It was a joy to come together as a community and present the highlights of our harvest to the wider community of Glastonbury at the annual Harvest Show.
Discussions and planning took place over a number of weeks; a group of our members stepped forward to participate in showing: Kerry and Richard; Rowena, Miranda and me.
Rowena and me picked the day before the show as the sun shone warmly; there was plenty to choose from and we had time to take the produce home for advance cleaning and primping.
Kerry and Richard made an early start the very morning of the show and picked from Fire Circle with a little drama added by murky grey skies and even some rain.
Synchronicity supported us to arrive to register at the Town Hall at approximately the same time, which felt reassuring!
Setting out entries on doilies and paper plates was fun and creative; the main hall was full of scurry and bustle and a positive mood of excitement.
The organisers were very approachable and helpful in a hands-on way, generously assisting with display and categorisation. The team truly deserves credit and recognition for creating a relaxed, friendly and joyful atmosphere.
Somehow space was found to drape the full glamour of our beet and carrot greens across the tables and squeeze in a third plate of greens.
Between the five of us, we submitted hens eggs, celeriac, sweet corn, several squash varieties, a tricolore of beets, rhubarb, carrots,chard, kale, baby salad, runner beans, a floral display, garlic… Hopefully I have remembered everything!
After set-up we were shooed away to make space for judging. The time had flown!
I returned a couple of hours later, just in time to watch local dignitaries Michael Eavis and the Mayor of Glastonbury declare the event open to the public, in the traditional manner of cutting a ribbon.
By then, a sizeable crowd had gathered in a mood of excitement, we politely pressed our way back into the hall and I began scanning the tables for the results of the judging.
It was satisfying to count four certificates awarded to our produce and to read the handwritten comments attached to each and every entry, testimony to the thoroughness and caring of the judges.
Then a possible anomaly came to light: a display of eggs that looked to be from the gardens, but which were accredited to a different grower. In courage I queried this with an official – indeed there had been a clerical error; those were our eggs. Moreover, they were a winning entry – securing us a ‘gold.’
Here are our awards, with judges notes:
Gold Award – Hens eggs – ‘Anything Else’ category’ “Subtle variety and beautifully dressed”
Silver Award – Garlic – ‘Onions’ category “Excellent size and firmness”
Bronze Award – Orange squash – ‘Squash, Gourds and Marrows’ category “Lovely colour and shape”
Bronze award- Rainbow chard – ‘Leafy Greens’ category “Bright crisp colours and variety”
Highly Commended – Baby leaf salad – ‘Leafy Greens’ category “Good selection of leaves and colour”
A selection of images from the day
Additional images may be viewed on our facebook page
Glastonbury Harvest Show website
It is gratifying to consider how this achievement represents the fruition of the combined efforts of many people over many seasons.
Proof of what is possibly in community – people choosing to come together and share skills and talents in a common endeavour, and to support each other.