Big Plant Swap – Saturday 21st May 2022

Big Plant Swap

Saturday 21st May 2022
10am to 1pm

Free admission – all welcome

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

Plant Swap

Come and take your pick from hundreds of plants and seedlings at our popular annual plant swap – great for food growers and friends. You can choose from: Vegetables, Salads, Herbs, Fruit and Wildlife-friendly flowers.

You’re very welcome to bring along plants, seedlings, cuttings or seeds to swap.

Our top tips for plant swappers

• It’s really helpful to other growers if you can label your plants.
• You might like to bring along a trug, basket or tray to carry your plants home in.
• We advise hanging around to see what else appears during the morning.

Don’t worry if you don’t have anything to swap – 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.

We also accept donations of plants ahead of the event – just email us if you have something to share: growingnewsome@gmail.com

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Lots more to enjoy…

Seed Swap – vegetables and other seeds to swap or buy.

Stalls, including local produce on sale.

Children’s craft activities.

Plant some seeds to grow on your windowsill.

Tea, coffee and home made cakes.

Information about growing your own food.

Crop protection materials on sale.

Find out about local projects and events.

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Meet local growing and wellbeing organisations

We’ll be joined on the day by:

• Peaceful Remedies – including an Outdoor Yoga taster session at 1pm
• Huddersfield Raw Honey – with local honey available to buy
• Growing Works – with an activity or two for you to try

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Join us for 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 from our Spring salad bar with pasta and roasted vegetables, plus a fruit pudding.

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

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Want to help?

Volunteer
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
Help us to promote the event:
Big Plant Swap poster 2022 (PDF)

Stalls & info

If your local group or organisation are interested in having a stall at one of our events or you’d like to bring some local information to share on the day, please get in touch: growingnewsome@gmail.com

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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.

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Potato varieties on sale in 2022

If you’d like some seed potatoes to plant this spring, have a look at some of the 20 potato varieties we have available. There’s something for everyone, from our regular 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 food growing community at the same time. We’ll also have shallots, onions and lots of other vegetable seeds available this spring. 

All being well, you can pick up your seed potatoes from our Huddersfield Potato Day and Seed Swap on Saturday 5th March 2022 from 10am at Newsome Scout Hall, Newsome, Huddersfield HD4 6JJ. Sorry we’re not able to take any advance orders this year, but you can pick up your potatoes from our event, or buy afterwards if we have some left. If you have any questions, you can email us at: GrowingNewsome@gmail.com

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Our full list of potato varieties:

Potato picker 2022 – full details of all our varieties (PDF)

We have our six most popular potato picks available in much larger quantities.
More than half of our varieties are Organic. We also have some heritage and blight-resistant varieties.

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Popular potato picks

Rocket – first early

Rocket is well named, because it grows really quickly. It’s among the first potato varieties to crop and produces large quantities of uniform shaped tubers. It’s also well suited to growing at home in containers or potato bags.

 

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Charlotte – second early

Charlotte is a popular, easy to grow, waxy salad variety. You can grow fresh flavoured potatoes which taste great either hot or cold. Ideal for salads and your crop will store until Christmas. Good disease resistance and high yielding.

 

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Kestrel – second early

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 the 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. 

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Desiree – main crop

Desiree is a very popular choice for food growers. The tasty white and creamy flesh has a lovely, fluffy texture when cooked. Great whether baked, roasted or mashed. It’s very versatile and easy to grow.

 

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Sarpo Mira – main crop (Organic)

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 Sarpo Mira in particular and we always grow these ourselves.

 

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Pink Fir Apple – late main crop (heritage)

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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Organised by Growing Newsome

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

 

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Pop up Plant Swap – Saturday 12th June 2021

Pop up Plant Swap

Saturday 12th June 2021
10am to 12 noon

An outdoor event

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

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Looking for some plants?

One of the best things about growing your own food is having something to share and enjoy with others. We are really missing having our usual events, where we can all get together to swap our plants, seeds and experiences. So although we haven’t been able to hold our annual Big Plant Swap this year, we’re pleased to say that we’ve come up with an alternative event. 

Come along to our outdoor Pop up Plant Swap to take your pick from our wide selection of edible plants, and a few other things. Our plants will include:

Vegetables
Salads
Herbs
Fruit
Wildlife-friendly flowers

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Got some seedlings or plants to share?

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).

Some things that other growers have told us they are particularly looking for are:

Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Courgettes
Runner Beans
Red Cabbages
Dwarf Tomatoes
Sweet Peas
Strawberries

Greenhouse veg is always popular, and people also like to pick up some flowering plants along with the edible plants. If you have a request to add, please email growingnewsome@gmail.com

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Top tips for plant swapping

1. Please label your plants – it will really help our other growers. Or let us know what you’ve brought so that we can label your plants for you.

