After another productive summer at Elm Tree Farm, the Market Garden team decided it was time to celebrate everyone’s hard work by cooking up a harvest feast! Using produce from the garden we harvested, prepared, and cooked, eight different dishes including, squash and lentil stew, corn on the cob, potato wedges, and garlicky kale. We also served an array of salads including beef tomato (with basil and mozzarella), grated beetroot and carrot salad, and mixed leaves. The Nursery team also cooked up a batch of fresh hot apple juice for everyone to try. The meal was a feast of different colours, textures, flavours, and smells!

Traditionally, a harvest festival is held in September as a celebration of abundance of produce from the land. It’s also a time to give thanks for the season that has been, including the sun, rain, soil fertility, and spirits of the land. In our case, we wanted to celebrate and give thanks to the people we support, that have worked so hard on the land all year to grow this amazing produce.

We spent the morning preparing the summer house, transforming it into a space fit for a banquet! This included, two long dining tables decorated with fairy lights, a harvest display, and beautiful flowers provided by the Nursery. We also displayed photos of the garden and its growers throughout the year.

The food went down very well, with everyone having a sample of each dish to try… Empty plates lined the tables with some people coming back for third or fourth portions! It was great for the trainees to be able to connect the work the work we do, with being able to eat a healthy, nutritious meal and take pride in the food we grow. It also brought the whole team together, to share in the celebration of their combined efforts, recognising everybody’s role and contribution to a successful harvest. Particular hits on the day were the corn on the cob, beetroot salad, and potato wedges.

“The food was fantastic and it was great to share a meal with the gang. The stew was my favourite. Lovely!”