Clackamas County Growers Take Top National Awards

By: Ellen Spitaleri Pamplin Media Group

Larry Smith

Although he is not a Clackamas County resident, Smith has entered floral and agricultural exhibits in the Clackamas County Fair for more than 50 years. He was named King of the Fair 16 times, retiring from that competition in 2001. The contest requires entrants to participate in multiple departments to gain extra points, and he is relieved to no longer enter the cooking and sewing competitions. “Competing in dahlia shows has been a more recent addition; I have been doing that for 30 years,” he said, adding that he was interviewed by The Wall Street Journal this year for a story they were doing about super competitors at fairs. As public relations coordinator for the American Dahlia Society, Smith wants to let the public know that in 2023 the ADA National Show will take place the last week in August in Portland. There is free admission to the show and free parking. “The 2022 show was in the Washington, D.C., area and several of us locally flew across the country with blooms in the cabin of the plane to enter in the competition,” Smith said. Upon arrival, Smith said the pilot of the plane found a large wheelchair to make it easier for Smith to carry his dahlias through the irport. He noted that seven of his entries were selected to Court of Honor and he also won Best Micro Entry in Show