2. Bring along a trug, box or basket – anything handy to carry your plants home in.

3. See what appears – you’ll be amazed how many plants get shuffled on the day.

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How you can visit safely and keep others safe

It’s safer for us to meet outdoors – so our Plant Swap will be outside the entrance to Newsome Scout Hall.

Please sanitise your hands when you arrive (we’re providing some hand sanitiser). We also recommend doing this before you leave.

If other people are already at the stall, please give each other room and wait for a safe space.

If you’d like to avoid handling cash, we will be accepting contactless card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and payments from other contactless smartphones and watches (but you can still pay with cash if you’d like).

Please be reassured that we’re following public health guidelines and keeping in touch with our ward councillors. 

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How you can help

We know it’s short notice for our Pop up event. We really hope you can make it on the day – and if you can help to let other people In the local area know it’s happening, we really appreciate it. You might want to offer to pick something up for others who are isolating. We also welcome donations of plants ahead of the day. If you’d like to buy something but can’t get here on the day, please let us know and between us we’ll do our best to help.

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It’s Volunteers Week

A huge thank you to our organising group and to all our volunteers and friends, who make our events and activities happen. Want to join our friendly community of food growers? We’re looking for more volunteers to help look after our Community Allotment and to help organise our community events.

Please come along to our Pop up Plant Swap to meet other volunteers and find out how you can get involved.

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What usually happens at our 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. Things are a bit different this year, but the plant swapping is still the same – and we all love it.

Newsome Mill Ponds matter – share your views

We know that Newsome Mill Ponds matter to lots of people in Newsome (and beyond). If our mill ponds matter to you, please send Kirklees Council your comments about plans to build 22 houses on this heritage greenspace. You have until Tuesday 8th June to share your views.

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How to make your views heard

You can share your comments with Kirklees Council, to be considered as part of the planning decision. Please share your comments by Tuesday 8th June 2021.

Object to the application online now at: www.savenewsomemillponds.org.uk

You do not need to create an account to comment –
just choose the ‘Or, continue as a guest‘ link

(you can write up to 500 words)

Or email:  dc.admin@kirklees.gov.uk

(there is no word limit for email responses)

Or write to:

Kirklees Planning Service, Civic Centre 3, PO BOX B93, Huddersfield, HD1 2JR

You must include your name and postal address in emails or letters. You must also quote this reference:

Planning application 2021/91638

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About this site

This heritage greenspace right at the heart of Newsome includes the 19th century mill pond and culvert (the oldest surviving part of Newsome Mills), the former mill workers allotments and an avenue of protected trees. It’s well used by wildlife and greatly valued by residents. Local people and community organisations in the area have spoken up many times in support of this greenspace, which we want to keep for the benefit of residents and wildlife.

Newsome Mill Ponds are fed by a network of land drains, running all down the hillside between Castle Hill and Newsome. The ponds have been providing an important function in preventing local flooding for 200 years. Newsome Mill Ponds matter for local people, for our health and wellbeing, for wildlife, for sustainable drainage, for our heritage and for our sense of belonging.

If Newsome Mill Ponds matter to you, please add your comments:

www.savenewsomemillponds.org.uk

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Further information

Newsome Mill Ponds matter – Newsome Mills campaign blog

View the planning application

Planning application 2021/91638

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Potato varieties on sale in 2021

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If you’re growing your own this year, you might want to have a look at some of the 20 varieties of seed potato we’ll have available. 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 food growing community at the same time. We’ll also have shallots, onions and some packets of vegetable seeds available this spring. 

You can order and pay online, then collect from Newsome village. If you’re shielding or self-isolating, we’ll do our best to deliver to you at home.

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Our full list of potato varieties:

Potato picker 2021 – full details of all our varieties (PDF)

We have limited quantities of some varieties this time. but we also have our six most popular varieties in larger quantities than usual.

Current stock (last updated 25th March @ 12 noon)

1st Early
Casablanca	4
Home Guard	16
Maris Bard	0
Red Duke of York	11
Rocket	12
2nd Early
Charlotte	0
Kestrel	6
Maris Peer	0
Nicola	0
Sarpo Una	19
Early Main
Ambo	0
Mayan Gold	0
Orla	0
Pink Gypsy	0
Main
Cara	0
Desiree	0
International Kidney	0
Salad Blue	0
Sarpo Mira	4
Late main
Pink Fir Apple	0

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Popular potato picks

Rocket – first early

Rocket is well named, because it grows really quickly. It’s among the first potato varieties to crop and produces large quantities of uniform shaped tubers. It’s also well suited to growing at home in containers or potato bags.

