Site updated February 2019
Chairman : Chris Harwood. Secretary : Pam Weston. Treasurer: Phillip Higginson. Show Secretary Lesley Powell
A Potted History: At a meeting in the School Room, The Talaton Produce Association was formed in November 1949 for Talaton residents and holders of allotments. The annual membership was 2 shillings. Mrs Glover was elected secretary and Mr Eric Bambury Chairman and Treasurer. The Association's Golden Anniversary was celebrated in 1999 with a party and commemorated by the planting of a Golden Hornet Crab Apple Tree in the Church grounds by Mr Bert Maher, a founder member.
Membership
Membership Enquiries: Telephone Pam Weston 01404 822864
Annual Family Membership is £2 and entitles members to enter the Annual Produce Show, held the first Saturday in August, and to order seeds etc. from Dobies Catalogue in any quantity at a discount if ordered before Christmas.
Other attractions include a Garden Visit in the Summer, the committee runs stalls at the Village Day and Christmas How d'ye Do, a pumpkin competition and helps with refreshments at the village pantomime when there is one.
The Annual General Meeting is in November
New Committee elected at the A.G.M. 2018
Chairman Mr Chris Harwood,
Secretary Mrs Pam Weston
Treasurer Mr Phillip Higginson,
Show Secretary Mrs Lesley Powell
Committee Members Mrs Nickie Bitschi, , Mrs Kathy Gray, Mrs Peppi Shaw, Mr Terry Wright. Sarah Woods, Steve Spratt
There were 21 entries in our Pumpkin Competition last month. Despite there being fewer entries there was a brilliant display in the skittle alley. It was great to see holiday makers joining in. If you missed this lovely evening do look at the photos on our website. I have said it before, but the carving does get more intricate and inventive each year and the entries become harder to judge. Well done to everyone who entered and thank you for making this such a lovely evening. Many thanks also to Maria for welcoming us again, for setting up the skittle alley so beautifully and for the delicious cake. And ……a very big thank you to Lucy and Harry Channon for the judging.
The winners were:
0-6yrs
1st Arwen Springall
2nd Henry Buxton
3rd John Buxton
7-11yrs
1st Louis Hunter
2nd Chloe
3rd Jodie Wright
12-16yrs
1st Joe Hunter
2nd Jonathan Gray
3rd Benjamin Gray
Adults 1st Sarah Wood, 2nd Laurence Wood, 3rd Beccy Springall
Do visit our website to see pictures of this years competition.
Jim Buttress’ Tips
March 2019
1. Complete rose pruning this month. Feed plants afterwards, with a general or proprietary rose feed, mulch with garden compost or manure.
2. Weed around the base of young fruit trees by hand, to avoid root damage, and mulch to conserve soil moisture.
3. Remove the top 1-2ins of old compost from permanent pot plants and top dress with fresh compost.
4. Plant garlic and shallots before the middle of the month. Wait until the end of March before planting out onion sets.
5. Dead head daffodils as the flowers fade, but allow the foliage to die back naturally.
6. Start dahlias into active growth. Pot healthy, firm tubers into 3 litre pots of multipurpose compost. Water sparingly and keep free from frost.
7. Renovate overgrown climbers such as honeysuckle by cutting back as low as 2ft.
8. Plant rhubarb and asparagus.
9. Prune blueberries. Remove a few older stems at their point of origin.
10. Prepare trenches for runner beans with well rotted compost or manure and shredded paper in the base
March in the Garden
March has arrived at last and weather
permitting, it should be the time to start planting many of those seeds you
have bought. Well some of them at least,
broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, leek, peas and spinach will all germinate at
fairly low temperatures, but don’t be too impatient, there are 31 days in March
and hopefully the ground will start warming up enough for lots more. It is a good time for onion and shallot sets
and your last chance to plant garlic if you hope to get a good harvest this
year. It is also time for first early
potatoes.
Trim up perennial
herbs such as rosemary and sage and propagate chives and mint by digging them
up, dividing them and replanting.
If you still have time
on your hands you could begin to prepare beds for sowing and planting in April.
If the weather is kind to us it will also be kind to aphids and
caterpillars. They will thrive on new
leaves so it is well worth keeping an eye out for them and acting before they
have multiplied.
If you are still
planning to plant bare root fruit bushes or trees it really is your last chance
this year, while they are still dormant.
Don’t forget to check
your rhubarb, if you put cloches over it. Then what about sitting back to enjoy
the first tender crop?
Remember to keep
encouraging the birds. Many will repay your kindness by reducing the insect
pests in your garden throughout the year.
Look on our web site
for more gardening tips from Jim Buttress and………….
in next month’s
Calendar for details of our annual outing.
Happy gardening!
Annual Produce Show 2018
A big thank you to everyone involved .
Nikki's Figs !
