Page 6 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2020/21

Firstly, may I wish you all a Happy New Year...
At the time of writing this report, at the start of the second lock down in England, Covid-19 wasn’t in a good place but I can only hope we are in a better place when you read this.
I hope that some of you also enjoyed entering the fun Mimi & Falco competition as well as the Southern Branch’s virtual online Falco Turnip competition too.
As we know, shows were few and far between in 2020, but
welcome packs and certificates, used for Fellowships, National Show judges and National Show Prize Cards. We have also started to look at growing leaflets (refer Mark Hall’s Trustee News) as a new benefit for our members.
As we venture into 2021, here’ hoping
we can hold all our planned meetings, talks and shows and get back to some form
of normality. In the meantime, we plan for success and then adjust as necessary as
we go forward. For your information, one adjustment so far has been a change to the National Championships, which I can now advise will be held just outside Shrewsbury, Shropshire on the 11th & 12th of September. This will also mean the Annual General Meeting will be planned for the 11th. More
to come in the Spring edition of your SV magazine, but this helps you plan for now.
I cannot finish without a thank you to Kelvin Mason, our hardworking SV Editor, who does a great job in converting all our reports, information, photos and last minute submissions into the finished article that you read each quarter.
Stay safe and good growing for 2021.
Society business has been carrying on with Trustees communicating, not only the old-fashioned way on the telephone, but on face to face zoom calls.
I cannot finish without a thank you to Kelvin Mason
congratulations to any/
all who managed to still hold a show under the Government’s Covid rules.
At the time of writing this in early November, we are about to go live with the new ‘White Fuse’ membership
With now having a zoom
account we can stay on the
call longer than 40 minutes, so we have no constraints. A positive with this is that we
can use it as often as need be which means decisions can be made much quicker than when the meetings in Crewe were three months apart. It has been suggested whether we should meet face to face less times a year and hold shorter meetings more often on zoom. I think this is certainly something we should consider, but I do feel that some face to face meetings throughout the year are a benefit (obviously if safe to do so).
It is also good that some Branches are now using Zoom to continue meetings too. Since my last report the Welsh Branch
Chair, Jim Thompson, has resigned due
to ill health and we send Jim our warmest wishes. Ivor Mace, Welsh Branch Vice Chair has stepped up, so thank you Ivor.
With no Shows in 2020 the National Vegetable Society had a kind offer from Raymond Higgins of Ireland to run a virtual show for our members and with great enthusiasm, passion and professionalism he did a superb job. The show went well and a full report from Raymond is on page 28.
For this, it was unanimously agreed by the Trustees that Raymond should be awarded the Banksian medal for having volunteered his services and done such a great job. To explain the Banksian medal, please see page 30.
If you were growing for the kitchen and/ or growing for showing, be it virtual or otherwise, if you have grown either the ‘Mimi Tomato’ or ‘Falco Turnip’ or both and perhaps you were lucky enough to receive a bottle of D.T Browns Plant tonic then let us know how you got on with them. Our NVS sponsors/partners rely on your feedback whether it be good, bad or ugly as it helps them to improve their product range.
Our relationship with our sponsors/partners is a two-way benefit; mutually beneficial
to both parties the more information and feedback we give them the closer and stronger our relationship becomes.
data base and website and so in January, you will now see a new website with a membership software system that is up and running (no change to the website address, it’s still www.nvsuk.org.uk). I must thank Ian Stocks and Fiona Shenfield again for their endless work in pulling this together, plus
all the Membership Secretaries who have supported the transition with their numerous frozen spreadsheets at various stages plus their training on the new system.
Per the NVS development plan, NVS Standardization continues to be rolled out we have now moved onto membership
6 Simply Vegetables
Lady Chair’s Report
SANDRA HALL, NATIONAL LADY CHAIR
The Beauty of Vegetables
Carrots and Parsnips deep into the ground Growing, you cannot hear them making a sound the tops may move and wave in the air waiting to be picked, a meal to prepare.
Cabbage and curly kale emerald green a delight With rain droplets on in the shimmering light
The stalks are so slender like little legs Covered up from the butterflies with netting and pegs.
Tomatoes, the smell on the fruit and the vine like heaven scent ,truly divine
The taste they do give, them you must grow you really must take them to your local show.
Leeks with skins like smooth snake
Growing these subjects a skill you can take
The use of these plants, for cooking is easy Chop and put in a pan, butter, and pepper so sneezy.
Onions that grow from sets or from seed Easy plants you know. Just ask someone or read. Onions come in sizes big or small.
And to be honest. I love them all.
So now you can see why we love veg.
It takes your mind and gives you the edge
To try something new, and keep your mind going
Its good for the body and soul, so just keep on growing.
Nigel Ball [Lyme Regis Dorset member of NVS]