Tuesday evening was  warm and sunny for the WBA’s Food Group Food Festival history walk.
This walk was one of four  taking place during the week. The walk leader was Brian Sharp known to us as the once owner of what was  Bygones of Wye, an antique shop in Church Street. The evening started where walkers were welcomed by Patrick Keegan and his son Nick at their house at the lower end of Church Street.

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A huge amount of fun was had on Sunday in the Chelsea Pensioners’ Garden at the New  Flying Horse. Two food sculpture sessions for kids and families were  organised as part of the Wye Food Festival.
Marvellous creations -  including fishes, chickens and racing cars - were carved
out of food.  And all edible afterwards. The food sculpture event was run by
creative artist Maggie Johns, supported by generous funding from the Children's 
Playing Field Charity and Wye PC.

The veg food walk was well attended on Friday evening. Fifteen of us viewed the Churchfield and Beanfield allotment sites on which we now have more than 100 tenants! Jane Burnham explained  how the allotment sites were organised with working  parties helping to keep the communal areas and some unused plots under control. Topics discussed included rotations, slug control and the general success of  veg this year after a  slow start.  John Mansfield guided the group to the Imperial/Wye College glasshouses and described some of the work that went  on in the buildings upgraded for research on GM plants. The  essential requirement  for a GM glasshouse is that nothing must  escape  - even pollen.
Mike Copland now uses the facilities  for his work on biological pest control and also for trials of  new generation pesticides. He showed us  the range of parasitic  and predatory “good bugs” that he produces to attack insect   pests in glasshouses. There were interesting questions  about  the recent banning of certain insecticides (neonicotinoids),  because these seem to affect the behaviour of bees and other  beneficial insects. Wye Bugs links closely with the larger  commercial outfit Biological Crop Protection based along   Occupation Road.  Together they provide internationally recognised expertise in biological control.
 Sarah and Martin Mackey then showed us the Ripple Farm fields spreading up towards the Crown.  Ripple Farm produce a wide range of  vegetables and          the kale and chard are proving very popular with customers at Stoke Newington Market as well as around Wye. Pest and bird  control are ongoing problems for organic farming and Martin explained how various types of horticultural fleece enable brassicas in particular to become well established, protected from
flea beetle and pigeons.  Martin checked out his early potato crop for us and the good news was that the spuds were ready for picking so we had some free samples.
We spent almost two hours looking at various aspects of veg production and crop protection. I think the questions would  have kept us out for longer but it was getting unseasonally  cold -what a  surprise! A lasting impression was that all of  the veg growing  activities from allotment plots to raising  small predatory mites and  organic farming require a lot of  hard work and attention to detail. The
enthusiasm for crop  production that remains in Wye shone through.
 

The three pizza making sessions for kids at Wye Bakery, on Wednesday  afternoon June 19th, were a very happy occasion. 25 kids in total  participated. Protected by aprons lent by the Brownies, they shaped the  balls of pizza dough prepared  in the morning by Mary and Nigel, spread  them with tomato sauce, and decorated them with a tasty selection of  toppings. Then 10 minutes in a very hot oven,  during which time they  could see them rise and brown. Finally out of the oven and into pizza  boxes, to take home and enjoy. Everyone - kids, parents and bakers - had a really enjoyable time.