Page 66 - Simply Veg 3.21

Welsh Branch News
Like all the other branches we still have not been able to hold a Welsh Branch Committee meeting. Hopefully by the end of May we may be able to meet, fingers crossed. Meanwhile the news on the hall at Wrexham was not really what we wanted to hear. Our branch show was organised for late August. The hall is local authority owned and is being used for Covid testing. We knew that early May we would know if they were planning to use it for a further 3 months, and that is exactly what has happened. This has left up with no alternative but to cancel our branch show. Obviously, this is not what we wanted, but under
the circumstances it is unavoidable.
On a personal note, at the time of writing (early May) we are still into very cold nights and this
is proving a problem with my vegetable
growing. My tomatoes are well advanced
with 3 trusses, but at the moment I dare
not plant them in a cold greenhouse.
My heated greenhouse is bursting at the
seams. Hopefully by the time you read this
we’ll be into proper summer weather.
Ivor Mace
The Schools Home Garden Competition
One memory I have retained from secondary school back in the 1980’s is the day we were getting Easter holidays and the science teacher knocked on the door and asked our teacher if he could borrow three students for a few minutes
to help him with a job. Volunteers were asked for; hands went up and I was one of the chosen few let out. Up in the science room was a large cardboard box filled with packets of seed.
Our job was to distribute the packets of seed individually in lines
along the high benches; I
started off with carrots, the
the garage. Easter was early that year and the next morning I remember the garden was covered over in snow. I eventually got the seeds sown and in a couple of weeks the ridges were covered with seedlings.
I started to clear the first ridge of weeds
and my mother told me I’d pulled all the carrots as well, so she helped me finish the first weeding. In early summer the teacher accompanied by the school caretaker came out to inspect my garden. I won a cash prize for my efforts. The school caretaker was so
next one lettuce and so on
for the different vegetables.
Until we ended up with a
series of neat bundles of
colourful seed packets laid
out, each with a full range
of everything you’d want to
grow. The teacher checked
the number of bundles
against a list of pupils and
discovered there was one
too many. I had carried out
the task extra slowly and carefully, as I was in no hurry to return to the previous class, the teacher must have mistaken my level of care and attention as a sign of intense interest because he asked if I’d take the leftover bundle and join in the competition myself!
I headed home for Easter break with my seeds, I got the Davidson’s Basic Vegetable Gardening book on loan from the Library (no Google back then!), put skills learned in Technical Drawing to use drawing a garden plan and the next day set about the task
of digging up a patch of ground beside
I started to clear the first ridge of weeds and my mother told me I’d pulled all the carrots as well...
impressed by my work that the following year I went out to the Home Economics teacher’s house with him
to help do her vegetable garden.
The Home Garden Scheme was organised
by Mayo Vocational Education Committee (now superseded by MSL ETB). It ran independently in
each school- there was no overall competition between schools; I suppose this
would have required someone independent to cover a larger area. I was aware of it running in three vocational schools in our area. Over the years what seems to have happened is when the teacher involved retired the scheme didn’t continue in the school, as this was just one of an increasing number of extra- curricular activities teachers did on their own time. Happily, it’s great
the scheme is still running annually in Saint Tiernan’s College, Crossmolina and I have received an article and photos from Pat Sweeney who currently teaches there.
Michael Gordon
66 Simply Vegetables
Irish Section
Grow it Forward
In spring Healthy Ireland were distributing free seeds via the local library network across Ireland. Recipients were asked to use the kits to share the experience with ten people, enabling half a million people across Ireland to enjoy the wide range of benefits that come from growing food at home.
As part of the Government’s Keep Well programme, this campaign is designed to help the nation eat well by inspiring and supporting people to grow some of their own food at home while connecting with friends and family to join them.
Each food growing pack includes:
• seeds for beetroot, carrots, salad
leaves, peas, and tomatoes.
• a guide to help grow them.
• a postcard and gift tags to help
share them.
2021 Irish Shows Update
At the time of writing this article ( May 7th 2021) the Irish Shows Association (ISA) have issued a statement to advise member shows not to run in 2021, until such time as the appropriate authorities deem that it is safe to do so.
The ISA have not made a decision yet on a national virtual show similar to last year as if shows around the country are running, they do not want to step on their toes. Cork summer show usually scheduled for late June will run a series of virtual competitions this summer.
The Irish DA understand that people are missing the shows and encourage Irish members to consider entering our Virtual Vegetable Competition. Details were published in the spring edition of simply vegetables or please check out our Facebook page for more details. Entries can be submitted throughout the summer but close on Wednesday September 1st.