of John Chapman, the real-life American frontiersman who inspired the Johnny Appleseed legend.

The consumer, gardener-facing promotion is presented by Johnny Appleseed Organic in partnership with Mother Earth News. Organizers said the contest is intended to showcase the skills of the nation’s top organic growers and provide a platform for them to share their knowledge. Video entries will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2021, with finalists selected in December and the competition itself set to take place during the 2022 growing season.

“The Johnny Appleseed Organic Invitational will prove that we can provide for everyone while producing food in a responsible, ecologically friendly manner,” Jeff Meyer, founder of Johnny Appleseed Organic, said in a news release.

Contestants will receive points for their placement in each competitive category, with a cumulative winner determined at the end of the contest, according to the news release. Categories include:

• Heaviest tomato (as determined by certified scale).
• Hottest pepper (Scoville scale).
• Most beautiful flower arrangement in a 65 gallon grow bag (determined by social voting).
• Heaviest sweet potato in a 65 gallon grow bag (as determined by certified scale).
• Heaviest squash (any variety, as determined by certified scale).
• Best organic gardening ‘hack’ (determined by social voting).

Each competitor chosen for the invitational will receive $1,000 in cryptocurrency, and the overall cumulative winner will receive their choice of grand prize options including one Bitcoin, a brand-new Ford F-150 EV, a Kubota tractor with attachments and a restricted deed for a small farm at the Johnny Appleseed Organic Village, a sustainable living development nestled within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Folkston, Georgia, according to the news release.

A live leaderboard will run throughout the competition and will feature multimedia content from the contestants, including tips and tricks for other home gardeners following the competition.

Entries are accepted at https://www.johnnyappleseed.com/invitational.