Page 42 - Simply Vegetables Summer 2023

Letters
Dear Editor
I’m not going to get into SV letter tennis with Mr. Dunkley over his reply to my letter advocating class quantity reductions at our National championships, for one thing I couldn’t quite gauge whether he agreed or disagreed with me, and for another I believe when we get to vote on the subject it’ll be decided one way or the other and we’ll have to accept the result whichever way it goes.
What I would like to explore further and something I do take issue with is his final sentence that he doesn’t feel welcome
at our shows. I’m really disappointed he feels that way but would implore him to take the plunge and discover what the truth actually is, rather than accepting something at face value. Maybe he caught one of our VOLUNTEER stand members at a bad moment, which could have been for a multitude of reasons from tiredness or illness to bad news, but it shouldn’t colour his judgement based on one brief encounter. Sometimes you just have to
throw yourself into something rather than dancing around the periphery, so get your entries in Mr. Dunkley. I can assure you that you will only be met with encouragement and friendship, we need more exhibitors at our shows so don’t be shy.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our current Board of Trustees for advocating the idea that we can exhibit and judge at the same show, something the Scottish Branch have managed to do successfully for a few years. This seemed to cause a flare-up of frothing fury on certain Facebook pages from a small section of stuck-in-the-muds, but let’s give it a go. I really don’t see what some people are frightened of, no judge
is going to be stupid enough to give a wrong decision just because he saw his mate bench an exhibit in the class he/ she is judging, or conversely because he knows an exhibit is from someone he/ she doesn’t particularly like. Nothing lasts forever, contrary to popular belief we’re not blessed with an endless supply of top
quality judges who don’t wish to show, and it costs a lot of money to put them up in hotels and cover their expenses. In this day and age we really need to be considering new ideas and, to coin a phrase from work that I hate, ‘think outside the box’ to keep the shows going.
On the subject of ‘keeping shows going,’
I know the late decision to cancel the horticultural section at this year’s Royal Welsh Show is disappointing, but it’s not the first and won’t be the last Society to take a difficult decision. They had their reasons I’m sure, but it’s certainly not going to be helpful for individuals to be calling it ‘greedy,’ ‘disgusting’ or ‘inconsiderate’ as I’ve noted on those same Facebook groups. It’s hardly the way to persuade them to think again or even bother at all in 2024 is it? I really do wish people would engage their brains before they post stuff on social media sometimes.
Simon Smith
Vegetable Growing in a Confined Space
In early March, as part of my work duties, I visited Athlone Community Training Centre, located on Lyster street in the heart of the busy urban area in the centre of Athlone town. This centre has been in existence since 1985 and its function is to provide educational opportunities for early school leavers who for varied reasons have been unable to progress in secondary school and has been very successful at this. At the present time there is an increase in school dropouts as some youngsters had difficulties re-adjusting to school life after the periods of online learning at home.
The centre provides learning experiences which have a greater emphasis on Life Skills and Vocational training as opposed to a more formal academic education. They operate on
a quite a small site which has limited outdoor space but have made great use out of a small triangular area of ground inside the front gate, which is only about 15 ft x 15ft.
Engineering teacher Colin Flanagan showed me a raised bed that was constructed along the diagonal edge of the plot which had some cabbages which had overwintered nicely. Inside that,
there is a triangular raised bed inside the railings fronting the street. There were
some winter onions growing there. Along the wall a solar powered
hydroponic unit has been installed. The water is collected in a water butt on site and heated slightly by the solar panel. This then circulates around a four- tiered vertical system. This was used to grow lettuce last summer. I was very impressed with this system. On the day I visited it was being used for heathers.
As an educational project it gives valuable experience in hands on vegetable production in an area with limited ground making use of available rainwater and maximizing the opening to sunlight.
Michael Gordon FNVS
42 Simply Vegetables