Nine o’clock on a bright warm Saturday morning saw a small group of PACT volunteers set up a gazebo on the pavement adjacent to the Cornmarket. The theme of the stand “Grow your Own” was expertly demonstrated through pictures and samples of produce that PACT members had grown.
The town had a general carnival atmosphere with lots of visitors and local people enjoying the opportunity to browse, linger and chat. Many conversations were had with friends old and new. Four things seemed to capture the imagination.
- The tray of pea shoots – great for a summer salad had been grown by Peter Clarke from dried peas purchased from the Co-operative. Well watered in a inch of potting compost, they had produced a crop of pea shoots which were sweet and ideal for a summer salad. Cut off a couple of inches above the soil, the plants will re-crop about three times – excellent value for money.
- A barba dei frati (monk's beard) lettuce attracted a lot of attention. Rather than cutting off the whole plant the leaves are cropped leaving the plant to re-sprout.
- Photograhs of the cob ovens drew people too, with a number of enquires for information and more possibilities for new oven building.
- Finally there was interest in Vista Veg and their box scheme. See http://www.vistaprojects.co.uk/vistaveg/ for details.
It was also interesting to note how many people recognised PACT because of the establishment of planters in town. There were lots of positive comments and encouragement to continue the project. This was welcome recognition for all the work involved.
In adjacent stands were colleagues from Fair Trade and a group from Brough who were advertising The Eden Foodival -see www.edenfoodival.co.uk.
Penrith on a Plate
With the support of the Vitality of Penrith Group, DEFRA and Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Penrith is hosting an event in which all the best food producers, suppliers and retailers across Eden are invited to join in. For the weekend 21 - 22 July, Penrith's town centre will come alive with wonderful smells, colour and activity.
http://www.eden.gov.uk/penrithonaplate/ - Press coverage
Grow Your Own
PACT has a "Grow your own" stall on Saturday 21st July to tell people about our Garden of Eden and Greening Penrith projects. We will be at the "Eden Foodival" area near the bandstand on Cornmarket. We will have photo displays of our activities and plants from our garden for you to see. Come and have a chat about growing in your own garden or communally together with others.
