THE POTIMARRON PROJECT Please let me introduce to you our friend The Potimarron

Back in 1989, 18 years ago, in Stratford upon Avon when the Potimarron Revolution took off in UK.

Peter Chin Kean Choy (above) teaches t'ai chi among rows of pumpkin 'Potimarron'. He urges gardeners to donate some of their crop to homeless shelters and save seeds for friends to grow

Gluts and DROUGHTS are an inevitable part of vegetable gardening, as it is almost impossible to estimate exactly how many tomato or runner-bean plants are needed to feed a family. Divination apart, and without an accurate prediction of how weather will affect crops, the only thing that can be relied on is that there will be excesses and shortfalls. Most people err on the generous side, and may spend half the summer bottling, freezing and pickling their harvest, before the time comes to give away their surplus crops; but there are good causes that can benefit.

Peter Chin Kean Choy, an energetic t'ai chi teacher living in Devon, has chosen to harness overabundance and the benevolence of gardeners for the greater good. He has made it his mission to encourage people all over the world to take a new approach to vegetable growing and to use their gluts to help their communities.

Peters vegetable of choice is the pumpkin cultivar 'Potimarron'. His scheme is simple: he will send free seeds of 'Potimarron' to anyone who asks. In return, he requests that they promise to track down their local

homeless shelter or soup kitchen and donate a proportion of the fruits to them. The seeds of any fruit they themselves eat must be saved and passed on to other gardeners or returned to him for redistribution. It is a simple idea based on trust, but Peter already has about 1,000 gardeners involved in theUK, Europe and the USA.

This is no real surprise when you meet him in person. Peter is a ball of energy and enthusiasm, and clearly loves his pumpkins. His literature calls them 'a fruit veggie of the heart, body, mind and soul', and he and his t'ai chi groups often

practise around the plants. The word 'Potimarron' is derived from French. Potiron means pumpkin and marron chestnut: the taste is a combination of both. It is widely grown in France, which is where Peter first encountered it.

He has a great belief in the good nature of gardeners, on which his scheme's success relies. 'Behind every garden is a good heart,' he says. 'All gardeners have a love of the environment, they plan ahead, they are wise. When you see a group of gardeners together it is always friendly and harmonious, but so often they are just patting each other on the back saying, "oh, what a beautiful garden you have". I want to tell them that maybe they can actually do something.'

Peter is most enthused about the idea of feeding people. 'There is a simple solution to the problem of people starving - feed them,' he says, 'People say if you teach a man to fish he will eat for a lifetime, but what if he has no water?' he says. 'Some people have no means and the most simple way to solve the problem is to give them some food. This is the 'Potimarron' revolution.'

Although Peter does have half an eye on solving world hunger, he is most interested in gardeners taking responsibility for local

problems. He takes several 'Potimarron' to his local homeless resource centre, St Petrok's in Exeter, when a new batch ripens. He also includes other produce that is plentiful at the time, as well as a bunch of flowers for the workers. 'Fresh vegetables are expensive, Peter says, 'and people need to eat them every day. 'Potimarron' is particularly useful because it stores for up to 12 months, so can be left on a shelf until the moment it is needed.'

Far-reaching effect

Linda Sillifant (left), chef at St Petrok's, says the donation of fresh food has a far-reaching effect. 'We have a budget for fresh food, but the more that is donated to us, the cheaper we can sell it, and the more likely people are to come in. Once they are through the door we can talk to them about their problems and offer them services such as counselling.'

Alex Green from Crisis Fare Share, which encourages businesses to donate surplus fresh food to centres for homeless people, suggests that gardeners should contact their local council and ask for a list of projects in the area that will accept food donations.

Peter is delighted that gardeners are taking part in the scheme, and hopes to expand it in different ways. He has helped St Petrok's set up an allotment to grow its own food and is starting to work with schools. Many people seem to find his simple, direct approach irresistible. 'Why wait until you feel guilty at Christmas or harvest time to give food?' he says. 'People are hungry now. Nature is abundant, so come on, let's share it!

