Topic: Begging from the Geordies

[Ceri]

For my sins, I'm arranging the children's Harvest Celebration at St Paul's Whitley Bay (big church opposite the Halifax) on Sunday 10th October.  If any of you local plotters have a bit of spare produce I could scrounge on the Friday or Saturday morning I would be forever grateful. (Its a Harvest Celebration, not a Festival because technically it isn't a Festival in the Church's year - pedantic - moi?)
Thanks

Ceri
p.s. if anybody wants to come and see lots of really sweet (mmmm) children and harassed Sunday Club leaders singing "cauliflowers fluffy" and processing around the church carrying huge card and polystyrene cauliflowers, plums and orange fleece carrots you know where to be!

[Debs]

Ceri,

Unfortunately this geordie has had a bad 1st growing season, coupled with changing plots mid-season.

Everything I've harvested ( not a lot :'()is in the freezer.

Sorry!

Debs.

[teresa]

I wish you well for the 10th,
How about writing to all the local lottie sec's asking for donations from plot holders towards the church celebrations tell them your going to the local paper.

Then go to the local paper they love a local story and ask them to do a write up and say you need fruit and vedge tell them you have asked local lottie holders for help.

Then watch it flood in with any luck the paper will do a follow up and the proceds can be given to:
senior citizens in the parish what ever.

[busy_lizzie]

I will see what I can rustle up from me and any other lottie holders  from our Site, Ceri.  I am sure I will have something to contribute at least from me. Possibly potatoes, spinach, parsnip, cabbage and beetroot and onions, unless there are adverse weather conditions that flatten everything or a sudden swarm of nasties.

Can I get in touch on Saturday the 9th October via your e-mail to let you know what I have and arrange for it to be delivered? Are they going to be given to your elderly?  Might be able to scrounge some leeks from our Leek competitors.  They have plenty left over.

I am sure you will have noticed how quickly organic stuff goes off once it is picked.  Gave my brother some of our potatoes, - perfectly lovely when they were dug up, but I forgot to mention to him to keep them in the cool and dark, (I keep mine in an old navyblue pillow case), he rang a week later to tell me that they had all gone green. It makes you wonder how many times they are sprayed to keep them looking fresh.

Anyway, Good Luck Ceri, hope it goes well, might even pop along to see you all on the day. busy_lizzie  ;D    

[Hugh_Jones]

Regrettably, the organisers of most Harvest Festivals (sorry - Celebrations) these days seem to have given up the nasty messy soil grown produce that we were delighted to donate in favour of stacks of nice clean, tidy Heinz Baked Beans tins.  Is it any wonder that so many children these days think that vegetables, milk, meat and eggs come ready made and packaged from  Tesco.

[teresa]

Hugh all I can say is the church should get back to basic's.
Harvest Festival to me ment going to the chaple down the hill in mid Wales to give thanks for the harvest safely gathered in.
Being in a farming aera it ment the hay, corn, vedge etc all crops gathered in to see us and animals through another winter.
The meaning of this service has got lost over the years to give thanks to him upstairs so he would help us again next year.

[Hot_Potato]

Oh Ceri - wish I was in your area - I've plenty of produce still and you'd be very welcome to some.

Quite agree with Hugh about the way youngsters (and some not so young) these days expect their veggies to come. When I take things to my daughter-in-law, my grand-daughter can't believe that things like carrots, radish, beetroot, potatoes etc. come out of the ground with either dirt or 'tops' to them.

Maggie

[busy_lizzie]

Agree with you all.  When we have given people produce and not been able to get home to wash them, some people have expressed surprise and how earthy everything is. Hard to believe, I know, but I think even adults are now used to Supermarket veg that is pristine clean and wrapped in cellophane.   :D busy_lizzie    

[Ceri]

Thanks so much b-l.  I'll be happy to come to you on Sat morning whenever's easiest.

St Paul's harvest celebration will have lots of lovely real vegetables with roots, leaves and all (and some tins of beans I'm sure!).  The produce is all given away to local elderly people afterwards.

Next year's Harvest will be starting in spring as I'm building some beds in my allotment so my Sunday Club lot can grow veg for Harvest themselves (things I'll do for a bit of free help!!)

[Ceri]

I know what you mean about the baked beans and 'traditional' harvests, Hugh and Teresa, Harvest can be difficult with kids who have never had the chance to see 'real' veg.  Great learning opportunity for them though.  Also, what we have found is that often single senior citizens often prefer the gift of tinned stuff as it won't go off.  If we get loads of fresh stuff I think the church will probably pass it to a soup kitchen.
Teresa, thanks for the idea about the lottie secs, I'll have a word when I'm up there tomorrow - there's normally someone from t'committee about!