Charlotte's Journey with Grow it, Cook it, Share it

This year, following on from the Grow Hope campaign, we’re asking our supporters (that’s you!) to Grow it. Cook it. Share it and give hope to the children of Zambia in the form of orange maize seeds to grow nutrient-rich crops that will help combat malnutrition. Our Fundraising Specialist Charlotte is leading the way in showing just how much you can do from your kitchen, garden or allotment.

After 30 years of looking after flowers in my garden, a kitchen gardening career was sparked by two important events:

First a trip to a World Vision project in Ethiopia,  which really made me realise that the planet should grow more food where it has the fertile soils available.  Sometimes I think we take the wealth of our green and pleasant land for granted.

I did get started with a little vegetable patch in my back garden, but my life was so busy I let it slip – something that’s no doubt familiar to many of us. The best of intentions without the time to realise them.  

The second event was the sudden interest in home grown vegetables of our eldest daughter who enjoys good healthy food.  But then she went off to University and nothing happened!

Along comes Grow It. Cook it. Share it.

Then came along a brand new fundraising initiative at work that really caught my attention.  Grow it. Cook it. Share it lets us use fruit and vegetables from our own garden to free children from the fear of hunger.

I excitedly realised I could put this land to good use, learn something new, and have a party with my friends to help support World Vision – a perfect combination!

Please join me in my journey with Grow it. Cook it. Share it.  Through the weeks I will share my successes and disappointments in my new kitchen gardening career.  Any advice would be much appreciated.

I’m planning to have a Florentine breakfast for my friends, serving eggs florentine with a few glasses of Prosecco at the end of September, so I’m growing my own spinach to have with it. Maybe I am being a little ambitious, but I like to think it’s just pushing myself to learn more quickly by trying something tricky!

I was far too embarrassed to share a photograph of my jungle of a vegetable patch as it was before I started, but this is it newly weeded and ready to go version. I’m lucky to have a space like this to grow my spinach in, but one of the things I’ve learned while planning my breakfast (and what I’ll be growing) is that you really don’t need much space at all – you could just start a herb garden on your kitchen windowsill and use them to add flavour to a dish you cook your friends.

My good friends are all behind me and helping me along the way, which is really valuable for me given that I’m already running into problems.  I have been given spinach plants, sweet corn and pumpkins to grow in my vegetable patch.  Two weeks on and my spinach is already slowly being eaten (just sadly not by me!).  It could be slugs but my sister-in-law thinks we may have a rabbit!

On a more successful note, I bought some tomato plants from my local Post Office and planted them in pots near the house.  Much easier to water than having to walk all the way to the vegetable patch!

After just a few weeks they are now bigger than me (not hard), and yes I did remember to pinch out the little bit between the branches.

With the planting sorted, all that remains is for the tending and watering to be done – plus defending my crops from the critters!

Although just a 'hobby' for me, it made me realise that while our survival does not depend on the outcome of my efforts, it certainly does for so many. And what a simple way for me to make a difference to the lives of families and children in Zambia. Will you join me?

Find out more about Grow It. Cook it. Share it and follow Charlotte’s journey here on our blog and on our Facebook page.