I’ve been reflecting on last year’s harvest as I sit in my vegetable plot planning planting season. I thought now was a great moment to remind ourselves of all the great events across the county that brought people together around picking, and gleaning fruit and vegetables and learning new skills in processing.
Building on the work of HFA last year, 2024's harvest season started with a gathering of like minded folks in August thinking about more picking and processing events that would add real value to the community. Here’s a little summary of the things we at the Herefordshire Food Alliance were involved in. None of this would be possible without the collaboration of lots of local community groups, partner organisations and wonderful volunteers so thankyou to all involved. 
September At Leominster Food Fayre parents learned how you can give simple jobs to children in the kitchen like grating carrots or mashing potatoes…building confidence to get the children involved. At the Freshers Fair at Hereford College of Arts we were promoting volunteer opportunities and engaging students in all things food in Herefordshire. In Bromyard a volunteer recruitment supper was held to find willing people to support the events
October Building on a successful pilot in 2023 was the Llangrove Community Juicing event. In Weobley a group of neighbours got together to create a “food swap” swapping surplus produce. There was an amazing turnout for an apple picking day at Lower House Farm, followed by a processing day when over 40 kgs of fruit was cored, peeled chopped and frozen for distribution to foodbanks and community larders. In Queenswood an Apple Day was held focussing on apples and juicing including a screening of the film Six Inches of Soil – raising awareness of local sustainable food. We were along at Leominster Apple Fair and helping connect people with local produce.
November About fifty people came along to a community apple pressing outside the Bromyard Conquest Theatre, in conjunction with the Bromyard Food Conversation, hot on the heels of the Six Inches of Soil film. The equipment was loaned by Whitbourne Topfruit, a local group dedicated to preserving traditional orchards for their many varieties of fruit, and training people with large or small orchards in techniques of orchard management for fruit and biodiversity. 
The Herefordshire Food Alliance provided about 70kg of apples sourced from local orchards and local people brought their own apples which were turned into delicious apple juice which they took away with them. Longlands Care Farm brought several large sacks of apples, the juice from which was frozen and used at their community Christmas Nativity events.
We were also along at Colwall Greener Fair and helping connect people with local produce
Most recently it’s been particularly gratifying to hear the feedback from the children involved in the Kids Kitchen events at Brockhampton Primary, Clifford, and Peterchurch schools…here are some examples
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It was the most vegetables I'd ever eaten in one day! |
This is so fun, I want to do it every day. All day |
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I didn't know so many different types of veggies existed!! |
I liked chopping the vegetables because we got to use lots of different tools - a grater, a peeler, a knife and scissors |
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I was surprised how well all the ingredients came together for the sauce |
I loved the sour taste of the lemon, it was the first time I'd ever tried one |
A wise man once said…”begin with the end in mind”…if you have ideas for an event focussed on the 2025 harvest please do get in touch with us at
This project is part funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus/uk-shared-pros