Pumpkin Patches and Halloween

I've been delighted to receive a number of invitations to food and farming events over the last few weeks and as I've travelled around I've been struck by the amount of stalls selling pumpkins or pumpkin patches along the way. October, for me, would not be complete without a visit to the pumpkin patch at my local farm. We arrive early, grab a wheelbarrow, head to the quieter part of the patch and start selecting. We look for a couple of large pumpkins suitable for carving and a selection of smaller varieties to build a display outside our front door.

Pumpkin patches only began to appear in the UK in the 1990's but the UK is now the largest grower of pumpkins in Europe and they can offer useful farm diversification. Farmers Weekly reported that for many farms growing pumpkins has given them significant extra income and flexibility as farmers can opt to sell direct to customers or to a wholesaler as best suits their individual farm situation. The Economic Times reported that some farmers are earning as much as £30,000 per acre by embracing this seasonal holiday of Halloween.

As a child, we used turnips or swedes to carve out Jack O Lanterns, as pumpkins weren't popular then, a tradition with English and Irish origins dating back to the 1700s. Carrying or displaying the carved vegetables was thought to keep spirits away on Halloween.

Will you be carving pumpkins this Halloween?

Walled Gardens, Eden Project Communities and Social and Therapeutic Horticulture

Last week I had the opportunity to visit a beautiful walled garden, orchard and meadow complete with bees, a pop up shop and professional kitchen. This peaceful 10 acres was part of what was a monastery and gardens dating back to 1133. Considering that the origins of Green Care came from medieval monastic communities it seems very fitting that this should now house an amazing Social and Therapeutic Horticulture charity that supports over 50 clients per week.

Social and Therapeutic Horticulture is part of the wider Green Care approach that focuses on using gardening to benefit individuals with health and wellbeing goals. Therapeutic and gardening techniques support physical and mental health, offer time in nature, a sense of community and a learning experience. The clients I met were skilful gardeners and generous with their knowledge of the local flora and fauna as we talked.

Standing within the walls of the orchard I was reminded of a walled garden that we used to visit when we lived in Scotland. The gardens offered plenty of space and fresh air but also shelter from the worst of the elements. It was a great place for the children to play, relax and enjoy a picnic, whatever the weather, after school and at weekends. 

I am so fortunate to be part of an Eden Project Community Action Course at the moment. Five weeks of inspirational stories, thought provoking ideas and information packed workshops with the focus on grass roots projects in our communities. Its also a wonderful chance to network and hear about the amazing projects that others are running or preparing to run. I'm using my time on this course to explore the possibility of introducing Community Pantries into Buckinghamshire. What would you be interested in setting up in your community?