Page 46 - ALG Issue 4 2017

Show What You Grow Day 2017
This year’s ‘Show What You Grow Day’
for primary schools took place in July with nine schools from around the borough present. The event was of cially opened by Cllr Noel Delaney, Deputy Mayor for West Lancs. Unfortunately, the expected twelve schools were reduced to eight when some found they did not have enough staff available, but we still had 64 very keen and eager little growers to keep us on our toes.
The Mayor and consort visited each school’s Display Table and spoke to the children in
turn. Those children not involved continued at their work table, completing their work books. They all participated in a ‘Vegetable’ quiz and then each school had to prepare a ‘pizza face’ using vegetables on a real pizza base.
After lunch, each school entertained us with a presentation about their year on the school allotment. Then the prize-giving followed.
This year the Display Tables were better than ever. The contestants are getting more adventurous as the years goes by. After much discussion, the best Display Table trophy went to Newburgh with St. Thomas runners-up and Crawford in third place.
Best Scarecrow was won by Richard Durning in their rst year taking part.
Best Pizza face went to St. Thomas who depicted a roaring lion. This was closely followed by Crawford and St. John’s.
The Vegetable Show presented us with some magni cent produce, with some of the largest beetroot and radish seen - enough to make the hardest of allotment growers weep with envy. All eight schools went away with a collection of rosettes.
A new class this year was Best Homemade Edible. And it created a few headaches for the judges when they had to choose between Beetroot Cake; Courgette & Chocolate Cake; Strawberry sponge and Lavender muf ns. The nal winner was
the Strawberry Jam made by Holmswood School with Tomato Soup from Pinfold School a close second.
The event was led by the Community Food Group of West Lancashire CVS supported by West Lancashire Allotment Federation. Funding was provided by Upholland Tawd Vale Lions. Special thanks to Morrison’s Supermarket, Southport for their support and our host West Lancashire College Skelmersdale.
Ray Fowler WLAF Chair.
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