Green fingered Gwynedd residents could win a top prize as they enjoy a slice of the good life.
Gwynedd Environmental Partnership is launching the 2011 Food Garden Competition to inspire people to grow their own food. The competition will be judged by Russell Jones, gardener and presenter of the S4C programme ‘Byw yn yr Ardd’.
The competition is open to gardens of all sizes which produc fruit, vegetable or herbs in Gwynedd – from a few pots on a windowsill to a full vegetable patch.
The winning entries will receive £50 in vouchers to spend in their local plant nursery.
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is becoming increasingly popular as people realise the economic, environmental and personal benefits. There are also health and wellbeing benefits – research shows that gardening is a great form of exercise, encourages people to enjoy the outdoors, can reduce stress and can give the grower an enourmous sense of wellbeing. Many gardeners will tell of the satisfaction of growing, harvesting, cooking and eating their own food, knowing exactly how it has been produced.
The environmental benefits of growing your own food is well reported. It can dramatically cut food miles – a quarter of all heavy lorries on our roads are carrying food between farms, processing units, food storage depots and supermarkets. Experts believe that the future of food will be uncertain due to climate change, population growth and resource shortages. Growing your own food could be one way to adapt and prepare for these changes.
Gardening is also a great for children – it could boost their interest in food and how it is produced, and gets them closer to nature.
Gardeners of all ages and experience can enter the Gwynedd competition and organisers are especially keen to hear for those new to growing vegetables, fruits or herbs. The Gwynedd Environmental Partnership would like to see the variety of produce that grown, and learn about people’s experiences and any problems encountered.
To enter the competition send an email to [email protected] or phone 01286 679652 to receive an application form. The closing date for private gardens is 30 September 2011. For further information go to www.pagwynedd.org or phone 01286 679652.
