"Malcolm Race" wrote in message
...
On 09/11/2015 09:48, Martin wrote:
On Mon, 9 Nov 2015 01:07:14 -0000, Janet wrote:

In article ,
says...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Christina Websell wrote:

"Gary Woods" wrote in message
...
For those who like to read of rescues, here's the Seed Saver's
Exchange
description of Blaby:

https://exchange.seedsavers.org/cata...spx?itm=137071

I'm growing a foliage turnip, Horpaczi Lila, that a friend got some
years
ago from the East German seed bank.

The mind boggles at what must be stashed at the Svalbard bank!


Exactly.
I sowed two Blaby tomatoes, one germinated. Huge plant, some massive
tomatoes. I got the seeds from my German friend who always sends me
interesting seeds from the Netherlands seed bank every Christmas for
a
present, I have some rare beans, mainly French types waiting to be
sown.
Tried to swap runner beans seeds, but they don't do well there.
Because
when it's summer, it's hot for weeks and I don't think the
continental
climate is suitable. French beans do well there.

Runner beans actually prefer higher temperatures than French! But
they require regular water and a higher humidity, so they often do
badly in hotter conditions. French beans are more tolerant of dry
conditions.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I know all of that. You should be in the wilds of Germany and realise
how
the farmers have to pay for water

Maybe you don't realise how much farmers here have to pay for water.

and the pathetic amounts that they are paid for what they produce.

See Hugh Feranley-Whittingstall program on Food Waste - it should now be
on i-Player

Malcolm

I knew the minute that that poor parnip producing family went on Tv against
Morrison's on Hugh's program that it would be the death knell for them, and
so it proved. They are now out of business. It's disgusting, the hold the
big supermarkets have on small farmers who maybe thought it was a good idea
to have a contract with a big supermarket and then found out it wasn't.
I don't believe, at all, there there is any need for a supermarket to insist
on a certain length or size of vegetable. I am sure that "wonky" vegetables
would be quite acceptable to most people once they know how badly the
supermarket policy of perfect is affecting the farmers.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Morrison's have a bit of a downturn in
sales after that program. If I used them, I'd probably boycott them, but I
supposed all the big supermarkets are the same. Farmers are probably happy
at first to get a big supermarket buying from them. but then they just
squeeze them later when they are committed.
I nearly wept along with that family of parsnip farmers. The mother cried,
the son cried. Because of Morrisons stupid idea of "perfect parsnips"
So that's me never spending any money in Morrison's again and good on Hugh
for bringing it to light. Although, it's lucky for him that he didn't
approach me and throw my vegetables away. Nothing goes to waste here. I
have hens. If there something veggie that is more elderly than I want to
chance eating, they get it and turn it into eggs.
Tina



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