City Harvest Festival

The City Harvest Festival is a major feature on the calendar for London's community gardens and city farms and allows them to showcase their educational and neighbourhood achievements.

Held in the beautiful grounds of Capel Manor College in Enfield, there are plenty of attractions for visitors, including an animal show, where children and young farmers show the wide range of animals kept at London's city farms in a series of competitions. There is also a marquee for vegetables and flowers grown in the city's community gardens and city farms - plus a variety of craft demonstrations.

 

City Harvest Festival 2007

The 9th City Harvest festival took place in traditional warm September sunshine on 22nd September, with 13 of London’s city farms and a number of community gardens taking part.

This year’s event had a strong food theme and was used as a platform for British Food Fortnight and the Year of Food and Farming.

The Capel show is always great hit with young people, whose energy  inspires our fantastic volunteer judges to take great care in their decisions. A more limited range of animals was on show this year including ferrets, rabbits, ducks and ponies, all well cared-for by the young exhibitors.

Animal judges this year were Liz Wright, editor of Smallholder magazine, Paul Bryant and Ray Bowler from Capel Manor and Writtle colleges, Derrick Cutmore, formerly at Wellgate and Elaine Barnett, formerly the manager of Brooks Farm in Walthamstow.

Horticulture and home grown judges were Kathleen Earley, freelance gardening writer, Tom Wheatcroft from Gardening Which?, and Ben Reynolds from London Food Link.

The show’s young visitors were also enthusiastic participants in many other events, including the keenly-fought tug-of-war competition won by Kentish Town City farm and Wellgate Farm.

This year we worked with London Food Link to include ethical caterers Feast Your Eyes, and displays (as well as cooking demonstrations) by Wrights, the only London flour mill. Also cooking up a storm was TV chef Oliver Rowe from Konstam restaurant in Kings Cross, and our very own John Langan from Kentish Town City Farm. Our guests included the mayors of Havering and Redbridge.

 

Prize Winners

Horticulture plate winner 2007 was Hackney City Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

Animal Show shield winner 2007 was Wellgate Community Farm

 

 

 

 

 

Special blacksmith’s best in show prize for horticulture went to Hammersmith Community Gardens.

 

 

   

 

 

 

Metropolitan Public Gardens Association special Horticulture Exhibit: St Mary’s Secret Garden in Hackney received £150

 

 

 

 

 

Metropolitan Public Gardens Association special Horticulture Exhibit: Freightliners City Farm in Islington received £150

 

 

 

 

Finally, a special prize was awarded to Hammersmith Community Gardens for their container of food plants. The prize was a workshop for their volunteers hosted by Chelsea Physic Garden.

 

Thanks and Acknowledgements

The show could not have taken place without Rob Gayler who organised the show set-up, Liz Ellison and everyone from Wellgate Farm, our compere Chris Pounds from Hackney City Farm, Liz McAllister and Freightliners Farm who did a great job organising the horticulture marquee, Charlie Willsmore who organised the youth camp, and Cathy Maund who brought such creative ideas to the food area and cooking demonstrations.

Thanks also to:

Tom and Jo Gallagher for their work with the Animal Show and the Have-a-Go tent.

Dorset Cereals and Little Scarlet for sponsoring children’s activities.

All our judges for working so hard.

Capel Manor College for their additional support this year.

 

Other information

See more photos on www.capel.ac.uk under News.