news - Ashford Allotments

News from the AGM: Tony Fagg retires. Council to conduct review of allotments.

28/2/2015

Those of you who attended the AGM on February 11th will know that the council (under Eileen's line manager Jonathan Longley) is to conduct a review of allotments this year.

We were told that the council plans to send out a questionnaire in March, and Mr Longley hopes to report back to plotholders in July. At present the 500-odd allotments cost the council about £45,000 more per year than they receive in revenue. This includes the cost of admin staff and water as well as maintenance. Mr Longley said they hoped to 'close the gap' a bit. The questionnaire will be sent electronically where possible, and other plotholders will receive it by post.

Much more detail about the forthcoming review is in the Minutes of the AGM, which are now available for you to read on the OFFICIAL STUFF page. Scroll down to Item 8.

Mr Longley has been asked to give us a digest of the presentation he made at the AGM for us to put on the website.

Tony Fagg announced that he was retiring as Show Secretary and we are looking for someone to take his place. Would you like to be involved in this year's show? If so, get in touch.

Chairwoman Penny Fox announced that the Society would be seeking a Membership Secretary for the Trading Store to free Geoff Button up from some of the paperwork. A volunteer has already come forward and will be working closely with Geoff this spring.

The full minutes of the AGM are now available on the OFFICIAL STUFF page

Why doesn't my veg look like what I can buy in the shops?

27/2/2015

New plotholders are often just stunned to have grown anything at all. However, pretty soon we all start to wonder, "Why is my veg so scruffy, uneven and manky-looking compared to what I see in the shops? What am I doing wrong?"

There are several answers to the question.

First of all, farmers concentrate their efforts on crops which will do well on their land; if they're on limy clay they grow cabbages, if on sandy silt, then they grow carrots. Few farmers have the conditions to grow a bit of everything.

Secondly, farmers are professionals: they prepare the soil according to scientific formulae and have access to pesticides we can't use, even if we'd want to.

But the third answer may surprise you at first; The stuff in the supermarkets looks even and perfect because a huse proportion of the crop is just discarded. If you threw most of your harvest away, you'd find it much easier to get a basket of good-looking produce, after all.

Some unlovely veg can be sold to soup manufacturers, and the second-best stuff often goes to catering companies or market stalls for a lower price. But far too much is just ploughed in to rot down.

Gleaning - an old idea but a good one!

In centuries gone by, the poor of the village were allowed into the fields after the harvest to scoop up by hand any grain which the reapers had missed. Modern gleaning, working wioth local farmers and supported by celebrity cooks and food campaigners, uses volunteers to collect unwanted produce for food banks. Kent gleaners, organised by environmental charity Feedback, deliver food to those most in need. Last year they gleaned approximately 31 tonnes of produce that would otherwise have gone to waste.

For more about local gleaning, click here to go to Kent News website, publishers of Kent on Sunday.

Tony retires as Show Secretary

25/2/2015

In the highly glamorous surroundings (!) of the Trading Store Tony Fagg is presented with a small token of our thanks to him for 15 years of organising the Summer Show. Tony was 80 last year and is retiring.

Tony will still be showing and is looking forward to the chance to put all of us youngsters to shame. Meanwhile, a
NEW SHOW SECRETARY is needed - don't be shy!

The Show Secretary is a member of the committee, and has the opportunity to work with a team of willing volunteers to make this year's show a bigger success than ever. They will get loads of support from everyone.

If you'd like to be Show Secretary, but enjoy showing your own veg yourself, never fear! The Show Secretary can be one of the judges if they like, but if they want to show themselves, a plotholder judge will be enrolled to make sure of fair play.

If you could be Show Secretary, email us today or use the contact form. If you know someone who would be great at the project, have a word with them!

Open evening at Wilkinson's

23/2/2015

A very jolly time was had by everyone who accepted the invitation to Wilkinson's Gardeners' Open Evening on Wednesday 18th February. As well as a chance to see their new extended garden range, there were freebies, raffle prizes, and a scrummy home-made banoffee pie amongst the refreshments. Ah, if only you'd known, you'd all have gone!

Wilkinson's have extended their range this year with more branded products at highly competitive prices. On the right are 3 of their new Spear and Jackson secateurs, as well as their own-brand folding pruning saw. All are under a tenner - important if you are leaving tools locked in a shed on your plot!

The folding saw (top left) has a catch so you can put it in your pocket without fear of cutting a finger off - ideal for pruning elderly fruit bushes or bring a boundary hedge under control.

The geared bypass secateur (top right) makes cutting larger branches much easier. Unlike most secateurs, the safety catch is easy to use if you're left-handed.