LlA LEENDERTZ is gardening columnist for The Guardian

Gardeners interested in joining Peter's scheme and growing pumpkin 'Potimarron' should contact him for a batch of seeds.

Peter pregerminates seeds in February or March on damp tissue paper, wrapped in aluminium foil. Kept in a warm dark place they usually germinate within a week. He plants seedlings into small pots, and once they have four leaves, plants them out, at least 1.5m (5ft) apart, into soil enriched with compost or well-rotted manure. Peter suggests gardeners in colder areas grow them in a polytunnel or glasshouse, as fruits need heat to ripen.

Train the large plants over frames 1 to allow light to reach leaves and fruits and to prevent fruits touching the ground, so they are less likely to rot From April onwards, plants require regular watering 2. Each can produce five to eight fruits: stop further fruit production by pruning the plants back, as excess fruits will not reach maturity.

Harvest through July, August and September. Fruits to be stored should be left on the plant until the skins harden. Leave as much stem on the fruit as possible when it is cut: short stems can encourage rot. 'Cure' fruits for at least 10 days in a warm, dry place 3 and they will store for up to 12 months (Peter and local children draw designs on the immature fruit to produce the decorative scarring shown here).

Gardeners taking part in Peter's scheme need to donate 70 per cent of fruits to a local homeless charity. When preparing fruits for cooking, scoop out seeds and wash them, and leave them in a warm place to dry. Give seeds to other gardeners or back to Peter for redistribution.

THE POTIMARRON PROJECT

Please let me introduce to you our friend The Potimarron. The name comes from French ‘Potiron’ (Pumpkin) and Marron’ (Chestnut). It tastes of carrots, chestnut, pumpkin all in one delicious fruit veggie. Potimarron, A FRUIT VEGGIE OF THE HEART, BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT, has been with the Rainbow Tai-Chi energy for the past 20 years. We practised Tai-Chi Chi Kung and meditation around the Potimarron plants. Some countries like Japan even use it medicinally. Our vision of it is GROW IT AND SHARE IT around. It can be kept for 6-9 months!! SOUP KITCHENS in your nearest city and AROUND THE WORLD AWAITS YOU, especially when catastrophes create millions of homeless and hungry people, we can grow and store these fruit veggies and send them on. Today, there are more than 7 MILLION PEOPLE STARVING IN AFRICA AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, what can you do to help? Now is the time to sow them. Potimarron loves rich composted soil, sow them in a tray about an inch deep, water them with love, put a cling film over them and leave them in the sun. And within a few weeks to a month (depending on the temperature of your room, transplant them into little pots and after a few more weeks, prepare to transplant them into nitrogen rich composted soil. Check on them every day during the first 3 weeks to ensure the slugs are kept away. Then, you can either let them run around in the garden on the ground or you can string them up. They love to bask in the sun. Beautiful giant yellow flowers in July and ripens in August and September. When ripened, they are orange reddish. For cooking, use them with other vegetarian recipes. For our delicious recipes, send a donation to help us carry on this work and we will send you a booklet. Send donation to Chi Healing Centre, Creek Farm, Woodland, Ashburton DEVON TQ13 7JY ENGLAND. Website: www.rainbow-taichi.org.uk. Remember to wash and dry the seeds and send them back to us so we can redirect them around the world. THERE IS ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED EVERYONE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW!!! Best Wishes of good health to you, your friends and family. With loving chi, CHOY

Some people may query what is my motivation, behind this project. When I read and heard about how many large corporations were dumping wheat and other food into the sea to keep the prices of food up, I was horrified. On one side of the continent, millions of people went to bed suffering from malnutrition and hunger and on another side, they were dumping food. I even approached farmers and the supermarkets to donate food for the soup kitchens and offered to be a liaison with Charitable Organisations like the Salvation Army and Churches offering soup kitchens, so far the farmers and supermarkets I have contacted have refused. I also discovered that research shows that on average, supermarkets have a minimum of 5% waste in their fresh produce every single day. I am hopeful that one day some farmers and supermarket managers will make that step. I admit my stubbornness started when I was young. When I was a teenager helping my father manage a Chinese restaurant, I refused to give good food at the end of the day to pigs and so, I went nearly every night to go and find beggars in the city to feed them with the remaining food of the kitchen. When my mother offered to have a big birthday party for me on my 12th birthday, I said I would consent only if beggars too would be invited. She refused and I refused. It is one of my childhood ambitions to do my best to help people who are starving.

