Potato varieties on sale in 2020

Apache potatoes

If you’re going to grow some spuds this year, you might want to have a look at some of the 30+ varieties of seed potato we’ll have available at our Seed Swap and Potato Day. There’s something for everyone, from old favourites to some more unusual varieties.

All our potatoes are £2 per dozen, pick and mix (or 20p each). You can choose just what you need – and you’ll be supporting our community activities at the same time.

Our full list of varieties:

Potato picker 2020 – full details of all our varieties (PDF)

or you might like to try one of our top five…

 

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Our top five potato picks

Kestrel is one of our ever-popular early potato varieties. It has a unique purple blush, a naturally occurring trait which is passed on from their parent variety, the Cara potato. Kestrel has a delicious, slightly-sweet flavour and is great for baking, roasting and chips. It also has good disease resistance and was recommended by Joe Maiden. If reliable earlies are your thing, you might also like to try Rocket (one of the earliest croppers) or Charlotte (an easy-to-grow and well-know favourite).

 

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International Kidney is a classic heritage salad potato. Sold early in the season by Jersey growers under the trademark ‘Jersey Royals’. Harvest yours early as waxy perfect salad potatoes, or leave them in the ground a few more weeks to bulk up as a main crops. If heritage salad potatoes are your thing, you might also like Belle de Fontenay, which was new to us last year. It’s a classic French salad potato, first introduced in 1885. It has a fine flavour – great for salads (hot or cold).

 

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Pink Gypsy is fairly new to us and has already proved very popular. It’s one of 14 organic varieties that we have this year. Pink Gypsy is quite distinctive looking, with deep pink and cream skins. The tasty white and creamy flesh has a lovely, fluffy texture when cooked. Great whether baked, roasted or mashed. If striking-coloured spuds are your thing, you might also like to try Apache (which has similar markings), Salad Blue, Red Emmalie or Highland Burgundy Red.

 

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Pink Fir Apple potatoes are always in high demand here – and rightly so. They’re one of our all time favourites, great tasting both hot and cold. You can cook them whole in their skins, so don’t worry about peeling this unusual shaped spud. To make sure that you don’t miss out on this firm favourite, we keep lots of them in stock. Enjoy!

 

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Sarpo potatoes are grown by the Sarvari Research Trust in North Wales. These potatoes all have excellent resistance to blight, so they are ideal for organic growers. Our participants have had great success with the maincrop Sarpo Mira in particular. This year we also have Sarpo Kifli (a maincrop) and Sarpo Una (grown as a second early or early main). Kifli can be grown over a long period and stores well – enjoy them when freshly harvested and cooked in their skins.

 

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Growing Newsome Seed Swap & Huddersfield Potato Day – Saturday 29th February 2020

Get your growing year off to a great start with our bumper early Spring event…

Seed Swap and Potato Day

Saturday 29th February 2020
10am to 1pm

Newsome Scout Hall
Newsome Road South
Huddersfield HD4 6JJ

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Huddersfield Potato Day

Choose from 30 different types of seed potato, including popular easy-to-grow varieties and some more unusual types. All seed potatoes are £2 per dozen (pick and mix) or 20p each. Our 2020 varieties are:

1st Earlies:
Casablanca (organic), Colleen (organic), Lady Christl, Maris Bard (organic), Red Duke of York, Rocket, Sharpe’s Express, Winston

2nd Earlies:
Apache, British Queen, Charlotte (organic), Jazzy, Kestrel, Maris Peer (organic), Sarpo Una (organic).

Mains:
Ambo (organic), Belle de Fontenay, Cara (organic), Carolous (organic), Desiree, Highland Burgundy Red, International Kidney, Mary’s Rose (organic), Orla (organic), Pink Gypsy (organic), Pink Fir Apple, Red Emmalie, Salad Blue (organic), Sarpo Kifli, Sarpo Mira (organic), Vales Sovereign.

More info about the varieties:

Potato picker 2020 (PDF)

Our top 5 potato picks

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Seed Swap

Seeds galore – We’ll also have vegetable and salad seeds, sprouted garlic, onion sets and shallots on offer. You can either swap, or pick up some seeds in exchange for a small donation. Try our seed starter packs – ideal for growing in small spaces.

Activities –  Enjoy seed planting and crafts for kids with our Growing Newsome volunteers.

Learn about Beekeeping – Find out about beekeeping, get advice and see the demonstration hive from the Huddersfield and District Bee Keeping Association. 

Enjoy the outdoors – Take part in the herb smell challenge and “guess the seed” activities with Growing Works and find out about their upcoming courses and events which are all about nurturing healthy lives outdoors.

Local food on sale – Jam and other preserves made from fruit and veg grown in Newsome, plus locally produced honey from the Huddersfield Bee Keepers.

Books – Book stall with all sorts of books.

Refreshments – Tea, coffee and home made cakes available all day.

Help with growing – Please ask for advice.

Plant pot & jam jar amnesty – Bring along your spare small plant pots or small jam jars (we can only use 1Ib jam jars or smaller, which will fit a standard 63mm screw top lid).

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Join us for lunch

served 12 noon to 1pm 

Enjoy a warming cooked lunch, featuring some local ingredients.

