Since I was a small boy looking up to my Grandfather, who seemed about 12 feet tall, I was always fascinated that he had most of his backyard full of his own vegetables, and in his shed was a still, where he made all his own Whisky. I imagine it was helpful being the local Bobby in Yorkshire at the time, no one was going to dob him in for making his own Whisky.
Along with rows, and rows of what I thought were giant vegetables, my Grandfather also made his own pesticides out of Rhubarb leaves, and other bits and pieces from the garden. He told me that the bugs can have 10% like the taxman he would laugh.
I have grown vegetables nearly all my life, and as time passes you realise it is a skill that does not come overnight, we all make mistakes in the garden, and will happily show you our bountiful crops, but any disasters can be put neatly on the compost heap to conveniently disappear.
I often think about how the young people of today have no idea where food comes from, they happily play with electronic gadgets and are oblivious of how far, or how old the food is they are eating. I sadly see many young people are enormous consumers of fast convenient food ( plastic food ).
My aim is to help all ages of people to learn the skills to grow fresh food in their own gardens. I will help them from their first failure, to the time when they give me advice. I believe it is our duty to pass on these skills to our younger people, as the security of a constant supply of food is not guaranteed in this day and age.
Grandson William, assistant gardener
Allan