Moor Green in July
- Moor Green
- Jul 18
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Fellow plotters you've done it again! Despite the drought the old place is looking at its summery best with plots full of produce and already producing harvest. It's interesting to see all the different styles of allotmenting on show from
cultivating tons of a limited number of things
To producing bigger variety smaller quantities
Some are so neat and tidy they could be candidate for Birmingham Best Plot!
Some more higgledy piggledy but beautiful!
The measly burst of rain in the last week should give growing a bit of a boost - and some overdue respite for your watering arm. Please remember that if your're now harvesting produce and have any kind of surplus you can donate it to the Food Bank! Paul will be leaving boxes at the rear door of the Clubhouse. Just leave anything that you don't need, veg and fruit, in one of the boxes before 5.00 on Thursday. Please don't leave anything that is past its best - it should be something you'd be happy to eat yourself. This will all then be bagged up by Paul and Britt and shipped to the immensely grateful B30 Food Bank in Cotteridge. As in previous years Britt is also making preserves from allotment produce, to raise money for B30 foodbank. There will be gooseberry, loganberry & jostaberry jams + red, black & white currant jelly. There will also be some of Paul's delicious cucumber & onion pickle. They are asking for a minimum donation £3, £3.50 & £4 (depending on jar size). Please let Britt know if you would like to place an order via madahal.secretary@gmail.com
We're hoping you'll continue to generate loads of top quality produce right through August so that you can join in the fun at....
The Produce Show! 7th September
This year’s produce show will have the same format as in recent years. Weather permitting it will be held in the marquee which we will put up next to the Clubhouse. We'll be putting the marquee up on Saturday 6th September so if you're around at 11.00 - to midday come and give us a hand - it's at least an eight person job.
There are all the usual RHS categories for an allotment show, biggest pumpkin, heaviest onion, longest carrot etc but - due to popular demand there's also scope for a show of all the fruit and vegetables on your plot displayed as creatively as you like (as long as it fits on the table). In the former case the class will have fixed certain number of the item, e.g. 3 cabbages, 15 raspberries etc. as written in the class schedule. Judges are looking for identical specimens and specific quality of each item. Marks are deducted from the perfect 100.
Mixed collections are not bound by strict rules, and can include anything grown on the plot, or in the case of manufactured items, eg cakes and preserves, have as the main ingredient something grown on the plot. It can also include photographs and other artwork. Displays will be judged on the quality of the produce presented, the range of items presented and the visual impression the display makes. These displays will not be anonymous but labelled with plot number and names of those contributing to the display. The label may be part of the display.
Please note cakes may be cut and tasted. Jams, wines and spirits may also be tasted
For full instructions on how to enter the competition and key timings etc just download the file below. They will also be on display shortly in the window of the Clubhouse .
Your editor knows plotholders who can produce a display like this from one day's harvest this week. Me - jealous?
And there are prize medals for best jams, chutneys, cakes and wines. If you're a photographer there's even a prize for best pic. Do have a go - what's to lose? And of course there's pizza and an inexhaustible bar. Starts around 1.30 p.m after the judging.
We're also making an award for best new plot which is going to be gratifyingly hard - we've had some great starts this year in not the best weather conditions.
BioBlitz!
August 9th will see the first (that we know of) all day Bioblitz at Moor Green Allotments (weather permitting). What’s a Bioblitz? We’ll spend a few hours collecting insects, recording bird song, and searching the wilder corners of the site, to discover what wildlife we are sharing our plots with. Whilst its not a scientific survey, the idea is for us to discover and appreciate the wildlife alongside us.
Plot holder Matt O’Callaghan will be leading the search, bringing along a range of nets, posters, ID guides, and his microscope, so that anyone who is interested can join in on the day, starting at 9am by looking at the contents of a moth trap that we’ll be setting up over night on the teaching plot.
We’ll be doing the searching from 11am in the morning, and then Matt will be in the clubhouse in the afternoon, so that anyone can drop in to see some of the insects that we’ve caught, and to answer any questions on how to improve the wildlife value of your plot.
For more info, feel free to message Matt via his Instagram account - mangiamangiauk.
Events, Events
It's just worth reporting on some lovely events that took place in the last month. The summer fayre was a great success. We raised loads of money from this
And from this..
And of course from the stalls. This is just a pic of the overspill outside - the Clubhouse was full! Many thanks to Deborah, Jon, Britt and others who made it such a success.
And the new Pizza setup also seems to be going down well. Full marks to Sabrina and friends who are making this such a great regular feature of the Moor Green summer.
And then there's the Summer Jazz night - now a regular feature - with the Out of the Blue Big Band. No pics but a big turnout for a great performance. Nnnice...
Keep Our Site Safe and Happy
Whether it's for one of our events or not, it's lovely to see so many people on site at this time of the year enjoying the place with their friends and family. Long may it continue - it's a tribute to the place and the community of tenants. In that spirit we hope you won't mind a quick reminder of the do's and donts
Please Do | But… |
Bring your family and friends | Keep your children in sight and under control |
Walk the dog if you’ve got one | Keep the dog on a lead and take your poo home |
Enjoy your plot and looking at everyone else’s | Don’t stray onto other people’s plots |
Visit the clubhouse | Become a social member if you’re regular and don’t have a plot |
Keep the gates locked except at weekends | Drive slowly – there are many children and old people about |
What a Bore!
It's also worth reminding people at this time of the year that that big blue tank near the maingate is probably unique to Moor Green and represents one of the biggest single blessings that tenants on any site could wish for . It's the header tank for our very own borehole and took alot of thinking and fundraising to put in place. What it means is that in times of drought (and sadly that's not likely to be just this year) we have a reliable source of water of our own. Watering with a hosepipe is still not allowed here (Council Rulebook) but you can at least fill your water barrels to keep your crops going in times like this. Please don't take the mickey (polite version) by trying to get sole access to the standpipe for your hosepipe - especially at weekends. And do try to maintain your own water collection through guttering on sheds, polytunnels or purpose built rain collectors.
That's all for now fellow plotters. Next time we'll introduce you to the new Committee, publish a Produce Show picture parade, give you an update on what we're doing on site security and talk about collecting your rent. Try to contain your excitement...
Comments