All About Home and Garden

We are all starting to think more and more about the effects our actions have on the planet, and the legacy we are leaving for our children. We hear about this 'carbon footprint' expression and recalling it reminds us to turn the power off on our TV before we go to bed at night and make sure we only use as much water in the kettle as we're really going to need. We think about our travel, and whether we could cycle to work instead of drive, or take a bus. How many of us really think about what we eat and the effects that may have?

For most of us, the thoughts we give to the food we choose in the supermarket is probably based firstly on price and bargain, and then healthiness and fat content. Very few take the time to look a little more closely at the label to check where the food might come from. Our fruit and vegetables in particular are shipped in front all the corners of the globe and some fruit make very long distance journeys before they arrive on the supermarket shelf.

On these long journeys that some fruit and vegetables go through, the carbon footprint and impact on the environment does not just stop at the energy used in the aircraft or freight. There are other factors that are also important if the fruit and vegetables are to get to the supermarket shelf fresh enough. Considerations have to be made to keep the fruit and vegetables fresh enough to sit on the supermarket shelf for a few days and then possibly in your kitchen for a few days more. So the speed from which the fruit is picked and cropped, to the time it is on that shelf ready to buy, coupled with the manner in which it's transported are vital considerations. These considerations include keeping the fruit and vegetables transported in coolers, all of which require energy to regulate, and at speed which requires still more energy.

So something that we might not think about very often, even as responsible people who care about their environment and try to do their bit, can have a still have a huge impact. So what can we do?

Polytunnels are the answer! You might see them in the landscape as you drive into the depths of the countryside on your bank holiday break, and there are mixed opinions about them. Some people hate them and think they are an eyesore, others understand the benefits they have for the fruit and vegetable farmer and like them.

A polytunnel extends the growing season for fruit farmers from May to mid-Autumn where it used to be limited to just the months of June and July. This means that British Berries can dominate in a market that used to be dependent on imports from other countries all over the world. It also keeps wastage down and labour costs more manageable, meaning that British produce can compete against once cheaper imports.

So next time you go to buy your fruit and vegetables, think about where they've come from and where possible buy British. While you're in that check-out line, think to yourself that you can thank the polytunnel for the fruit your buying and the reduced impact you're now having on the environment.

You could even reduce your impact further by growing your own fruit and vegetables in your own garden polytunnel. Choose a garden greenhouse polytunnel that is made to field scale professional standards, from a reputable growing company.

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