Page 16 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2022

Fun Carrots
GREAME LA MARQUAND FNVS
I had a very pleasurable weekend meeting parents and their children who were keen to join us for our fun carrot workshop which took place at the RJA&HS spring flower show at the Royal Jersey Show ground on
Saturday 26 and Sunday
27th of March which was
well attended.
It always amazes me with the interest shown by the children as well as the adults who were keen to sow carrots in 30 litre pots which were filled with compost. The variety was Chantenay Red Core 2 this is also a wonderful alternative too
for those who do not have
access to a garden or
allotment. In fact, one lady
mentioned that she just
could not grow carrots in
her type of soil, so of course I advised her to grow them in containers and especially in a larger one with a good multipurpose compost which would probably give her all the carrots that she would need over the season.
I was especially interested in meeting Salvation Army officer Richard Nunn
who was interested to see what we were achieving within our society including the pleasure it was giving children as well as adults. This is not only therapeutic but challenging in taking on a small project like sowing a pot of carrots and managing it through to fruition. This gives them a great sense of achievement no matter how big or how small the project might be.
During our carrot workshop weekend each child and adult was given a fun carrot growing guide which gave them
instructions on how to manage their project from sowing the carrots through to delivering them to the show ground. At the end of the show each child is given a rosette and with some children this is the
each child and adult was given a fun carrot growing guide which gave them instructions on how to manage their project
most important part of the competition.
The emphasis on showing carrots is to try and produce three perfect specimens which is rarely achieved,
but it is fair to say some have come very close to it, including children.
There is a 1st, 2nd &
3rd prize with lots of
highly commended and commended cards awarded to many of the children to encourage them to grow their own vegetables besides carrots.
Also our society has come up with cash prizes of 1st, 2nd & 3rd for
showing the funniest looking carrot. This happens after the three best carrots have been chosen for the show bench, which normally leaves 7 carrots with some of them unbelievably shaped. This creates a lot of fun amongst the children and also has the judges in fits of laughter. This again is all about encouragement.
A lot of the children and parents found it easier to sow their carrots under the guidance of Mark Day who spent the weekend doing just that. Mark is a natural with the children as well as the adults
My thanks to Mark.
The outcome over that weekend was a total of sixty pots that were taken up plus another 26 taken up at my abode for folk who couldn’t make it to the show. So all in all there was a grand total of 86 who enrolled.
This could finish with the biggest show of carrots that Jersey has seen yet. Pity about the Judge/ Judges they will certainly have their work cut out.
The show will take place on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st of August at the RJA & HS Royal Show Ground.
Our sincere thanks to the RJA & HS for facilitating us at their spring flower show. Our thanks to Sonnic support solutions who sponsored the pots and compost and cash prizes for the funniest carrot, Marshalls who sponsored the carrot seed and vouchers for 1st 2nd and 3rd prizes, and last but not least Mail mate who printed all our leaflets.
The outcome of that weekend was, that I am delighted to say that the Salvation Army have entered our fun carrot competition.
Mark Day Sowing
16 Simply Vegetables