Grown & Gathered

Honey Competition

Exhibition Timeline

Eligibility

CONTACT US

Farm 2 U Coordinator

2026 LOCAL RULES

1. Completion of online entry registration shall be deemed acceptance of all rules and permission to use your name, photograph, and images and description of entries in print, digital and other media.
2. Online registration is required for all competitions and one-day contests. Online entries and any required image/document uploads are accepted until the published deadline, which specifies a date and time. Late entries will not be accepted.
3. Once registered, the exhibitor name, entry description, title, and price may not be changed. Substitutions will only be allowed in accordance with current State Rules. Fair Management is not responsible for errors on entry forms which may lead to elimination or disqualification of an entry.
4. Processing fees must be paid online at the time of registration. Processing fees are non-refundable.
5. Exhibitors must be living at the time the online entry is submitted.
6. All non-livestock/non-agricultural entries must be the creative work of the exhibitor (whose name appears on the entry registration), be in good taste, and suitable for family viewing. Fair Management reserves the right to disqualify any entry/exhibit it deems objectionable or not in accordance with competition standards.
7. If an entry is disqualified after judging is complete, no changes will be made to the status of awards given for other entries.
8. Exhibitors are responsible for obtaining necessary permission from models and/or to use material in their entry that is considered copyrighted.
9. No entry will be accepted should the exhibitor describe the conditions under which he/she will exhibit, or the exhibit will be displayed.
10. Judges are selected for their expertise in the divisions or classes they evaluate. New judges may be appointed each year, and judging assignments may vary annually based on the needs of each competition
11. If a coordinator or judge deems an entry to be in the incorrect category, division, class, etc., he or she may direct the Entry Office to move that entry as appropriate. The Entry Office may combine divisions or classes to create an adequate judging pool.
12. Fair Management reserves the right to limit entries, and display thereof, to facilities available and to cancel any division or class in which, in its judgment, the entries are insufficient to secure adequate competition.
13. Entries must be delivered on the date(s) and times specified. Entries will not be accepted before or after the stated entry delivery date. All accepted exhibits must remain on display and shall not be removed until the stated entry pick up date. Any exhibit not picked up on the specified date becomes the property of the San Diego County Fair and will be disposed of promptly.
14. All exhibits are entered and shown at the owner’s risk. Reasonable care will be taken to prevent loss or damage to exhibits, but in no event will the 22nd District Agricultural Association (San Diego County Fair) be responsible for any injury or loss which may occur or for the actions of third parties. Insurance, if desired, should be obtained by the exhibitor at his/her own expense.
15. Any person who violates any Local, State, or Department rule or displays unethical conduct will forfeit all privileges and premiums and be subject to such penalty as the 22nd District Agricultural Association (San Diego County Fair) may order.
16. To ensure reliable award notification, exhibitors are responsible for submitting all address, phone number and email address updates promptly in writing to entry@sdfair.com or Entry Department, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014.
17. Premium money will be paid per the recorded placings in the official judging reports rather than the ribbon attached to the exhibit.
18. Donated Award recipients will be selected per the instructions given on the Donated Award Confirmation Form submitted by the donor.
19. Premium, donated cash award, and auction checks will be made payable to the exhibitor as listed on the online entry registration. Checks will be mailed within 30 days after the close of the Fair to the address shown on the online entry registration, or as updated by the exhibitor via written notification to the Entry Office. Checks not cashed within six (6) months from the date of issue will be forfeited. Replacement checks may be subject to a stop payment fee.
20. The 22nd District Agricultural Association (San Diego County Fair) is required by the Internal Revenue Service to report any premium payments totaling $600 or more. Exhibitors whose awards meet or exceed this amount must submit a W-9 form before their check can be issued.
21. The 22nd District Agricultural Association (San Diego County Fair) management reserves the right to amend or add to these rules and assumes no liability or responsibility not herein expressed.

California State Rules apply and are available here.

Entry Limit

There is a limit of one (1) entry per Apiary/Hive Location in each numbered class. If a duplicate entry is made in a different business/exhibitor/group name in the same class, it will be disqualified.

Entry Fees

All Divisions: $10 per Entry

Entry fees are payable online with a credit card and are not refundable.

Fair Tickets

Each exhibitor will receive two (2) Fair Entry Tickets.

How to Enter

No sales are allowed during the Fair. The San Diego County Fair has absolutely no involvement in the sale or purchase of any entry displayed.

Entry Display

After judging, entries will be displayed for the duration of the Fair in the Farm 2 U Exhibit. Stickers of ribbons will be attached to the entry tags to identify the awards given.

There are no guarantees that an entry will be displayed.

Judging & Awards

Judging

The Farm 2 U Honey competition uses the American system of judging. Qualified judges are utilized to judge all entries and special contests. Entries in each class are judged blindly based off the Judging Criteria and placed using the American Judging System, where exhibits are ranked one against another unless otherwise noted.