I have tested the pilot project OF GROWING POTIMARRON and donating 70-80% of my produce to soup kitchens and the poor. The remainder is for me and my family and friends. The soup kitchens in the cities of Plymouth and Exeter have received vegetables from me over the past 3 years. I have felt terribly upset and tearful every time I see how undernourished so many of the homeless and hungry people are at these soup kitchens. My gifts to the kitchen have always been unconditional. I have never asked for payment or for favours of any kind. Just to see the smiles on the faces of the cooks and the people who are fed better is enough satisfaction to me. I feel gladness in my heart and I sleep better knowing that a few more people have been fed better every day. Even if you do not have a garden, you can share an allotment with a friend or help a neighbour to grow the potimarron and help feed a hungry world. The hungry person in the world is a part of you, when you feed them, you feed aspects of you. If the people in the street get together to be serious about giving, their hearts can lead the way to love the people by sharing food. Food is the outer manifestation of divine love. We all need it, especially the hungry ones. Hear the calling from your heart right now! The arms race for war can be replaced with arms racing to grow nourishing love, peace and joy.

We had the wonderful visit of Amanda and Franz from South Africa who took Potimarron Seeds back to South Africa to share with gardeners and schools to grow them. I am quite excited to hear how they will do, because November December is the start of their growing season. Exciting!! Best of luck to them both and wishing them all the very best in all their own projects too.

The Royal Horticultural Society Magazine will be visiting the School in August this year to do an article on the Potimarron Project. Here are some recent photos of the Potimarron growing at the school. When young, the fruit can be drawn and the drawing enlarges at the same time as the fruit grows.

Love - Jeremy

dear choy,

have just been out to watch the full moon rising and it came up looking just like your picture of a potimarron with a face on it - big and round and orange. just had to let you know.

since the garden open-evening i have at last been able to make myself sit out there and be. have had three lovely days relaxing in the shade of my apple trees, being overwhelmed by the beauty and colour of all the flowers around me and my great fortune in having such a wonderful life. have also been doing a lot of tai chi and reading your books again, so am feeling really rejuvenated.

a few poems came into my head whilst out there today, one of which follows because it might give you a laugh:

A True Story

A dove here in my garden
I'm calling 'Silly Coo'
Because of its behaviour
Which must be something new.

For hours on end this morning
It carried twigs and straw
Into the tree beside the house
Nest-building, I was sure.

Eventually I went to look
To see what I could see -
I couldn't quite believe my eyes
For there, up in the tree

Sat Mrs Dove upon a branch
With twigs and straw around,
Some under her, some halfway down
And lots more on the ground.

She didn't move while Silly Coo
Was giving of his best
And working hard for all his worth
To build his mate a nest.

Perhaps she'd had to lay an egg
And now it needs support.
Did they not learn whilst growing up
The value of forethought?!

love to you and christine, pat c

I am happy to share some GOOD NEWS FROM POTIMARRON GARDENERS. Thank you for your feedback, your questions and keep growing and keep sharing the fruits and your knowledge about potimarron with friends and your local soup kitchens. This is my response to a recent letter from Lysana.

Hello Lysana,

WELL DONE, WELL DONE! It is such a joy to me to hear that you have put some heartfelt energy into the growing of this marvellous veggie fruit. You did it.

To answer your queries -

How do I know when they are ready to pick?
It is usually the main plant and the stem attached to the fruit that you have to look at.
When the stem attached to the fruit looks and feels hard and strong, it is like as if the umbilical cord
of a baby is naturally ready to detach and fall off, then, you can help it to release by cut it. The bit of stem (about three quarters of an inch) that connects to the fruit should be left intact, this helps the fruit to keep for long periods, up to
a year! It is also good to leave it in the sun to dry the stem above the fruit. With some fruits, I also like to cut a bit farther, so you actually see the leaves of the plant with the fruit. It is so beautiful, makes you feel like taking photos of the plant.

