Page 31 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2022

My Journey from Workshop to Printed Page – via the Vegetable Garden
MICHAEL GORDON FNVS
One of my hobbies is Woodcarving. Back in2009Iputalotoftimeandeffortin the workshop on a piece representing
a man at work in his vegetable garden, based on a photograph of myself digging the garden.
If you think its hard making drills in the soil with a spade, it’s easier than making drills in a piece of wood with a chisel. The figure isn’t really that finely detailed, but I was very pleased with my work. I decided to enter it in the Woodcarving class at Tullamore Show in August 2009.
The great day arrived. I got the train to Tullamore followed by the shuttle bus out to the field, carrying my entry with me. I just arrived in time to set up my entry in the Arts and Crafts marquee. I planned to spend the day walking around the show grounds taking in the sights. Heavy rain drops told me there was a shower of rain on the way so I decided to dart into the Horticulture tent.
Once inside the horticulture marquee
I was immediately drawn towards the eye-catching collections of vegetables
on display. These included tall Celery and Leeks mounted vertically against black boards, long straight carrots and parsnips, plates of beetroot peas and potatoes laid horizontally on top of black cloth covered boards. Coming closer I could see the Bridge House All Ireland Collection of Vegetables on the board overhead. I had
a closer look at the line of collections and checked the entry numbers against the names in the catalogue. I recognized one name, that of the late Michael Walton. I
had previously seen his produce on display when he had come to my local show (and won most of the prizes) but I had beaten him with my sole entry in Turnips and made a mental note at the time to grow more vegetables for next year’s show.
I decided on the spot that I should also enter the vegetable collection at Tullamore Show next year. I had a portable blackboard from the night class circuit and I wondered would it be hard to source some black cloth. I didn’t give any thought to the difficulties of growing the vegetables at all.
I was very pleased to get a prize card for my Woodcarving exhibit. I proudly put it in front of me on the table in the train carriage on the way home. I had a two-and-a-half- hour train journey home so I started to read the catalogue right through, adverts and all. Going through the vegetable section I came across an advert for the National Vegetable Society. I decided I’d join this NVS.
In time I received a newsletter and invite to the NVS DA AGM in Athlone in January. The weather was cold, so I didn’t go. The next communication I got from NVS was a letter from Mick Walton looking for new officers, as since the AGM he was the Chairman and it wouldn’t be able to continue without people to take on the other officer roles. I was disappointed to read this. I didn’t know any other members, or what kind of numbers or work would be involved.
I had lengthy experience of doing voluntary administrative roles in a number of other societies so I decided to find out more. I rang Mick Walton on the number on his letter. He told me a few details, I discovered there wasn’t a membership
of hundreds, so I thought this would be manageable and I’d offer my services, I’d have a go and try my best. I happened to be going to Sligo on a work assignment the following week and he invited me to drop in on my way home.
A week later I arrived at the Walton residence in county Sligo. From the outside it just looked like an ordinary bungalow with no sign of a large vegetable growing operation. I was welcomed by Mick and his wife Margaret. I think he was surprised by my appearance. When visiting educational centres I usually went to work dressed
in a three piece suit, white shirt, tie and polished black shoes. Some centres running Horticulture courses tended to view gardening as a type of second-class course in comparison to their Business
or IT courses and expected someone in a pair of wellingtons and dirty jumper would
come, so I liked to surprise them. Mick brought me on a tour of the
garden, it was a bit like the tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Once outside the back door it was like entering another world. Parts of it resembled an army obstacle course. My first impression was they’d have no fear of burglars breaking
in. There was low chicken wire, wooden pallets on the ground, water filled containers of seaweed here and there. Temporary walls made from pallets lined with black polythene covering. A micro climate feeling a few degrees warmer than the outside world had been created. The centre piece was the glasshouses and a structure which reminded me of the home- made rocket in the Wallace and Gromit film, this was for growing long parsnips and carrots. Mick had done a welding apprenticeship in Sunderland in his youth and he had great engineering skills, which he used to repurpose all manner of waste materials. After the tour Margaret made us the tea, we went through the paperwork.
I left for home with the NVS folder and a new position as Acting Secretary up until the next AGM.
At home I started phone calls to members but soon gave up, as I found it difficult to ring up people you don’t know.
I decided to try writing a newsletter and posting it to them all. I think this worked well. After a while the newsletters nearly bankrupted us so I went back to the telephone and that’s basically it since. I made a foray into social media a few years ago with mixed results. I’ve greatly enjoyed getting the magazine and seeing my articles in print.
A well maintained, neat garden reminds me of the lovely notes and blackboard drawings I used to do when I started teaching. At the end of the lesson they were wiped off the blackboard ready for the next class. Nature wipes away your lovely garden at the end of each season and you start again next spring. I have ten years of articles at this stage to look back on.
I hope someone reading this will have
a go and take up some of the currently vacant branch officer roles that we have on offer in our DA. I’ve really enjoyed my time in the NVS so far. I’ve still not won any cups for collections of vegetables at Tullamore Show (or even the local shows for that matter). I have a space left on the sideboard beside the woodcarving piece. I live in hope.
Simply Vegetables 31