We all like potatoes, whether as chips or plain boiled or roast or whatever. Some of us, with a bit of garden, wish we had the energy to grow our own, but are shy of all that hard delving. Easier to buy them. Now there is hope for the indolent among us. For a programme just come through the post brings hope with "nodig" beds for spuds. This is in the programme of events for the year from the Organic Centre at Rossinver, Co Leitrim. Under Open Days and Events 2000 is Sunday, March 12th, described as Potato Day. It starts at 2 p.m. (admission £3, or family £8) and time will be given to looking at different varieties of seed and cultivation techniques. "For those of you who shy away from the hard work of the `lazy bed' system, there is the easier option of `no-dig' potato beds, which will be demonstrated on the day." That is the best of news for some of us work-shy or feeble gardeners. And there is a lot more. The last item on the sheet is an Organic Fair on Saturday, September 23rd, when the centre plays host to Irish organic producers and suppliers. There could be a great range including cheese, yogurt, wine, beef, poultry and lamb - as well as, presumably, a variety of vegetables and fruit. Admission £5.
The range of courses and events is tremendous and caters for those who know little and would like to start, perhaps, their own organic kitchen garden. There is a complete course in this offered over three days, with intervals between. Or there is a one-day course costing £45. A young couple who did a one-day course wished they had time to do more. Their garden is an example of condensed ingenuity with vegetables, fruit and flowers and they would like to have more time at Rossinver. Not only eatables are included in the courses. Starting soon, February 19th and 20th, for example, is a two-day course on practical hedge management. "Hedges are a traditional, beautiful and environmentally friendly way of creating field boundaries." Neil Foulkes of the CRANN hedgerow project gives the course. On February 26th there is a one-day course on planting a small woodland. The centre is a non-profitmaking organisation with the support of many institutions and individuals: FAS, Department of Agriculture, The International Fund for Ireland and local sources. Phone 072 54338. Y