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KENNEWICK Blue ribbons, superintendent's choice and other awards have become a routine part of Lyle Hatcher's summers.
The 73-year-old Burbank man has earned the honors for his giant apples, his embroidery and his macram lawn chairs.
And even though his wife of more than 40 years recently died -- the two often competed against each other for biggest apple -- Hatcher's entries will once again be on display at this year's Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, which officially begins today.
"If you see something that you've done that you like, maybe someone else will like it too," Hatcher said as he stood in the sunshine beneath one of his nearly 800 apple trees.
Seven of his apples will be on display at the fair, along with a macram lawn chair and a copper checkerboard, all in Building 1.
Handicrafts have been a part of Hatcher's life since he was 16. A tractor accident landed him in bed for a few weeks, so he took a pattern from one of his mother's magazines and embroidered it on a shirt.
"It (doesn't) require any thought to do it, so you can do a lot of thinking while you're doing it. Creative thinking," he said.
One of Hatcher's other crafty specialties is macram lawn chairs. He buys the metal frames, removes the plastic seats and backs, then weaves his own patterns out of cord.
He got the idea from a craft store in Hermiston a while back, and can make a chair in a day, if he's in a hurry.
Seeing Hatcher's name on the pre-entry exhibitor list has become an annual treat for Kendra Myers, superintendent of the open class horticulture department.
"He reminds me of my grandfather," she said. "He's always jolly and happy."
She met Hatcher when she first started volunteering at the fair eight or nine years ago.
"The first thing I remember him entering was a Western shirt," Myers said, adding he also usually wins the biggest apple award in the Garden Giants category.
Hatcher started his orchard in 1992 and has since grafted thousands of trees. He has more than 20 varieties on his land, including several kinds of delicious, Fuji, gala, granny smith, cameo, pink lady and braeburn.
Hatcher also grows peaches, nectarines, cherries and plums.
With his apples, Hatcher has made apple sauce, pie, crisp, dried apples and more, but he sticks with the fresh apples for fair entries.
And while Hatcher won't give up his secret for those extra big apples -- some weighing at least a pound -- he did offer advice for yummy applesauce.
"Use at least three kinds of apples and a few pears," he said. "You won't find anything like it."
w Ingrid Stegemoeller: 582-1537; istegemoeller@tricityherald.com
