Meet the veg pickers and packers
November 30, 2009
They slave away in all weathers on our behalf, battling against the Cornish elements. Wind, rain or sun, they ensure Camel CSA’s weekly veg boxes are ready by midday every Friday.
I’m referring of course to our intrepid picking and packing team of volunteers.
The digging squad has had to endure strong winds, driving rain and ferociously muddy conditions in the last month while harvesting parsnips and carrots at St Kew Highway.
The packing squad has also had to overcome some challenges, as their temporary shelter blew away in a gale. Sorting and weighing is now being done in the shelter of a borrowed polytunnel generously provided by Jeremy Brown, one of our expert growers.
In spite of these setbacks, the team seems to have remained remarkably cheerful. And it’s not always noses to the grindstone.
Trish says:
“One week we were finished at 11! At least an hour earlier than ever before. And the sun shone…”
We owe a grateful thanks to all of them over the past few weeks – picking and packing supremo Trish and to Carla, Cathy, Henrietta, Jennie, Mike H, Mike S, Penny, Robert and Steve.
Hands on
Last Friday we were glad for additional help from Rosa, the latest in a series of WWOOFers “lent” to us by Camel CSA members Dominic and Cathy at South Penquite Farm on Bodmin Moor.
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is an exchange network. It encourages farmers and horticulturalists to offer food, accommodation and opportunities in return for volunteer help from people wanting hands-on experience of organic lifestyles.
Rosa’s come from Sweden. She’s here to learn English and wants to stay in England as long as possible.
She was a nurse for many years and has a bit of a reputation as a horse whisperer. She’s helping out at South Penquite for a couple of weeks and will assist us again this Friday.
In September two WWOOFers from London helped Camel CSA’s volunteer growing team plant onion sets at one of our regular Sunday sessions.
