Lettuce share vegetable bounty says, Lochaber Rural Trust
A highlight for primary school children from across Lochaber is a visit to the Lochaber Rural Education Trust, where amongst many other projects, they take part in, ‘Seed to Supper’ is always very popular, writes Fiona Scott.
Under expert guidance the youngsters prepare the ground in large outdoor planters (which are also designed for access by wheelchair users), sow various vegetable seeds and on each return visit help cultivate them, checking how there progress through to the point where they are ready to be harvested and eaten.
One of the favourite parts of this scheme is planning a popup cafe for friends and family, where they can plan the dishes using the plants they have grown, cook them and serve them up, while at the same time learning about the whole food supply chain.
This year the children planted the seeds, but just as they started to grow, Covid-19 restrictions came into force, which closed schools and put a stop to their visits.
However, Isabel Campbell and volunteers such as Tommy
McKnight and his partner, Alma, kept looking after the many plants and pet animals in the absence of the children, each attending on alternate days to preserve social distancing rules.
Their activities proved very successful and productive, with the raised planters burgeoning with healthy fresh vegetable.
While the trust hopes a pop-up cafe may once again be possible later in the year, it decided to offer the first crop of lettuce. With Tommy in the planter and Isabel ready with the paper bags, they managed to give it all away to individuals and community groups, saving the fresh, juicy lettuce from going to waste.
Isabel told us: ‘Hundreds of children of all abilities have taken part in planting, harvesting and cooking vegetables over the years and we are all very disappointed that we haven’t been able to do it this time.
‘Hopefully, if restrictions ease enough and the schools go back in August, we may be able to hold a pop-up cafe for everyone as there will still be plenty of vegetables reaching their peak, ready to be picked.
‘The volunteers have really done a fantastic job in looking after the gardens so that if and when the schoolchildren are able to return they can still enjoy the whole experience. Well done to them all.’