Author: Norman Page 55 of 66
Cath Pilley has been in touch with an update on The Allotment Market Stall (TAMS) for the coming season.
“We are really pleased to let you know that we have received funding from Comic Relief to go ahead this summer.
Like last year we intend to kick-start the season with a produce and plants sale at the Highland Games at Hazlehead Park on Sunday 21st June.
At this time of year most of us seem to have extra plants and rhubarb we don’t need so we sell them on at the stall for people to plant in their own gardens. The proceeds go into the pot for redistribution to providers at the end of the season.
If you have spare plants, rhubarb or any other produce that is surplus, please let us know and we will come and collect it. We will collect on Saturday 20th June during the day. Last year we had a really good choice of plants and produce, it would be great to have the same this year.
We are also looking for volunteers to help on the day with the added incentive of free entry to the event if you help for a couple of hours on the stall. This is an important event as we begin to let customers know where and when we will be setting up this summer.
Greg and myself will be coming round the allotment sites in early July to talk to gardeners about the TAMS scheme. This year, rather optimistically we are aiming to start on 17th July and run for 12 weeks. We hope this way we will be able to sell some soft fruit at the beginning.
Greg and myself will be responsible for veg collections this year on Thursdays. We will be coming round with crates in July to get you started and if you would like us to come and talk to your allotment holders, please let us know. We would really appreciate the opportunity to talk to as many gardeners as possible.
There is a slight change of venues this year. Fridays we will be at Duthie Park and Saturdays we will be at Hazlehead Park. We are happy to receive produce at the stall if it is not convenient for you to put veg out for collection on Thursdays.
You will see we now have a website. It is still under construction but we are very grateful to Scotmid for funding it.
Please email us if you have plants and produce for collection next Saturday (20th June) or if you would like to volunteer on the Sunday. We look forward to seeing you all soon.”
We hope GFAA will continue its support for TAMS in the coming season – to the benefit of TAMS, the wider community and GFAA’s funds.
Follow this link for the new, Summer 2015 Edition of Aberdeen City Council’s, “Green Times” out now with all sorts of green and gardening stories from across the city.
GFAA has had success in two bids to Aberdeen City Council for funds to support new developments around our site. The monies will go towards improvements in the general amenities for all members in the years ahead.
As we will be participating in the Its Your Neighbourhood Programme in the coming year, ACC has agreed to contribute £400 towards the purchase of Public Liability Insurance, paving slabs, sand, greenhouse staging and hand-tools for use with the Community Garden Poly-tunnel. This will allow us to set the Poly-tunnel up to support wider use by groups and individuals for classes, workshops and communal growing activities, e.g. for pupils visiting from Kaimhill Primary School and within the RGU Community Garden and Student Plot projects.
ACC have also awarded us £400 from their Small Projects Fund to help with the purchase and construction of Larch composting bins to be used in connection with our new Dry Composting Toilet and for the purchase of associated signage and information boards.
We are obviously delighted with this continuing support from Aberdeen City Council as we try to develop our site and its amenities and widen community participation and knowledge of the health and environmental benefits of working a plot.
Thanks go to Stuart for alerting me to this good news story.
Thanks go to Bruce Taylor for alerting me to this study.
Aberdeen University has announced it has researchers taking part in a national survey of the New Zealand Flatworm‘s spread and its effects on our gardens, plots and fields.
As we know the Flatworms kill our native earthworms, but the university site contains some truly gruesome details about how they go about their murdersome business and how difficult they are to eradicate once they get established. It appears that the flatworms can reduce to 10% of their body weight for up to a year as they await another earthworm dinner. Perhaps the weight-loss industry ought to be sponsoring this survey!
More details, including how you can participate, are available via these links:
Aberdeen University Research Press Release
National Flatworm Research Project
Unwelcome Visitors to Garthdee Field
Related articles
GFAA played host to Ms Walker’s Primary 2 Class from Kaimhill School today. I think we can safely say that a good time was had by all!
The kids enjoyed a runner bean sowing and growing activity with Stuart and a visit to Gill’s plot to explore what different veggies look like when they are growing.
Two other class visits are planned, for Wednesday 17 and Thursday 25 June, between 1.30 and 2.30 in each case. If you could find the time to help with either of these visits please let Stuart or me know. Any and all offers help will be very much welcomed.