The color of the fruit ranges from bright orange red to slightly yellow orangish, depending if there has been any cross pollination with courgettes or pumpkins, thanks to the hard working bees! If given its own freedom to grow in its own section of the garden, the pure potimarron will look like a rugby size (some even bigger) football and look orangish red, with some faint stripes falling gently across it vertically speaking.

How do I know if they have ripe seed that can be saved?
Usually, when the fruit ripens nicely, you get also the seeds that are fatty boom boom, nice seeds! The seeds look also full and lovely. The seeds that are thin, scraggy and when pressed are like empty shells, you know there is no life in them. Wash it lightly in a sieve under the tap and then, dry them over the radiator or sun. They do need to be quite dry, otherwise, they rot when they go into any enclosed envelope or container.

Will you be sending out more seed next year if mine are not fertile for some reason?
Yes. SEND YOUR ADDRESS AGAIN.

So looking forward to tasting the Potimarron and sending some to feed less fortunate local people. Such a wonderful thing you have initiated.
Thank you. I also hope to set up a Charity to run this project and let it grow world wide. It is urgently needed. If you want to be part of this Charity, do let us know.

The conference in Jo'burg is the beginning of an increased awareness of the plight of the millions of people going hungry, I hope, and will bring about positive changes.
Yes, if more people do their own little part, like ants, we can carry the responsibility for the world's hungry millions. Quite a heavy load for any one organisation to do it alone.

I will put some pictures in the website to show clearer the answers to your queries. Your questions are very helpful to bring out more helpful advice that we can pass around to other Potimarron Gardeners. Well done. Keep sending in any more queries if and when you have them.

Best wishes for a nutritious life

RECENT PICTURES OF THE POTIMARRON GROWING AT THE RAINBOW TAI-CHI SCHOOL, SUMMER TO SEPTEMBER 2002

Photo below: First signs of the potimarron fruit veggie, they love the sky. Bees on the alert, here we come!!

Photo below: And this beautiful baby one loves the ground, notice a bit of string attached initially to help the plant climb.

Above and below: Picture above is an enlargement of the part of the picture below with focus on the tendrils and string support. Notice the potimarron tendrils can be quite strong and can support a heavy potimarron fruit veggie

Photo Below: Potimarron not ready yet to be cut at the stem. Wait for a week more perhaps.

Photo below: Now, this one has the perfect color and is ready for cutting at the stem.

Photo below: Notice the blade ready to cut the potimarron stem, cut it just above the stem. The fruit is not perfectly orange but it is ready!

Photo below: And this beautiful one too, notice how the leaves are starting to wither. Lovely orangish color! Plastic cover to protect early baby plants from cold and harsh winds.

Below: Some of the early Potimarron from Summer 2002 at Tai-Chi School organic gardens ready for sharing with everyone, including the local soup kitchens!! Hooray!

Below: And now pick a lovely potimarron, cut it in half and dig out the seeds. Have a nice meal with it! I just had some potimarron cut in small pieces in my noodle soup, delicious!

Photo below: Dry it over the radiator or by a window sill close to warm sunshine.

Photo below: Hey presto, they are ready to send to us for worldwide distribution. Keep the potimarron revolution going!

Vegetable Bouillon to your own taste (packet suggests 2 slightly rounded tsp per pint)

1 Start by cutting the top and tail off the potimarron and cutting it in half. IMPORTANT: Now take out the seeds and put them to one side for returning to The Rainbow Tai Chi School for redistribution, keeping some for yourself if necessary and to pass to gardening friends, neighbours, relatives.

2 Now you can either peel it, or chop it up first, then boil for approx 10 minutes or bake it (in olive or toasted sesame oil) for 20-30 minutes, and peel it once it’s cooked which is much easier (or you can leave the skin on) - so many options!

3 Chop and boil (or bake) the potatoes, which take slightly longer than the potimarron.

4 If you boil the potimarron, use some of the water to prepare the base of the soup with the vegetable bouillon.

5 Using a hand held blender, blend the cooked potatoes and potimarron to the desired consistency.