DigIn Harvest event - more details!

Harvest Event at Dig In Community Allotment on Saturday 20th October, 1pm - 4pm

Come and spend a wonderful afternoon with us!

We'll have apple pressing, pumpkin carving, longest apple peel, children's games and activities, apple pancakes, seasonal soup and other delicious refreshments and a tombola!

'Come Dressed For The Occasion' competition! Prize for the best outfit!

Event will go ahead whatever the weather! Most activities will be under cover.

Just come along - no need to book! Free Entry. Some activities may incur a small charge/donation.

Look forward to seeing you!

Harvest Event Saturday 20th October 2018, 1pm - 4pm

Yes folks, it's that time of year again!  Dig In are holding our annual Harvest event day on Saturday 20th October, 1pm - 4pm.

If you like the sound of homemade cakes, soup, freshly pressed apple juice, pumpkin carving and other activities, please come along to the allotment to join us.
We have a marquee, polytunnel and other shelters to huddle under if the weather's a bit iffy so don't let that deter you!

We're always looking for new people to come and share what's on offer at the community allotment so why not use this as an excuse to see what we do?

Come and celebrate the Harvest with Dig In, we'll be pleased to see you.
Free entry.

Sunny Sunday

Such a warm and sunny Sunday after a rather windy & chilly Stapleford Carnival the day before.

Here are some pics from the allotment to show how lovely its looking at the moment.  If you haven't visited the allotment before, or for a while, and would like to come and join in with our informal gardening sessions please come along any Wednesday or Saturday morning between 10 & 12.  Just ring the doorbell on the side gate, someone will let you in.

Don't forget this year's Harvest Day event at Dig In

Saturday 24th October, 11-3pm

Ripening grapes - not ready yet

Pumpkin's filling out, hopefully ready
for Harvest Day at DigIn, 24th October

Baby newt, sunbathing

The orchard

Teasel next to the Bug Hotel - Bed & Breakfast for the bees :o)

Helen

Fruity Saturday!

A lovely day with friends old and new visiting Dig In's burgeoning gardens and taking part in a cornucopia of fruity activities and fruity foods.

 Choosing a picture for jam-jar painting.

 The cakes! How I wished I could try every single one!

 Our plants for sale - runner beans, pumpkins, tomatoes and much more.

 The winning longest apple peel - won by Bob. Doesn't he look proud, and quite right, it was 216cm long, that's just over 7 feet!

 Claire Swain's fabulous art works.

 If you volunteer at Dig in, you too can have... a giant turnip.

Putting the nose on a grass head. It's precision work!

Our next public event is Harvest, on 24th October, but you can visit us between 10-12 on Wednesdays and Saturdays and have a look at how things are going.

Fruity Saturday is coming !!!!

Yes folks, Fruity Saturday is almost upon us - make a date in your diary to come and see us at the allotment for a fun day.  We've all been really busy at the allotment, sprucing things up for your enjoyment.  We know this by the amount of biscuits that we've got through these past few sessions!

Fruity Saturday, 20th June, 11 till 3pm

Free admission

Smoothie Bikes
Fruit kebabs
Fruit themed activities
Tombola and more ...
Refreshments and toilet available on site

Public Events for 2015

Saturday 25th April 10.00am till Noon – ‘Bee Box Workshop’ at Dig In *
Come and make your own bee box to put up in your garden to help our precious bees!
Book your place by emailing: bookings@diginstapleford.org.uk

Saturday 6th June – ‘Hemlock Happening’ at Bramcote Park
Come and visit our Dig In stall!

Saturday 20th June 11.00am till 3pm – ‘Fruity Saturday’ at Dig In * 
Cream teas, craft activities, smoothie bikes with Pulp Friction, refreshments, fruit kebabs, jams and preserves, tombola etc.

Saturday 5th September – ‘Stapleford Carnival’, Ilkeston Rd
Come and visit our Dig In stall!