Free admission. All welcome. And please tell all your friends!

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Organised by Growing Newsome

Our special thanks to the
West Yorkshire Organic Group
for supporting our Potato Day.

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Want to help?

We’re looking for volunteers to help out with our events and activities. Contact us at growingnewsome@gmail.com to find out more, or ask on the day.

Print our poster and help to promote the event:
Huddersfield Potato Day 2020 (PDF)

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Potato Day 2020 – order your seed potatoes in advance

Our annual Huddersfield Potato Day is always popular. If you want to make sure you get the best pick of the potatoes, you can order from us in advance.

The idea of our Potato Day is that you can choose from around 30 different varieties of seed potato. This means you can just get what you need, instead of having to buy a whole bag of the same variety. It’s ideal for anyone with a small garden or containers, or if you just want to try something new.

We do our best to get your favourites, based on what was popular at our last Potato Day, and what our participants have asked us to buy.

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Our 2020 varieties are:

1st Earlies: Casablanca (organic), Colleen (organic), Lady Christl, Maris Bard (organic), Red Duke of York, Rocket, Sharpe’s Express, Winston

2nd Earlies: Apache, British Queen, Charlotte (organic), Jazzy, Kestrel, Maris Peer (organic), Sarpo Una (organic).

Mains: Ambo (organic), Belle de Fontenay, Cara (organic), Carolous (organic), Desiree, Highland Burgundy Red, International Kidney, Mary’s Rose (organic), Orla (organic), Pink Gypsy (organic), Pink Fir Apple, Red Emmalie, Salad Blue (organic), Sarpo Kifli, Sarpo Mira (organic), Vales Sovereign.

You can find descriptions of many of these varieties in last year’s potato guide:
Potato picker 2019

Our full 2020 guide will be available nearer the time.

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Order your seed potatoes

Sorry – advanced orders closed on 2nd February 2020.

All the seed potatoes will cost no more than 20p each or £2 per dozen. You will be able to collect your order from our Potato Day on Saturday 29th February 2020.

Please note: Our maximum advance order for most varieties is 60 tubers (more for Charlotte and Pink Fir Apple). If you’re placing a big order, we’ll get in touch to discuss what’s possible.

Growing Newsome’s 2019 homegrown preserves for sale

We have a selection of preserves available now, all freshly made this Summer and Autumn from fruit and vegetables grown in the Newsome area…

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Christmas gift boxes – £5 each

We’re offering our popular gift boxes again this year. Each box contains two 8oz jars of homemade preserves – you can choose the contents from our selection of jams, jellies and marmalade.

They are boxed with a pretty fabric ribbon and tag (designs vary).

Choose any two jars:

• • Jam – Blackberry and Apple Jam, Blackcurrant Jam, Loganberry Redcurrant and Raspberry Jam*, Plum and Apple Jam*, Raspberry and Apple Jam, Strawberry Jam
  • Jelly – Redcurrant Jelly*, Apple Jelly with Blackberries
  • Marmalade and Conserves – Cinnamon Raisin Apple Conserve*, Orange marmalade (our marmalade is currently out of stock, but we may have some more available before Christmas – please ask)

*low stock

Easy to recycle or reuse

Our gift boxes are fully recyclable. The box, tag, labels and stickers are made of paper and card. Our ribbons are fabric, which can be composted or reused.

You’re welcome to return the jars to us at any Growing Newsome event or Newsome Forum meeting, or glass can be taken to bottle banks or recycling centres.

 

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Individual jars – £2.40 each

We also have a small selection of individual 1lb jars of preserves:

Apple Jelly with Blackberries
Orange marmalade
Redcurrant Jelly*
Rhubarb and Apple Jam*

Apart from the citrus fruits, all our fresh ingredients are homegrown, so we have limited supplies and therefore not every preserve may be available in every jar size. 

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Delivery or collection

You can pick up your preserves from us in Newsome or in Huddersfield Town Centre – or we may be able to drop them off for you if you’re nearby. Please email growingnewsome@gmail.com to make an order.

 

 

Autumn Gathering – Saturday 12th October 2019

Love local food? There’s lots for you to enjoy at this event…

Autumn Gathering

Saturday 12th October 2019
10am to 1pm

Newsome Scout Hall
Newsome Road South
Huddersfield HD4 6JJ

Lots of jam and preserves made from fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in Newsome.

Beekeeping advice and demonstration hive from the Huddersfield and District Bee Keeping Association.

Autumn-planting vegetables, fruit and salads.

 

Kids crafts – get creative in our craft corner and make a collage or creature.

Book stall with all sorts of books.

Recipes and tasters – find out what you can make.

Got a glut? Please bring along spare fruit or vegetables to share.

Tea, coffee and home made cakes available.

Information about local volunteering, events and activities.

Jam jar amnesty – clean, small jam jars (1 Ib or less) that fit a 63mm lid are welcome.

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Autumn Planting:

Autumn planting vegetables for you to take home – including a selection of garlic bulbs, onions, seeds, overwintering leaf crops, strawberry plants and anything else we can rustle up. We’ll also be taking advance orders for our 2020 seed potatoes.

