The Landshare Team are chuffed and basking in the reflective glory of Hugh winning Campaigner of the Year in the 2010 Observer Ethical Awards for his work on Landshare.  The Grassroots category winner was Abundance.

Hugh met Abundance last year, but I have to admit I’d not come across them before.  Their growing grassroots project has teams of volunteers across the UK harvesting the seasonal glut of local fruit like apples, pear and plums that otherwise might go unpicked in urban areas.  

Strange as it may seem, this happens a lot; either because people don’t notice the fruit, they can’t physically get up to them or there are just too many. Once harvested, the volunteers then distribute the fruit to community cafes, nurseries and individuals or make it into fruit juice, jams and chutneys.

Abundance started in Sheffield, but now has groups in Manchester, Nottingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and West Ealing.  It's one of those things when you hear of it you think “of course, brilliant idea!”   If you like it too, they’ve put together a Handbook on how to do it where you live (just click on the icon to download).

Here on Eigg we’ve got our own gluts already – lettuce (being shared with the local tearoom), rocket (likewise) and the courgettes are not far behind.  Maybe Landshare should have a glut-ometer, to find out which is the most prolific fruit or veg to task the culinary skills of the nation, as we all hunt recipe books and websites for yet another thing to do with apples, courgettes, cucumbers or whatever?

In the meantime, congratulations to Hugh, to Abundance and all the other winners in the Observer Ethical Awards 2010.