Community Veg Swap

[caro ed]

Would anyone be up for doing this sort of thing? I think we're going to have loads of tomatoes and beetroot in a month or two and were wondering if anyone was in the same boat but with different veg!

Tom and Barbara :0)

[Peckhampam]

Absolutely. Although I am usually flooded with fruit rather than veg.

[mynamehere]

Does anyone want plum jam in exchange for vegitables?

[toptotty]

Count me in. as long as the weather keeps up we should be in for bumper crops, lots of different types of beans, peas, tomatoes etc ...too early to say what we will have loads of though, although growing lots of different veg. Would love to swap for fruit..A great idea...:)

[SueJ]

Would love to be included.

I too have more veg than fruit growing though

[mumra]

I would happily swap rhubarb for veg. We have lots of it growing at the moment. Later we will have a ton of blackberries.

[maxxi]

Don't have a garden (just some pots on a roof terrace) but often make pretty tasty chutney - including an apple and ginger that recently went down well with some forumites - and would willingly enter into a chutney/pickle/jam swap/agreement with any producer with a glut of tomatoes or other suitable fruit/veg.

[Alec John Moore]

Sounds great, I had a great crop of purple gooseberries last year and the jam I made was good but could have been better, apparently. I've also got an elder tree at the bottom of the garden and if I can dissuade the pigeons from getting the fruit then perhaps a cordial?

[KidKruger]

I would love to get some of this veg (especially bulk tomatoes) but have no growing capability.

I can however swap puree consisting of tomatos blended with ginger and green chilli, ready for use in Indian curries, each portion is enough for curry for 2 people. I can provide curry recipes to use the curry puree in.

[Peckhampam]

It looks like this is a goer. How should we progress it. Alert those who have shown interest when we have a glut of something?

[ianr]

I'm not a producer myself, alas, but I've been wondering about the logistics. I don't know what quantities or timings are involved, but I'm wondering if something like one (?or more) occasional retail popup stall/shop/garden-sale, with contributors having preferential claim to some of the produce, would be practicable and worthwhile.

[Vegswap]

Hi, read the forum thread with interest and wondered if I could suggest vegswap.co.uk

It's pretty quiet at this time of year but see if it could help.

[bobbly]

yes i would be interested, will have a glut of pears, not much else this year, but will increase the crop. Peoples supermarket comes to mind, but happy with this arrangement too, if its easy to organise, maybe the peoples supermarket can be established from something like this?

[dully]

I would be very happy come the season to run some kind of local produce swap.

[mynamehere]

"A glut of pears" just made me think that I get loads of flowers on my one tree and then the pears never mature... just drop off.

I only have one tree although it was sold as "self fertile".

How many trees do you have?

Just wondering... I guess I have to buy another tree?

[dully]

do you feed your tree and water it?

[Sue]

Brilliant idea.

I have no space to grow veg apart from some salad (mainly because I like to grow flowers in what little space I have), but I might have some herbs if the slugs and snails haven't eaten them :)

[emilou]

Me and mr emilou would also be interested. This is our first year of growing so not sure how much of what we'll have when but hopeful we'll have something to contribute!

[pebbles]

I'd also be interested. First year (09) we were quite successful but last year was a total failure so I'm not sure whether we can promise anything yet however I'll keep an eye on this thread for developments but we're interested.

[mynamehere]

On the subject of my no fruit pear tree... It seems very healthy. I "fed" it at the "beginning" of the growing season and it seems established with enough water. So you do not think I need a second tree, just to find out what makes this tree happy?

[Sue]

Is it to do with pollination?

I believe pear trees need to be pollinated by a suitable partner to bear fruit?

Google :)

[Alec John Moore]

I googled "pear tree pollination" and come up with this handy little table:

http://www.ashridgetrees.co.uk/Pollination-Pear-Trees

Your tree may take a while to become established. My new pear tree which I planted last November didn't even flower this year but it looks healthy enough. Your trees may be pollinated by bees using a neighbour's tree but that's less predictable, obviously.

[Lozellen]

I will probably be able to offer up some Mulberry Jam if anyone is interested, and I have some spring onions and pak choi that are coming along nicely, but as it is my first year growing may not be a large number.

[pez]

I'll be looking at a glut of runner beans come summer so would happily exchange for some beetroot!

Nice idea!

[Frankito]

I am generally rubbish at growing my own, other than tomatoes which I haven't even started yet. I would happily buy some of whatever is growing and ready.. Please keep us posted...