Page 42 - ALG Issue 4 2024

WALES
The Royal Welsh Show
Alfred Griswold, the great American educator, once wrote,“Conversation is an exchange of thoughts that leave all the parties to it a grain wiser.”
This was certainly the case for those of us who volunteered to host and those who visited the NAS Wales Branch stand at this year’s Royal Welsh Show at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, from 22nd to 25 July 2024. There were so many conversations.We were fortunate enough to be in the new HorticulturalVillage area,a welcome innovation this year at the R.W.S, wherein lots of organisations and societies dedicated to promoting growing were clustered together in a number of marquees. All agreed that it was a vast improvement on last year’s location and arrangements.
The initial heavy lifting of setting up
the stand was done by our branches’ organisational wizard of a Secretary, Carolyn Llewellyn and her sisters, Sue and Angela and our Regional Representative, Chris Winwood and his wife, Angela on the Sunday before the RWS properly got underway. In addition to the main stand, two Micro Beds were set up showing a range of allotment produce and essential tools needed for growing. As you can see from the pictures, the beds and the main stand were outstanding and over the next four days of the show were magnets for so many visitors, eager to have conversations on such a wide variety of issues, get advice and make enquiries.
We heard about the many successes
and failures of the growing season thus far, particularly how this season’s weather had affected the normal rhythms and how those affected vegetables, fruit and flowers, which, in the past, have always been certainties
but are now less so. It’s an on-going and salutary lesson for us all on the impacts
of climate change, particularly the lack of pollinators this year. It wasn’t surprising that the NAS leaflets we had on the stand about managing aspects of climate change in allotments and gardens were popular takeaways.
An interesting issue we were asked advice about was from farmers who were looking to establish allotment plots on their land,
to diversify their income streams and make their businesses more sustainable. Some were already successfully doing this, and we, as an organisation, were in a good position to give advice about establishing new allotments. We also had lots of enquiries from first time allotment plotholders looking to build on their efforts and encourage greater biodiversity on their plots.
It was heartening and laudable to listen to the successes of community allotments associations who were flourishing and encouraging a new, young, and diverse generation of growers to refine their craft and advance their knowledge of where their food comes from.We were able to
distribute free packs of vegetable seeds, kindly donated by Kings Seeds, to help this process along.
It was also interesting to chat with individual leisure gardeners about the benefits of being members of the NAS.
It really is amazing what goes on in the
back gardens of the U.K. when it comes
to innovative ways of being sustainable. I personally had a fascinating conversation with a local gentleman, an ex-engineer, who gave up some of his gems, like using used
75 litre bulk bags, usually used to deliver
soil and gravel etc. as a raised bed and then putting a drilled multi holed piece of down pipe into its centre to ensure even watering. Who knew?!
No article about our time at this
year’s RWS would be complete without giving due thanks and appreciation to
the committee members and member volunteers who made this entire experience such an enjoyable success.
So, here’s the roll call; Carolyn, Chris and Angela, Sue and Angela, Cath, Amanda, Steve, Paul,Tom and Lynne, myself and my wife Olwen.
Thank you for all your efforts and
time and for having those memorable conversations.We’re looking forward to a lot more at next year’s Royal Welsh Show. Mal Davies,Welsh Regional Chair
“We were able to distribute free packs of vegetable seeds, kindly donated by Kings Seeds”
42 | Issue 4 2024 | Allotment and Leisure Gardener