The Winter Hungry Gap 

Like many other veg growers, 14 February marks the beginning of the growing year for us, with propagating seedlings on the hotbox (filled with horse manure to generate warmth) in the greenhouse. We will start planting out the earliest frost hardy seeds and seedlings at the allotment in March. The growers call this period ‘the hungry gap’ –  we won’t start seeing any significant donations of freshly grown veg to the Veg Box Donation Scheme (VBDS) from the allotment and home growers until June. 

Could you imagine surviving at this time of year only on what you can grow, with no supermarket with exotic fruit and veg just down the road? You would be living on parsnips, leeks, a few brassicas, and perhaps some stored, wrinkly potatoes, onions and apples. We are privileged to live in times of unprecedented variety, with unlimited availability of pretty much whatever fruit and veg we want. It’s always the growing season somewhere in the world! 

However, for some of your neighbours, buying whatever they want, much less what they need, is not that easy. And that’s where VBDS comes in: distributing fresh vegetables, fruit and eggs free of charge all year round to people in our local area who have been referred to us as in financial need. But, as a charity, we rely entirely on your kind donations of fresh produce, bought or grown, or cash donations and grants, to enable us to fill the veg boxes.  

Please don’t let the goodwill of Christmas disappear in these dark winter months. Giving to others lifts your spirits – all of our volunteers can attest to that! 

There are 3 ways YOU can help:

1. Donate time – Volunteer to help with the packing and delivery of fruit and vegetables, or with collecting produce during the week from distributors, supermarkets and schools. Or contact us if you would like to set up a Veg Box Donation Scheme in your area. Locally sourced food for local households in need, provided and run by the local community!

2. Donate produce – Help us fill the veg boxes for those in need with donations of home grown or bought fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs. See Local Schemes on our website for info on local collection venues or contact VBDS to arrange for us to collect from distributors, schools, supermarkets and farmers.

3. Donate £ – Support the wider work of VBDS. Contact us for more information or donate online via the website.

 
A big thank you to the individuals and businesses that have supported the charity throughout the year, be this through donating money, fruit and veg or their time. A special thank you goes to Deepdale Trees, whose donation made this year’s Christmas boxes possible (photo shows the contents of a Christmas box for a family of 3).

Please get in touch if you would like to know more about the charity or get involved.