As part of the Wicked Leeks’ virtual harvest festival, we asked you to share photos of the food you’ve grown in your gardens, balconies and allotments. Thank you to all those that contributed.
Welcome to Wicked Leeks’ first virtual harvest festival – a celebration of the food grown in our gardens, balconies and allotments. Stemming from an ancient tradition of giving thanks for a successful crop, harvest festivals are still held around the full ‘Harvest Moon’ that occurs closest to the autumn equinox.
The word for it we know today comes from the old English ‘hærfest’ meaning autumn, the crucial season for gathering food before the winter, a matter of life and death for communities as a bountiful harvest would ensure survival through the cold months.
This was a cause for jubilation, sometimes in the form of “unrestrained riot and excess” according to one parish in Essex in 1867. But mainly the harvest festival was a time to come together and give thanks for all the positives in life.
Though the tradition has become less mainstream as fewer of us live off the land, the principle of celebrating all food producers, from allotmenteers to balcony herb gardeners, still stands, now more than ever.
As we head through uncertain times, where much is out of our control, growing your own food can be a radical, self-empowering act, and we at Wicked Leeks want to celebrate this by sharing photos of your proudest home-grown produce.
“I’m growing naked clangers, not expecting any prizes!” Sarah Passingham.
“We plant borage and buckwheat in the squash patch to get good pollination.” Christine Callmecoco Wilson
“Bolivian rainbow chillis- very hot.” Lisa Lowy.
“Getting bigger by the hour it seems.” Ash Harrington.
“Don’t all rush to put in an order!” Carol Parks.
“From one early morning in July in rural Japan.” Rebecca Otowa
“Using the free sunshine with washing up water, I have managed to get some colourful produce – so satisfying.” Jenny Murphy.
“Beautiful tigerella tomatoes starting to ripen.” Christine Ward.
“Why I haven’t needed a veg box for the last few weeks.” Lynette Lane.
Three sisters planting (Maize, squash and beans) with purple sprouting broccoli.
“I grew a chilli. Yes it’s definitely a chilli and not a pepper.” Regan Hook
“Atomic grape tomatoes. They’re my favourite raw tomato, so full of flavour and sweet.” Choclette Ammar.
Wicked Leeks is a space to connect to others who are similarly passionate about where food comes from, share growing tips and favourite varieties, and even challenge each other in the comments section. We will need all of that mutual support in the coming times and as staff writer, Jack Thompson, said: “As a community who care about food and where it comes form, we need to connect to each other more.”
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