The ergo-twist secateur (bottom left) has many of the features of professional secateurs six times the price, including a rotating handle that means you never get blisters, and shock-absorbing pads to prevent carpel tunnel problems.

The ratchet anvil secateur (bottom right) has a handle that helps cold fingers keep a grip, and a geared ratchet to make cutting effortless. Click on any picture to go to more info at the Wilko website.

Wilko also have a good big electric propagator made by brand leader Stewarts. Big enough for any height of pot at 11ins (28cm) tall, it's very reasonable, I thought, at £30.

However tempting these goodies may be, it was two basic products which I was very pleased to see. First, Wilko have their organic SLUG PELLETS back; whoopee! Not only safer for wildlife, ferric phosphate slug pellets are more effective, killing slugs and snails even in the wettest weather and - Oh deep joy - the little blighters crawl away and die in private, instead of covering your plot with a nightmare of nauseating slime.

The other brilliant development is FILL-A-BAG SEED POTATOES. There are two size bags, A £2 ONE AND A £4.50 ONE. You can put several different varieties in one bag if you bring some freezer bags and paper for your labels. I got 3 and a half KILOS of Wilja seed potatoes in a £2 BAG!
Varieties stocked are as follows:
Cara
Picasso
Kestrel
Anya
Sharpes express
Red duke of York
Accent
Charlotte
Wilja
Pentland crown
Majestic
Not a massive selection, but the prices are brilliant and there are some old favourites there. get them soon as Wilkinsons have a warm environment and staff are worried about how long they will stay perky!

There are many more new products I haven't space for here, especially in the crop-protection line, so I would ay it's definitely worth your while to take a look. When the next open evening is planned we'll let you know!

Collect your potatoes now!

21/2/2015

If you are logging on first thing on Saturday, and have seed potatoes on order via the Trading Store, then gird up your loins this morning and pop down to pick your order up!

The Trading Store is open next Saturday too.

Trip to Sissinghurst and a private tour.

19/2/2015

A chance for a private tour of Sissinghurst, with all the rest of the day (no timed tickets for us) to roam and enjoy the many different areas, all at their spring best?

SOUNDS GOOD? Then don't miss out? Our private tour is on 12th April and ALL ASHFORD ALLOTMENTEERS AND TRADING STORE MEMBERS ARE INVITED! This is a special trip for us and will be done by car-sharing, to save the expense of a coach. Get in touch TODAY as spaces are limited and we'd hate you to miss out. April may seem a good way off but we have to book NOW because of the high demand.

April is a brillinat time to see Sissinghurst as Vita Sackville West was particularly keen on spring flowers and many areas of the garden were planted especially for this time of year.

Email us at ashfordallotments@yahoo.co.uk for more details. BUT DON'T DELAY!

Thefts at Gashouse Fields

18/2/2015

Thefts from allotments are a recurrent thorn in our sides, and it always pays to be careful. However, these things often go in spates with long trouble-free periods in between - during which we sometimes get careless.

You would think paving slabs would be safe, but some hefty burglar has stolen 10 from Karen's plot on Gashouse Fields. If you are on that site, it would pay to have a look around your plot and hide/stow way anything you think might be vulnerable.

All thefts should always be reported to the police.

Free woodchip

15/2/2015

There is still plenty of free woodchip for plotholders and Trading Store members at Westrees site. Bring your own bags - shovels are available to borrow at the Trading Store when it is open, or bring your own with you.

This woodchip is the product of tree surgeon's work and is mixed hardwood and conifer. It is ideal for paths but unsuitable for composting.

Woodchip can be collected whenever the Trading Store is open or when plotholders are present to allow you access.

Calling Nicola Carter and others

14/2/2015

Unfortunately, we have incorrect versions of email addresses for several members. If you have left your email address, and haven't recently received any emails from the Society, then please get in touch and send an email direct to ashfordallotments@yahoo.co.uk . That way we'll definitely have the right address and you'll be kept 'in the loop'

Thank you!

Grow something new from seed this year!

11/2/2015

Many keen gardeners will have already used Chiltern Seeds and know that their catalogue has things you've never dreamed of growing alongside all the old favourites. If you've not checked them out before, then look at their online catalogue and prepare to be amazed.

Picture grow your own capers

While they stock an exceptionally large list of unusual vegetables, it is their flowers and herbs that really make you gasp and stretch your eyes.

Above: grow your own capers anyome? Click on the pic to go to the page.
Right: another unexpected plant from Chiltern Seeds - click on the pic to go to Aloe polyphylla