A Gala Performance!

Community allotments are sometimes lucky enough to get an energetic team of volunteers from a business which wants to do something to support the local community. Today we welcomed one such group, from Gala Coral. 10 willing folk turned up, put on their gardening togs and set to with a will!

The area before the team started

 

The job we had ear-marked for the volunteers was to clear an overgrown area between the clay oven and the compost bins. Tracey was a bit worried they would look at the 2m high weeds and down-tools. In fact the team did entirely the opposite, clearing and digging over the area so fast that they finished well ahead of schedule and we had to find some other work for them (which is why the orchard is looking surprisingly tidy as well)!

No sooner said than done...

Already nearly finished on the main job!

Finished site - what a difference!
 

As well as doing the big weed, the group needed to move the woodpile that had been on the site they cleared. They worked with volunteer Pete (ex forester, and the man to go to if you need to cut up wood!), who showed them the best way to tackle the job. We ended up with a neatly organised pile of split logs, lots of fine kindling and a full wood shed - which was a wonderful bonus.

Reducing the log pile to useful sizes



The group made short work of the stick pile

Meanwhile, the rest of the regular volunteers got on with other jobs. Dan was joined by Pete's daughter Tasha, who we introduced to the gentle art of potting up salad seedlings. We'll use these to keep the polytunnel busy over winter when we finish with the tomatoes. They did a great job, so we've got lots of happy little plants all ready to turn into fresh leaves.

Tasha and Dan with the winter salad crop
 

Sybel got busy in the kitchen, helping Tracey who was tending the clay oven. She made up some bread dough and then set up a batch of green tomato chutney. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to give the work team freshly baked bread rolls with butter and our own plum jam.

Having a well-earned snack of clay-oven baked
bread rolls and allotment made jam.

 

 

The Gala team

 

Well done to all and special thanks to Gala Coral for doing such a thorough job. They've made a huge difference to the site and their work will let us grow lots more crops next year.