CHARITY sponsorship can come in all sorts of forms.
But, few fundraisers will have asked people to adopt a potato.
That is exactly what Islanders have been doing though as part of a scheme to raise money for a local cooking charity.
Almost £2,000 has been raised for Caring Cooks through the Jersey Royal Company’s ‘Adopt a Row’ fundraiser, which encouraged people pay to £50 to sponsor a plot of farming land on which the beloved spuds will be grown over the next few months and then delivered to their doorsteps in April.
A grand total of 38 rows were sold, amounting to £1,900 raised for the charity.
Adopters received:
- A gift pack including a welcome letter, personalised certificate confirming their row and Jersey Royal recipe cards
- A personalised marker in the field to mark their row
- Exclusive updates and videos from planting through to harvest
- 10kg of freshly harvested Jersey Royals delivered to their door in April, with sharing bags provided for them to fill and gift.
Adrian Baudains, farm director at the Jersey Royal Company, said: “We hope this initiative will connect with our loyal customers, as they get a behind the scenes look into our growing practices and get to own a part of something special from the start, all the while helping to raise funds for a worthwhile local charity.
“Jersey Royals are highly anticipated every year by foodies across the UK, and this initiative helps to promote the seasonality of fresh produce and the full journey from field to fork.”
Caring Cooks offer a number of services to provide Islanders food support in the form of nutritious meals and food vouchers. They work in schools across Jersey to educate children and parents on how to eat well on a budget, and provide balanced and affordable school lunches for a number of local schools.
Yvonne Corbin, chief executive for Caring Cooks added: “It was such a brilliant initiative. Bringing together local produce, community support and charitable giving in a really accessible way.
“We were delighted to be chosen as the beneficiary and hope it is something Jersey Royal Company will consider running again in the future.”
The funds raised will help the charity to continue their work supporting children and families across the island, including providing practical food support via their Food and Fuel Voucher scheme this winter.
