“Taste of Texas”

General Food Show Rules

1. Entries must be received between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
2. When registering, use full name, mailing address, and phone number.
3. Bring your recipe typed on an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper.  Write name, address, phone number, age, which class the entry will be entered, and date on BACK of recipe.  Recipes will be used in judging food items.  Recipes are required for all entries.  NO RECIPE, NO ENTRY!
4. Food entries must be the COMPLETE recipe displayed for judging (Ex.: if the recipe makes 3 dozen cookies, you must enter ALL 3 dozen cookies).
5. Food item should be placed on a disposable plate and covered with plastic wrap for appearance and cleanliness.
6. All entries including recipes and containers will become the property of the Taste of Texas Food Show.
7. No refrigeration is available. Please take this into consideration when selecting a recipe to enter.
8. Food items will be identified by number assigned by the Food Show Committee during registration.
9. No commercial food or products will be accepted.
10. No entry fee is required. However, you will be required to pay gate admission to participate.
11. Only one entry will be accepted in each class (ex. you may not enter 2 cakes) per contestant.
12. Food must be prepared by the exhibitor and must be homemade. Recipes that call for a mix as an ingredient will be permitted, however, you may NOT enter a cake made solely from a box mix nor an item made mostly of store-bought cookie dough.
13. You must return to the food show area BEFORE 1 p.m to present your food at the auction.
14. A portion of funds collected during the auction will be used for scholarships for qualifying youth. Non-placing entries will be sold by the food show committee to raise funds for scholarships.
15. The Food Show Committee reserves the right to combine classes or to add new classes if necessary.
16. BEST OF SHOW will be open to all age divisions.
17. BERRY BEST OF SHOW will be open to all age divisions and must have at least 1 cup of strawberries as an ingredient or a garnish.
18. Grand and Reserve Champion will be awarded in each age division
19. Ribbons will be awarded through 4th place. Entries placing through 3rd will sell in the auction at 1 PM, exhibitors will be allowed to sell two eligible items (Food Show only, please see rules for Jam/Jelly & Salsa).

Strawberry Auction

General Rules

1. The Strawberry Judging Committee and the Poteet Rotary Club assume no responsibility for any entry other than exercising reasonable care in handling. The Committee will not be responsible for accidents or losses occurring for any cause.
2. The committee will accept entries and make checks payable to whoever is designated by the person entering the crate of berries. Checks will be mailed to growers as soon as possible following the festival.
3. The committee has no control over, or assumes no responsibility for, agreements between landlords and tenants.
4. The committee reserves the right to deduct a fee of twenty – five (25%) percent from the sale of auctioned crates of berries.
5. The committee assumes no responsibility as to classification of varieties entered. The person making the entry must make that designation. If correct classification is in doubt, the final classification will be left up to the judge(s). Each crate of berries must be in the same variety, (Each crate will contain only one variety of berry. Exhibitors are not allowed to mix varieties in a single crate.)
6. The strawberry auction committee reserves the final and absolute right to interpret the rules and regulations and arbitrarily settle and determine all matters, questions, and difference in regard thereto, its judgment may determine. An exhibitor who violates any of the rules and regulations of the show will forfeit all privileges and premiums and be subject to such penalty as the Show / Auction committee may order.
7. Protests – All protests must be in writing and accompanied by a deposit of $100.00, which will be refunded if the protest is sustained. Such protest must state plainly the cause of the complaint, or appeal, and must be delivered to the Secretary of the Rotary Club of Poteet.

Special Rules

1. Major classes or varieties of entered berries are determined by the number of crates entered. If there are 5 or more crates of one variety, then a class has been defined. If there are 4 or fewer crates of one variety, they will be included in the Miscellaneous Class.
2. There will be five (5) places (awarded) in each variety (class) with Grand and Reserve Champions selected from these places.
3. Berries will be sold in the order that they are placed in judging. If a grower does not have at least one placing entry, that grower will have one non-placing crate included in the auction and it will be auctioned after all placing berries have been auctioned. Berries not included in the auction will be sold just prior to the auction as “Show Berries” for a premium price of $200 per flat.
4. All entries must be packed in new Poteet Strawberry Festival paper flats (2 -12 pint flats). All other will be disqualified.
5. Each flat must be labeled with the exhibitor’s name on the bottom of the flat. Labeling should be completed before arriving at the Poteet Strawberry Festival Grounds.
6. No more than 1 (one) entry per variety may be made per grower. All others will be disqualified.
7. Strawberry exhibitors must be strawberry growers. A grower is defined as a person who has the primary management and financial responsibility for the berry crop used to produce his exhibit.
8. The Grower or his appointed representatives must be present to accept the ribbon and accept the berries during the auction.
9. Only berries grown in Atascosa County will be eligible for the contest.
10. Any flat of berries that does not meet minimum quality standards for the show determine by the judge(s) will be set aside and not judged or auctioned.
11. Once berry entries are registered and accepted by the auction committee, the entry becomes the property of the auction committee and will remain so until the entry is released by the auction committee. Any exhibitor who reclaims or moves an entry without the express permission of the auction committee will forfeit all rights, privileges and premiums.