By Melissa Fili
MethuenLife Writer

Methuen farmer LuAnne Bonanno has been crowned Mrs. Essex County 2009 and, for the next year, will work as a crusader for local growers as well as an ambassador for the Topsfield Fair, the oldest agricultural fair in America.
“People don’t realize how much agriculture there is in the area,” said Bonanno, just days after being named the 38th Mrs. Essex County in the fair’s 190-year history. “There are 500 farms in Essex County alone.”
Bonanno, who runs Pleasant Valley Gardens on Merrimack Street with her husband, Richard, a third-generation farmer, took part in last year’s competition but didn’t place. She says she decided that this year “would be my last time, no matter the outcome.”
Nine women joined last month’s competition, held during the final weekend of the 10-day Topsfield Fair. With the contest seeking the ideal homemaker/hostess, contestants are judged on general appearance, poise, personality and — this year — a homemade casserole (For Bonanno’s Summer Harvest Pasta Bake recipe, see box).
Each candidate had to answer this question for the four judges: With the current state of the economy, what value would you like to instill in your family?
For Bonanno, radiant in a red gown, her answer came from the heart.
“I said, ‘Repair, reuse, recycle,’ ” explains this mother of three grown daughters. “And then I spoke about my mother-in-law, Rose Bonanno. When I met her 32 years ago, she impressed me with how she could stretch things out. She could take a tomato and make it last for seven days. Farming families are known for that. We’re frugal.”
While still in the spotlight, Bonanno thought she had the top three finalists picked out — and she wasn’t among them.
“But when they announced the winner, they said, ‘From Methuen ...’ and I thought. ‘Oh my God!!!’ “ she recalls.
She was presented with a $250 cash prize and a basket loaded with gift certificates, a bracelet from a North Andover jeweler, a cookbook, and items from local vendors including honey, apples and wine.
Following the applause and photographs, Bonanno was whisked off to begin her rein.
“I was still wearing high heels and my gown and I went to the arena to give out awards that night. Luckily I had brought some knee-high, flat black boots with me so I was wearing those with my gown and my crown, walking through the fairgrounds pinning ribbons on horses,” she laughs. She spent the rest of the weekend greeting crowds, visiting fair buildings, presenting awards and pulling raffle tickets. She also got to ride on the Hallamore (eight-horse Clydesdale) Hitch, which she loved.
Bonanno says her “real duties” of promoting the fair begin next year, but she’s eager to get out into the community — be it agriculture groups, schools or the Senior Center — and talk about the work of local growers. She says the biggest issue facing farmers is pricing, with one grocery store chain paying Pleasant Valley Gardens, New England’s largest lettuce grower, what they did in 1980.
“We’re learning to diversify,” she says, nothing the increase in community-sponsored agriculture (CSAs). This is where consumers buy a share of a local farm, and every week or so from May to October the “sponsors” get a box of local produce.
“The farmer gets start-up money; you get fresh produce,” she explained, of an investment that can average about $600 a year.
She’s also encouraging more individuals to get involved with the fair, be it in the areas of wine-making, embroidery (Bonanno once placed third for a cross-stitched sweatshirt), painting, baking, canning, flower and veggie growing, etc.
“The giant pumpkin awards are almost never won by a full-time farmer,” she states. “Full-time farmers don’t have time!”
Bonanno, who only began farming 15 years into her marriage, says she’s got a lifelong love for Topsfield.
“My mom’s first visit to the fair was 50 years ago when she was pregnant with me. And, except for a few years when I lived away, I’ve been there every year since,” she says.
And decades later, Bonanno is excited to represent the fair and the regional agriculture community. She even gets to keep the sparkly tiara.
“Every girl wants to be a princess!” she jokes. “Come on!”