Delmar White wins 18 ribbons at the South Plains Fair

  • DELMAR WHITE poses with 15 of his 18 ribbons he won in the South Plains Fair. He won first and second places for canned goods such as green beans, pickled okra, black eyed peas and more. He won three white ribbons, not photographed, for his vegetables. He also won blue ribbons for two paintings his wife created. (Staff Photo by Samantha Pontius)
    DELMAR WHITE poses with 15 of his 18 ribbons he won in the South Plains Fair. He won first and second places for canned goods such as green beans, pickled okra, black eyed peas and more. He won three white ribbons, not photographed, for his vegetables. He also won blue ribbons for two paintings his wife created. (Staff Photo by Samantha Pontius)

    Delmar White won 18 ribbons at the Panhandle South Plains Fair this year, located at 105 E. Broadway in Lubbock.

    White won eight first place blue ribbons, four second place red ribbons, four third place white ribbons and two honorable mentions for his canned goods, paintings, vegetables, picture and metal art.

    “Green beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas, chili, stew, barbecue sauce, pulled pork, sliced jalapenos, hot sauce, pickled okra, green chilies, and then my rose I made for my wife, a painting she did, the painting over there she did,” White said, pointing to a framed painting with a blue ribbon draped over it.

    White also won a white ribbon for a photo he took of his father’s windmill.

    “The windmill, that’s the day we buried my dad and that’s his windmill and it was just a pretty sunset. So, a good day,’ said White.

    White said he has always cooked and made canned goods.

    “I’ve helped my mom for years and I helped my wife for years,” White said. “I lost my wife five years ago to cancer and we’ve always cooked and canned. I’m still canning. I’ve canned all of this this year and I love to cook.”

    White said he used to garden, cook and can goods with his wife before she passed away from cancer.

    “My wife...she retired from the school in 2014, she was a cook and she was diagnosed in August with cancer. I lost her in 2017 but I decided I’m going to go ahead and keep doing what we’ve always enjoyed. Go fishing, gardening and barbecuing,” White said.

    White said this was his first time entering the fair and he wanted to see what he could do.

    “I’ve done all this this year and I thought it’d be neat just to try it and I said something to my daugh- ter so she kind of encouraged me. I thought it’d be really nice to try and see what I can do,” White said.

    White said he plans to enter into the South Plains Fair again next year.

    “I only entered 15 canned goods this year and I got nine ribbons,” White said. ”“So, the odds there are really well but next year I plan on putting maybe 25 or 30 cans. More pickles, more peppers, I’m going to do my jellies, make apple pie. I’ve got a recipe for squash.”

    White said he was really proud to win all those ribbons.

    “I’m on cloud nine; walking in high cotton; tickled pink; all of the above,” White said. “I’m really proud. My wife and I never entered anything either, but first time ever I tired to do something like this and I get all these ribbons, so yeah. Ribbons are going to hang on all the artwork when I hang it back on the wall.”