Vegetable shortages

[Chantal]

I read in the paper yesterday, and have now seen on the BBC news that there may be vegetable shortages this year because of the lack of rain.

They interviewed a farmer and said there would be a shortage of peas, beans and courgettes in the UK, before going to to say there would be shortages of all sorts of stuff from abroad.

Having made this alarmist statement which had me wanting to dash up to my plot with barbed wire and a rottweiler to guard my veg, they then said the supermarkets were playing it down and there wouldn't be a problem!

So, round the clock armed guards on our totally insecure site, or stand at the gate and wave to the people flocking to Sainsburys?

[pillbug]

Yet another reason to grew your own,how many of us are suffering from a courgette shortage?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Chantal, i reckon with your worldwide fearsome reputation your veg will be just fine unguarded.
Well i have got veg coming out my ears, getting in all the young ladies good books, by giving them veg.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

My generosity exceeds my personal beauty.

[Zena]

don't just restrict yourself to the young ladies, Old H - the older ones can be very grateful too!
I've certainly no shortage of courgettes - or marrows - or turnips- or chard.....
and am discovering the joys of sharing them - people at work have taken to running away, crying "no more courgettes - pleeese!"

[Johnboy]

Hi Chantal,
Frozen Peas will be in short supply because due to the heat they are ripening quicker than the processors can process them and many crops are laid to waste.
It is not a shortage of vegetables at this time it is the long lean winter months when the prices will soar. The shortages will be in Potatoes, Carrots,
Parsnips and the like. There will be a shortage of Cauliflowers and it is possible that there may be a shortage of Brussels Sprouts and other Winter Brassicas. As Pillbug has mentioned growing our own comes into its own at times like this.
The commercial crop of Potatoes have just began to flag (yesterday) and the amount of rain that we have had today may just well have saved the crop!
The drought has finally hit this neck of the woods and today The Environment Agency had to remove the fish from the local stretch of the River Teme because it has ceased to flow. Anybody knowing the Teme will know it is one of the fastest flowing river in the country. This happened last in 1995 but the EA did nothing then and the Herons had a field-day and many were so full that they were unable to fly for a day or so.

[Chantal]

Thanks JB, I'll relax the armed guard on the plot.

However, I think it may be a good idea not to leave loads of ripe courgettes and beans waiting to be picked; I'll be up there every day to collect. We always get some thefts from our plots and with the reports over the past couple of days (another half page in the Telegraph yesterday), we're just bound to have some more stuff go this year.

I'll get freezing all my surplus ready for those expensive winter months.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Zena most of the young ladies are not very young at all, to say the least.
Glad you are getting an ample supply of some veg.

Kind regards Old Herbaceous.

Theres no fool like an old fool.

[Geoff]

The only shortage I've got is "victims" to give the surplus to. Too many people on holiday, now got surplus marrows.

[Chantal]

I think someone's taken the vegetable shortage stories to heart as it appears that around 30 onions that'd I'd lifted to dry have been stolen. They weren't my onions as they belonged to the previous plot holder and Seedling and I cleared the plot around them. I'm hoping he's been to pick them up as I'd told him they were ready but I fear the worst.

[Jenny Green]

Oh dear. Let's hope the rightful owner's taken them. On the site I used to frequent there was apparently one case of stealing. It was another plot holder and the matter was 'sorted out'. Otherwise I'm lucky enough never to have heard of thefts of produce to date.

[Jenny Green]

Another thought - the majority of the population wouldn't recognise a vegetable if it wasn't sliced or diced and in a plastic bag in the freezer section!

[Chantal]

I agree, but these were lying on the surface drying off, so even a complete dumbo could see they were onions. I've sent a message to the "rightful owner" but to be honest, I doubt he's collected them. However, as all he did was stick them in and has never even been back to visit, he'll hardly miss them. I'm just worried that this could be the start of a trend.

[Jenny Green]

Time for the mantraps then.

[Chantal]

I've been watching "The Curse of the Were Rabbit" to get some ideas.

[Clive.]

I've been watching "The Curse of the Were Rabbit" to get some ideas.

Who is to star in the Forum remake..??!!