Sunday 6th September 10.00am – Sponsored Walk for Dig In, Wollaton Park at the Shoe Aid charity walk. Walkers follow a 3km or 5km route barefoot to highlight the plight of people around the world who have no choice but to walk barefoot. There will be a music festival, live entertainment, craft stalls, food stalls and real ale! It's an all-day family event and great fun! Bring ANY old shoes to donate as these will be sent to third-world countries. There is a £10 registration for Shoe Aid for walkers only and this can be paid when you pick your sponsor forms up from Dig In. Please help us raise funds for Dig In!

Saturday 24th October 11.00am till 3pm – ‘Harvest Event’ at Dig In *
Apple pancakes, apple pressing, smoothie bikes with Pulp Friction, pumpkin carving, chutneys and preserves, activities, seasonal produce grown on the allotment will be available for a small donation, tombola etc.

Events marked * are free entry but there may be donation requests for certain activities. All donations welcome to help us with running costs!
Dig In is run for the benefit of the community by volunteers.
All dates are subject to change, plus there could be additional events, including Pond Dips from time to time so please check on the Facebook page, the Dig In Blog or ring the doorbell on the allotment gate any Wednesday or Saturday 10am – 12 midday.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Harvest Event Best Ever!

Wow! the weather stayed fine and 233 visitors attended our Autumn Harvest 2014 event. I think the total visitor numbers are probably a record for our events to date and everyone had a fantastic time.

Many, many thanks to all who gave up their time preparing the event activities and those who put much effort into volunteering on the day. A special thanks to Alan Withington (RCAN) for helping with the construction of the new refreshments shed and tombola donations, John Hempsall for the apple variety identifications, Jill Carter and the Pulp Friction team, the ladies who worked tirelessly to provide a tasty feast of food and refreshments during the event, Tracey Lloyd and Kathy Holmes for the pumpkin carving workshop, Karen Fry for the apple pressing, Dave Wood for the poem, Claire Swain for the knitting, Helen Turner for the nest box workshop, ASDA Long Eaton and Boots for assisting with the tombola donations, Stapleford Town Council for their support and the gentleman from Frank Key who pleasantly surprised us by donating a wheelbarrow to Dig In on the day. Last but not least, Roy Oldershaw for being our welcoming 'man on the gate'. There are others too numerous to mention, but thank you all.

As the saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words...

Autumn Harvest Celebration Event 2014

Come and join our free admission family fun day event celebrating the Autumn harvest. The event will take place on Saturday 18th October 2014, between 11am and 3pm at the Dig In community allotment, Pasture Road, Stapleford. NG9 8HZ (map)

Activities include apple pressing, pumpkin carving, apple pancakes, chutneys, preserves and more.

If you have an apple tree in your garden, but are unsure of the variety, please bring one of the apples and a leaf along to the event for identification by an expert.

Looking forward to another brilliant event at the allotment - everyone is welcome to attend and there is no need to book, just turn up on the day.

Decade of DIG IN event

A big thank you for everyone who attended our Decade of DIG IN event on Saturday 23rd August. Apart from a short, light shower, the weather stayed warm and dry, which added extra icing on the celebration cake generously provided by ASDA Long Eaton, along with fresh fruits and other ingredients for the cream teas.

The event was attended by over 100 visitors and from the comments and feedback received, was enjoyed by both guests and helpers alike. Many thanks to the volunteers, groups and funders who have supported us over the years and we look forward to the next decade of DIG IN.

A special thanks to Alan Withington (RCAN), who pulled out all the stops to ensure the new catering shed was usable on the day and for much of the infrastructure development. Stapleford Town council for their generous funding and support, Pulp Friction for the wonderful ice cream and wine, Tracey Lloyd on the musical instruments, Jon from ASDA, Pete and James on the drums, Claire on the face painting, the local knitters for their contributions towards the community blanket and the hard work of the DIG IN committee, volunteers and local community who made it possible.

We hope to see everyone back for our Harvest Celebration event on the 18th October 2014.

Cook & Taste Sessions 2014

Come and join our friendly Cook & Taste sessions at the Dig In Community Allotment, Stapleford.

Discover how tasty health food can be, using seasonal ingredients, some locally grown.
Share recipes, cooking tips, and learn new skills.
Enjoy cooking and eating food together.

There are two session dates available and booking is required;

Wednesday 28th May, 10am - 12.30

Saturday 21st June, 10am - 12.30

Cost: Adults £2, Children £1 (includes food and light refreshments).