Annual Produce Show
2017
Talaton Produce Association Show 2017
Thank you to all who came along to the Parish Hall on Saturday 5 August to see the fruits of our members labour. There were also lots of vegetables and flowers to admire along with jams, interesting tipples and of course the baking. Thank you to all those who exhibited – congratulations to those that triumphed on the day and try again next year to those that did not fare quite as well.
We were particularly pleased that we had 9 children enter exhibits this year. Over all the classes and both sections (0 – 7 years and 8 – 16 years) we had 32 exhibits! Well done, the best we have had for a long time. The Judge was very impressed by the hard work that had gone into producing the fairy cakes, insects out of a wooden spoon, photograph frames, posies and vegetables. The potato heads were a great talking point. Our youngest entrant was 2 years and 11 months and we hope that he and the rest of our young gardeners continue to produce such entertaining exhibits over the next few years.
It has been a difficult year in the garden and we know that the weather we have had over the last few months did affect some of the classes with numbers down in the clematis, rose and tomato classes, to name a few. However this village knows it onions and there were plenty of other classes that were well subscribed.
The big surprise this year was that we had three men who all achieved the same high score. Our Chairman can not remember this happening before (and we did double check the scores). This means that Graham, Laurence and Terry will have to share the J W Wise Cup and have it grace their respective mantelpieces for 4 months each!
Thanks must be given to all those who work hard to put on the show and help on the day. There are too many to name but mention does need to be made of the members of The Village Shop for accepting the entry forms and handing out the bench cards, our Judges who turn out every year and of course to Rosie and her team who produce mouthwatering delicious cakes and refreshments for all who visit the show.
The winners this year were:
High Sheriff of Devon Champion Cup – Rosie James
J.W.Wise Cup – Gentlemen – Graham Spry/Laurence Wood/Terry Wright
Mrs E.R.Glover Cup – Ladies – Rosie James
Cyril Young Trophy for the Runner Up – Pam Weston
W.I Cup for highest points in section 5 – Rosie James
Palfrey Memorial Cup for best flower arrangement – Nickie Bitschi
Sir Jack Boles Memorial Trophy for the gentleman’s baking – Laurence Wood
Children’s Section:
Keith West Memorial Cup for highest points – Benjamin Gray
Acorn Cup – runner up ‘up to 7 years’ – Wilbur Shaw
Oak Cup – runner up ‘8- 16 years’ – Jonathan Gray
The public vote for the best arrangement of flowers in a wine glass was won by Ann Ellis, with Lucy Channon 2nd and runner up Nickie Bitschi.
We hope that all who entered or visited the Show enjoyed it and those that couldn’t make it will enter next year. Any adult resident in the village can join the Association and be eligible to enter all the classes in the show. Membership is per family and only £2 a year. Come and talk to us at our AGM on 15 November to find out more.
Finally, the Produce Stall made £144 at the Show !
Lesley Powell
Show Secretary
Photos of the Produce Show 2017 followed by photos of the Pumpkin Competition 2017
The Nerve Centre !
Pumpkin Competition 2017
There were 29 entries in our Pumpkin Competition last month. They made a brilliant display, the best ever. If you missed this lovely evening do look at the photos on our website. The carving gets more intricate and inventive every year and the entries harder to judge. Well done to everyone who entered and thank you for making this such a pleasant evening. Many thanks also to Maria for welcoming us again, for setting up the skittle alley so beautifully and for all the delicious cakes; and thank you to Lucy and Harry Channon for the judging.
1st Elizabeth Dinnis
2nd John Buxton
3rd Toby Kingdon
7 to 11yrs
1st Matilda Niven
2nd Samia
3rd ( gent with no name!)
12 to 16yrs
1st Amy, Rosabell & Xian
2nd Ollie Hunter
3rd Donald Trumpkin (We know who)
Adults
1st Becky Springall, 2nd Emma & Jordan Niven 3rd Lizzie Buxton
Nicole Dinnis’s wonderful owl pumpkin - highly commended, but like all owls was best in the dark.
Back to the garden, now winter has arrived there is still work to done, harvesting and tidying, dividing perennials to give them more space, pruning apple and pear trees …… and when its too wet, too cold or frozen why not sit down in a comfy chair in front of the fire and beginning planning for next year. Hopefully you came along to our AGM to pay your family subscription - still only £2 and collected your Dobies seed catalogue. If not you still have time to pay and collect a catalogue from Pam (822864) in time to get your 50% off seeds on orders before Christmas.
Don’t forget to feed the birds and leave water accessible for them. Hedgehogs are still active (2nd wk of Nov at time of writing) so would definitely appreciate the odd pile of leaves left in a sheltered part of your garden.
Happy gardening ……… and Happy New Year.
Entries for the Pumpkin Competition 2017
Annual Outing 2016 - Cotehele