MR VEG WORDS OF WISDOM 3

**Admin** · **Admin** on October 14th 2008, 11:19 pm

Life is as I found out recently full of surprises!
- Having attended the recent Incredible Edible Todmorden Harvest Event
at the local Unitarian Church perched above
Todmorden on a bright breezy day all I can say is LEMONS.

Yes Lemons, that’s what helped the winner clinch the
coveted inaugural trophy (the Malcolm Seville Trophy) for the first every IET
harvest festival.

Now over the years I’ve seen a good many traditional
vegetables of various sizes jostle for the awards on offer and with fragrant
offerings from the flower arrangers amongst you make most shows a pleasure to
attend.

I’m always amazed how each arrangement interpretative the
themes of the show whilst the traditional growers go for the no nonsense
`biggest’ vegetable on offer, from the giants of the Marrows and Squashes to
the long, fine almost delicate Runner beans, plumpest Tomatoes, sweetest Peas
and the longest rooted Carrots, Parsnips ever with bunches of delicious onions
and a plethora of other succulent salad crops.

What impressed me the most with the IET event was the
`celebration’ of all that has been grown in or around the lovely town of Todmorden. Not that the harvest festival was confined to
just what was grown, but also included bread, jams and preserves, eggs, cakes,
drinks, beer and even pork and local farmed fish! – A real celebration that all
the people of Todmorden can be proud of

Now geography was never my strong point and I’m assume that
Todmorden is a few hundred feet up most certainly some of the gardens on all
sides of the valleys that make up the region. Certainly where I live it’s
northern facing slope so not the best for growing you might think, but not
according to persons I chatted with at the IET harvest event with the right
conditions, a bit of shelter and good soil and TLC you can grow, well virtually
anything even Lemons.

Now perhaps the Carrots didn’t reach the 24” rooted length
or Marrows and Squashes into the 100’s of Ibs.
What greeted the visitor was the determination and sheer effort of
growers and food producers presented onto the show tables. All the exhibitors
proud to show just what can be done in Todmorden and they should be quite
rightly proud of their efforts, well done everyone!

I’ve always said it’s not what you’ve grown it’s the taking
part that counts.

The IET group has only been growing/going for a mere six months, so who knows what
will be grown after a full season! And
if you were inspired to

grow your own but thought
I’ll never grow anything in my garden high up a hill under tree cover or
exposed to harsh environmental conditions well the evidence was for all to see
presented at the IET harvest event - look at the photos on the web site -
pictures tell a thousand words.

MR VEG