The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) saw its annual fruit and vegetable extravaganza named the Supreme Champion in the Great Yorkshire Show Flower Hall, held last week, for the third year running.
The display featured the best that Yorkshire horticultural growers have to offer right through the seasons.
Two gardens, representing summer and winter, made up the stand alongside the usual display of cut produce, flowers and herbs. A riot of colour and scent, the summer garden reflected the huge variety of plants and crops at their best right now in July. In contrast, the winter garden, complete with a covering of snow, projected forward to the year’s shortest day, highlighting the crops that thrive in the middle of winter.
As a result, Christmas trees made their debut on the stand this year. The “asparagus of the winter season”, they provide Yorkshire farmers with a welcome cash crop and were shown both growing and decorated as the centrepiece of the Christmas festivities.
Other new additions included wooden sheds that provide the perfect growing environment for mushrooms and a real Yorkshire speciality - the shocking pink stems of forced winter rhubarb.
Glasshouses also were a first for this year - demonstrating how Yorkshire growers are now able to provide staple produce like tomatoes year round.
The theme for the display was healthy eating through the seasons and as a result the NFU joined forces with the national Change4Life campaign.
NFU member Mike Prest, speaking before the event, said: “This year is a little different with the strong seasonal element and the Christmas tree is a bit of fun. It’s certainly designed to be eye-catching and if it doesn’t knock people’s socks off, I don’t know what will!”
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