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November Community Day 2010:
More Than Just Yummy, Locally-produced Veg!
What our kids (aged 4 and 3) eat is important to us, so too is helping them develop an understanding of how good food is produced. At home we grow a few of our own herbs and tend, what we laughingly refer to as, a veg patch, (though frankly our chickens, more recently, consider this to be their very own café!).
Our first opportunity to attend a ‘Community Day’ came in November 2010. There was digging to be done and a ‘bring and share’ lunch to enjoy. We arrived with no tools, (I now see that might have been useful!) and some food for the lunch table. We were greeted by warm smiles, most welcome on that chilly Sunday morning, and a tour of Community Harvest Whestone’s (CHW) plot. Before long we’d established what needed to be done and got stuck in. As well as digging and weeding there was an awful lot of laughter and, as I recall, an interesting discussion about internal parasites! Before I knew it, it was lunchtime. We enjoyed warm soup, good bread and a wonderful selection of other food. We had an opportunity to talk about the project’s history, plans for the future and I really began to feel part of the project. Our boys were beginning to feel cold so, after lunch, we opted for a warmer task inside the poly-tunnel, planting up seedlings for the spring harvest. We were working alongside one of CHW’s growers, Hilary, who was more than happy to answer my children’s many questions. When the boys had tired of their work with the watering can they set about ‘digging for treasure’ in a spare piece of earth along with a fellow young crop-sharer. This continued for sometime before all the children retired outside with their Dads to play. This allowed me to continue to work, learn, chat and have a laugh with Hilary. At the end of our day I looked back along our neat rows of seedlings, in the knowledge that these would be the first of our share of CHW veg in spring 2011. It felt as though we’d achieved a great deal, though having had such a lovely day it didn’t feel like work at all. I’d hoped to feel a real sense of community; I wasn’t disappointed and I added another reason to be glad about my family’s involvement in CHW; great food, a good way for our children to learn about how good food is produced and an involvement with a community of people working together to produce something fabulous. On our journey home it was agreed - the more we put in to CHW, the more we’ll get out of it, literally. I hope to see you there! Helen Wykes |