Anyone who can get their hands on a home-grown cucumber - long green (but not telegraph), long white, short white or apple - will be guaranteed a warm welcome at Te Ahu in Kaitaia today, when entries are taken (1pm to 6pm) for the 129th Kaitaia and Districts (formerly the Mangonui County) A&P show.
It doesn't have to be cucumbers, of course, and president Jim Burrough might take some beating there anyway.
Home gardeners should also be casting a critical eye over their beans (dwarf, runner and butter), carrots (large and baby), onions (red, Pukekohe long keeper and pickling), eschallots, round beet, long beet, rhubarb, tomatoes (cherry, red, yellow and pear-shaped), silverbeet, capsicums, chilli peppers, potatoes (red, white, Maori and large), kumikumi (green and ripe), bush marrows, buttercup, pumpkin (Queensland blue or crown), or any other vegetable that isn't specified.
Grapes, passionfruit (purple and banana), apples, peaches, pears, plums, lemons and any other variety of fruit will be equally welcome, as will hen eggs and herbs.
For those who don't have green fingers there are sections for flowers, children's floral work, preserves, cooking (including for children), needlework/craft (including for children), knitting and crochet, photography and children's painting.