Children under 14 must be adult supervised.

To book a place, please email Mary Venning;

bookings@diginstapleford.org.uk

Click here to download event flyer.

Pond Dipping & Bug Hunt 2014

Please sign up for our annual pond dipping and bug hunt session at the allotment. This is a very popular event with the children and places are limited, so early booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.

This year, the event will be held on Saturday 9th August from 10am until noon.

There will be a small charge of £1 per child to take part, with accompanying adults entering free. The admission price will include light refreshments.

To book places on this event, please email Mary Venning;

bookings@diginstapleford.org.uk 

Please note that children under 14 must be adult supervised.

Click here to download event flyer.

A Busy Week at Dig In!

Spring has really sprung for local children visiting Dig In last week. Stapleford and Draycott childminder groups, and Albany Infant and Nursery School got stuck into gardening, enjoyed pond-dipping, gardening crafts and a Spring Treasure Hunt in lovely spring sunshine.

Later in the week Albany Junior School’s School Parliament sent a deputation to taste rhubarb and rocket and to make flatbreads. Rhubarb got a thumbs-up though rocket did cause a few pulled faces... but they did give it a try!

Thanks to all for such a fun week! 

Karen

School Visits - Spring and Summer 2014

We are pleased to announce that Dig In Community Allotment in Stapleford has funding to run free sessions for schools local to the Stapleford area during Spring and Summer term 2014. 

The sessions are coordinated by an experienced environmental educator and can be tailored to all age groups.

Sessions available include:

• Pond-dipping

• Mini-beast hunting

• Garden explorations, sensory walks  and treasure hunts

• Gardening

• Harvesting and tasting

The site includes a fenced pond with dipping platform, wildlife gardens, productive gardens, orchard, polytunnel and accessible compost toilet. 

Dig In is located on Pasture Road, between the Man of Iron pub and Excel Vehicle Hire, NG9 8HZ

Contact Karen Fry to find out more:

Tel:     07943 700302

Email: enquiries@diginstapleford.org.uk

Download School Visits flyer

Harvest Celebration Event 2013

Dig In held its first Harvest Celebration last Saturday. Despite a cool and damp day weatherwise there was plenty going on to keep all ages entertained.

The rain wasn't a problem as the pumpkin carving took place in Tracey's tent, the glass painting under a gazebo, the face painting in another gazebo and the most popular area with all ages was the polytunnel where there was plenty of harvest home baking to be enjoyed.  The homemade soups were very popular and the Bombay potatoes really warmed things up!  Pumpkin based cosmetics were on offer along with chutneys and recipe books for those with culinary interests. 

Mary made very tasty apple pancakes and the apple press was in demand all day providing a constant stream of pure apple juice - fantastic!

Those wondering what variety of apple tree to plant in their garden were treated to a huge selection of different apples to sample to aid their selection process.

Great prizes were won on the Tombola and everyone seemed to enjoy their Harvest day with pumpkin works of art being gingerly carried home by the children artists.

The weather might try, but it never spoils a Dig In event!

Thanks to all those who came to make the event such a success. In total, we had 72 people, comprising 37 adults and 35 children, plus our team of hardy volunteers who made it all possible.

Helen

Photo images © Sharon Pickering and Chris Davis

See more event photos on our Facebook page.

Pumpkin Day 2012

Special thanks to Chris Davis for the video presentation.

Here are some of the sample of pumpkin carving what's been going off today at the allotment. Everybody enjoyed the day from carving into pumpkins and doing the pumpkin activities there and tried food with pumpkin in them. The weather was cold but never rained for the day with the sun coming out in the sky. There's different form of shape and colour, which makes them look different and stands out quite well together too.

A big thank you to Tracey Lloyd of Groundwork and everyone who volunteered to make the event a great success. A poem was also commissioned specially for the event, which was written and performed by Dave Wood;

Soup De Doop (mp3 audio format) © Dave Wood 2012

Congratulations to the winners of the pumpkin contest;

Largest pumpkin: Roy Oldershaw.
Best dressed pumpkin: Mickey Jones (8)
Most unusual pumpkin: Claire Swain