The local food share initiative, Crop Drop, has released new marketing to encourage even more gardeners to take part.

Their new posters highlight the need for more contributions across the Somer Valley.

The project shares excess produce with local food campaigns, community cafes and larders who use the fruit and vegetables to create meals or add to food parcels.

They currently help the Swallow Cafe in Radstock. Tara Howell from that project said: "They like to see produce that has been home grown, brought in, prepared (by them) and then made into meals. They enjoy talking about meal planning with the different varieties of fruit and veg and always willing to try even though some of them are unusual and they have never seen or used or even tasted before."

With CropDrop volunteer drivers transport excess produce to charity projects that provide food, alleviating food poverty across Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES).

They link allotments and food projects within the same area to help strengthen communities and minimise the food miles of the allotment produce.

Even during the lockdowns the initiative, over just four months, 1,700kg

of fruit and vegetables were 'dropped' - a total of 21,000 meals.

What started as an idea between a representative of growers and a food poverty officer for B&NES council, has now achieved 158 drops from 17 sources to 21 recipients through the support of 4 volunteer project coordinators and 13 volunteer drivers.

To find out more click HERE : the Crop Drop end of year summary