First, second, third place, and honorable mention(s) may be awarded in each class as determined by judges.

First-place winners will compete for “Best of Show.”

Award checks will be available at entry pick-up. Checks not picked up will be mailed within 30 days.

This is a new contest. Special Awards will be given based on availability and the decisions of Fair Administration.

Disqualified Entries

If an entry is disqualified after judging is complete, the judge will not change the status of awards given for other entries.

Judges reserve the right to remove or disqualify any entry in violation of the rules, in poor taste, or not in accordance with the competition standards.

Disqualifications may include the following:

• Entries were incorrectly entered/identified.
• Entries in incorrect containers.
• Entries containing foreign objects such as hair or insects.
• Entries in an underfilled jar.
• Entries with altered honey.

Reassignment of the Entry Division or Class

Judges and/or the program coordinator have the option of reassigning an entry to a more appropriate division or class or combining divisions or classes to create an adequate judging pool. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of exhibitors to enter work in the appropriate class. Failure to enter the appropriate class may result in disqualification.

Entry Delivery & Pickup

Entries may be delivered in-person or by mail.

Only entries completed within the entry timeline will be accepted. Please refer to the Exhibition Timeline for in-person and postal delivery dates. An email with in-person delivery instructions will be sent to the exhibitor prior to the delivery date.

Entries being submitted by mail* may be sent to:

San Diego County Fair Entry Office
Attn: Honey Competition

2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd
Del Mar, CA 92014

* The fair is not responsible for entries damaged during transit.

How to Prepare Your Entry For Delivery

1. Except for Purified Beeswax Product Divisions: Classes 002, 003, and 004, all hive products must be produced from the exhibitor’s, immediate family’s, or group’s own apiary or hives that are located and harvested in San Diego, Riverside, Imperial, San Bernardino, and/or Orange Counties.

2. All entries/samples must have been collected between April 30, 2025, and April 29, 2026.

3. Liquid honey entries must be 100 percent pure honey. Alteration of honey is grounds for automatic disqualification.

4. Honey must only be gravity-strained/filtered and not heated above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Liquid or creamed honey must be eight (8) ounces by weight. Comb honey must be 8-12 ounces by weight. Purified beeswax must be submitted in a half-pound block.

6. In handmade soap, cosmetic soda ash is acceptable if intentional and does not affect cleanliness or handling.

7. Do not label honey before the competition. A label will be added when the entry is checked in to allow for blind tasting. Exhibitors are encouraged to include a custom product label to be attached by Fair staff after judging.

8. Packaging requirements: Containers of great or sentimental value should not be used.

• Liquid honey must be packaged in a clear eight (8) ounce Queenline glass jar.
• Creamed honey must be packaged in a clear eight (8) ounce wide-mouth jar.
• Cut comb honey must be packaged in a clear eight (8) or twelve (12) ounce glass or plastic comb container.
• Lip Balm must be a minimum of 0.50 ounces in volume.
• Soap must be a minimum of 3 ounces in weight.

Divisions and Classes

Commercial Department

Division 1301: Liquid Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-ounce Queenline glass jar. Sample must be 100 percent pure honey, containing no more than 18.6 percent moisture. Honey must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1302: Creamed Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-ounce wide-mouth glass jar. Sample must be smoothly granulated, spreadable honey. Honey must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1303: Cut Comb Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-to-12-ounce sample in glass or plastic comb container as specified for class. Comb is intended for consumption, while still containing pieces of hexagonal-shaped beeswax cells of the honeycomb. Sample must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1304: Purified Beeswax Products

Entry consists of samples as specified for class.

Hobbyist Department

Division 1311: Liquid Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-ounce Queenline glass jar. Sample must be 100 percent pure honey, containing no more than 18.6 percent moisture. Honey must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1312: Creamed Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-ounce wide-mouth glass jar. Sample must be smoothly granulated, spreadable honey. Honey must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within the dates specified in entry material.

Division 1313: Cut Comb Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-to-12-ounce sample in glass or plastic comb container as specified for class. Comb is intended for consumption, while still containing pieces of hexagonal-shaped beeswax cells of the honeycomb. Sample must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1314: Purified Beeswax Products

Entry consists of samples as specified for class.

Amateur or Youth Group/ Organization Department

Division 1321: Liquid Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-ounce Queenline glass jar. Sample must be 100 percent pure honey, containing no more than 18.6 percent moisture. Honey must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1322: Creamed Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-ounce wide-mouth glass jar. Sample must be smoothly granulated, spreadable honey. Honey must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1323: Cut Comb Honey

Entry consists of one (1) 8-to-12-ounce sample in glass or plastic comb container as specified for class. Comb is intended for consumption, while still containing pieces of hexagonal-shaped beeswax cells of the honeycomb. Sample must have been harvested from own apiary/hive within dates specified in entry material.

Division 1324: Purified Beeswax Products

Entry consists of samples as specified for class.