CULLMAN, Ala. – A brand-spanking new competition made its way to the 2024 Cullman County Fair. Longtime supporters of the fair, the Cullman County Master Gardeners pitched an idea for community contributions of homemade scarecrows, self-supporting and made with sustainable materials.
The response from residents and local businesses was overwhelming; what the gardeners anticipated would be a modest exhibit ended up being 15 entries of originally and creatively crafted life-sized scarecrows.
An entire section of the display was dedicated to the local businesses and organizations that support the Master Gardeners including a paper mâché horse and its scarecrow rider from the Cullman County Extension Office and a dollar dedicated scarecrow doll from Citizens Bank and Trust. The Master Gardeners themselves got in on the fun and won first place with their collective scarecrow in the likeness of once Baileyton resident, the late comedian Minnie Pearl.
“We had some fun with it,” chuckled Master Gardener Brad Mitchell.
The individual submissions included scarecrows in the likeness of Batman, delicately dressed ladies and traditional field friends; two of the most ornate candidates for the best display were decorated with brush and branches, with burlap clothing and greenery all around. The winning scarecrow was crafted by West Point Middle School student Jessa Greer. The cutesy and traditional scarecrow won over the judges with its sunshade hat on its pumpkin head, rosy cheeks and overalls, ultimately snagging Greer the $100 cash prize.
“It did much better than we expected it to. Now we get to look forward to making it bigger and better next year,” smiled Mitchell.
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