Garlic bulbs available at our Autumn Gathering 2019

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Souper Soups:
served from 12 noon to 1pm

Enjoy a choice of seasonal soups for lunch at the Scout Hall, made with local vegetables and served with a selection of fresh breads, followed by a hot Autumn pudding made with local fruit.

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How you can help:

• Display a poster:
  Autumn Gathering poster (PDF)
• Bring something for the cake stall.
• Bring along the rest of the family or bring a friend.
• Please get in touch if you’d like to come along and help out on the day.

Organised by Growing Newsome

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Garlic bulbs available at our Autumn Gathering 2019

Our Autumn planting vegetables this year will include six different varieties of garlic. Pick up yours at our Autumn Gathering event on 12th October 2019.

Garlic needs a month or more in the ground at a temperature of 10C or less, and Autumn planting gives you the best chance for this. So you can get planting yours soon – all you need to do is decide what sort to grow.

To help you choose, here are some notes…

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Germidour (organic)

• Fast growing French variety with high yields.
• Plant in October or November for harvest in June.
• A rich purple head with ivory clove skins – very attractive.
• A non-flowering variety which can be strung or plaited.
• Winner of RHS Award of Gardening Merit 2004.
• Lift as soon as mature. Should keep until December following harvesting.

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Mikulov Wight

• Violet coloured bulbs with very large cloves.
• From the beautiful, southern Moravian town of Mikulov.
• The strong flavour is described by the locals as ‘noble’.
• This garlic keeps well, autumn planting is preferred.
• The plant has large leaves that stand straight and strong.
• A hardneck variety that naturally produces edible flower stalks called a scapes.
  

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Printanor (organic)

• Large white bulbs filled with plump tasty cloves.
• Suitable for planting in the autumn.
• Can also be planted from January to March for July harvest.
• 12-18 pinkish cloves per bulb.
• Keeps well. Virus free.

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Red Duke

• A beautiful hardneck variety with red cloves and white skins.
• Has good strength of flavour and scent.
• Can be planted 15-18cm apart from October through to January.
• Produces bulbs typically over 60mm at harvest.
• From Moravia, Czech Republic.
• A durable garlic in the UK climate.

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Solent Wight Extra Early

• For early crops of garlic.
• Large, high quality bulbs. 
• Versatile for autumn or spring planting.
• White skinned with crisp brilliant white flesh.
• Developed in France.
• Excellent keeping qualities. 

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Thermidrome (organic)

• A traditional variety producing large heads and cloves.
• Very hardy so ideal even in harsh conditions.
• White head with a hint of pink, and white clove skins.
• Plant in October or November for harvest in July.
• A non-flowering variety which can be strung or plaited.
• Should keep until the December following harvesting.

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You can pick up your garlic bulbs at our Autumn Gathering event on 12th October 2019, 10am to 1pm at Newsome Scout Hall. We ask for £2 per bulb to cover our costs. This is ideal if you have a small garden or plot, as you don’t need to buy a whole pack. It’s also great if you fancy planting more than one variety and you just want one bulb of each – or if you want lots, but want to save some pennies (and avoid paying for postage).

Look out for onions, shallots, vegetable seeds and some plants too – all suitable for Autumn growing.

If you can’t make it to our Autumn event, we will offer any remaining stock afterwards. You can Join our email list for updates.

Big Plant Swap – Saturday 1st June 2019

Big Plant Swap

Saturday 1st June 2019
10am to 1pm

Free admission – all welcome

Newsome Scout Hall, Newsome Road South, Huddersfield HD4 6JJ

Take your pick from hundreds of plants – great for growers, super for sharers.

You can choose from:

Vegetables
Salads
Herbs
Fruit
Wildlife-friendly flowers

You’re very welcome to bring along plants, seedlings, cuttings or seeds to swap – but you don’t need to bring something to be able to take something (you can make a donation to Growing Newsome in exchange for your plants).

 

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Lots more to enjoy…

Beekeeping advice and demonstration hive from the Huddersfield and District Bee Keeping Association.

Seed Swap – vegetable seeds to swap or buy.

Children’s craft activities.

Stalls, including local produce on sale.

Plant some seeds to grow on your windowsill.

Tea, coffee and home made cakes.

Information about growing your own food.

Find out about local projects and events.

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Local food lunch:
served 12 noon to 1pm

Enjoy a healthy lunch at Newsome Scout Hall – with recipes for you to take home. We’ll be serving a selection of tasty salads (including warm salads) from our Spring salad bar, plus a fruit pudding.

We ask for a small donation to cover the costs of making your lunch.

Print our poster for your venue – or share with a friend:

Big Plant Swap poster 2019 (PDF)

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It’s Volunteers Week

Want to join our friendly community of food growers? We’re looking for volunteers to help look after our Community Allotment and to help organise our community events. Please come along to our Plant Swap to meet other volunteers, find out how you can get involved, and celebrate 10 years of Growing Newsome.

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What happens at the Plant Swap?
Here’s a short film about Growing Newsome’s Plant Swap, made by Alistair I Macdonald at Curlew Films for Plant it Grow it Eat it.