 

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Charlotte – second early

Charlotte is a popular, easy to grow, waxy salad variety. You can grow fresh flavoured potatoes which taste great either hot or cold. Ideal for salads and your crop will store until Christmas. Good disease resistance and high yielding.

 

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Kestrel – second early

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. 

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Desiree – main crop

Desiree is a very popular choice for food growers. The tasty white and creamy flesh has a lovely, fluffy texture when cooked. Great whether baked, roasted or mashed. It’s very versatile and easy to grow.

 

---

Sarpo Mira – main crop (organic)

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 Sarpo Mira in particular. We often sell out of these early, but we have extra available this year.

 

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Pink Fir Apple – late main crop (heritage)

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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Organised by Growing Newsome

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

 

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Find out more and order online

Potato pick and seed shuffle 2021

Onions, shallots and seeds on sale

Send us your order

 

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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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.

---

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.

 

Potato varieties on sale in 2019

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 2019 – full details of all our varieties (PDF)

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

 

---

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 Charlotte or British Queen.

 

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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 (also a maincrop) and Sarpo Una on offer. The Una is a second early variety which is ideal for growing in containers – try growing it in pots or sacks.

 

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Belle de Fontenay is one of our new varieties this year – chosen because we’ve been asked for it in previous years. This heritage variety has long, slightly curved yellow tubers. Belle de Fontenay is a classic French salad potato, which was first introduced in 1885. It has a smooth, firm, waxy texture with a fine flavour – great for salads (hot or cold), boiling or sautee – and it’s one of 17 organic varieties that we have available this year.

 

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Pink Gypsy is quite new to us and has already proved very popular. It’s 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!

 

 

 

Natural Kirklees Summer Gala – 12th August 2018

Natural Kirklees Summer Gala

Sunday 12th August 2018

From 12 noon to 4pm

Venue: Greenhead Park, Huddersfield

Park information
Map & directions

Join us in the park this Sunday for local food & family fun

Natural Kirklees and the Parks and Greenspaces Team at Kirklees Council are hosting a special Summer Gala for groups who are involved in parks and green spaces in Kirklees. It’s a great opportunity to meet local environmental groups and there are lots of fun activities to try, both in the event marquee and around the park.

Join us in Greenhead Park on Sunday 12th August to meet lots of community groups, learn about what they do and take part in fun activities including: go on a mini bug hunt and find out the ideal lunch for a duck with River Holme Connections, learn about Clem’s Garden who work together to grow and sell flowers, supporting local charities and community projects with their profits, browse the Support to Recovery (S2R) plant stall, join in the Big Butterfly Count around the park, or create a piece of artwork using natural materials with Growing Works.

Growing Newsome will be there with plenty of home made treats, made from fruit and vegetables that have been grown in Newsome and donated by our generous volunteers and friends. Please come and visit us in the marquee on the event field near the top of the park (just across from the miniature train tracks). Our stall is open from 1pm to 4pm.

Music – Enjoy the sound of brass in the great outdoors with Slaithwaite Band. They will be performing on the Greenhead Park bandstand from 2pm to 4pm as part of a programme of concerts organised by the Friends of Greenhead Park. Limited seating is available and you are welcome to bring your own folding chairs or rugs.  Free – there will be a collection in aid of the Friends of Greenhead Park. There will also be music from the Ukulele Band in the marquee.

Refreshments – The Friends of Greenhead Park will be serving tea and cakes throughout the afternoon in the marquee – and running a craft building extravaganza.

We hope to see you there.

 

Big Plant Swap – Saturday 26th May 2018

Big Plant Swap

Saturday 26th May 2018
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).

 

Lots more to enjoy…

Seed Swap – lots of vegetable seeds to swap or buy.

Children’s craft activities.

Local produce on sale.

Plant some seeds to grow on your windowsill.

Reading Circle book stall with all sorts of books.

Tea, coffee and home made cakes.

Information about growing and sharing food in Newsome.

Find out about other local projects and events.

Growing democracy:
White for purity, Purple for determination, Green for hope

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Votes for Women, you can pick up a special Vote 100 badge at our Big Plant Swap. We’d love it if you can bring along something white, purple or green (the suffragette colours) to swap!

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 2018 (PDF)

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.

You can see more food growing films on the Food Kirklees web site:
10 short films about food growing in Kirklees