Harvest festival: some decent Wassailing can have some impressive results when it comes to fruit crops

Sutton Community Farm will open its gates later this month to welcome the public to its Winter Warmer event.

Dig for victory: there’s plenty of opportunity to buy and taste the farm’s veg crop

There will be a Bar-BQ, and hot food, cakes and drinks will be available to buy.

And the ancient community practice of Wassailing will take place, with farm members singing and making noise to encourage fruitful trees in the year ahead.

Sutton Community Farm is a seven-acre mixed crop fruit and veg farm located in the Little Woodcote Estate in Wallington. Community-owned, the farm is run by around 80 local volunteers who get involved in all areas of farm activities.

The Winter Warmer event will be held on Saturday January 27 from 10am to 4pm, showcasing the farm and giving people a chance to learn more about sustainable food growing at a commercial scale, and come together as a community in the winter.

This is a great chance for members of the public to come to the farm to:

• Join an hour-long farm tour
• Eat delicious food
• Get involved in singing a wassail together to celebrate our fruit trees
• Try different varieties of apples
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Get involved in pond dipping
• Take part in our compost disco
• Find out more information about our online farm shop and volunteering opportunities
• Enjoy spending time on our lovely farm in the middle of winter

The online farm shop is how the farm generates income as a community enterprise, delivering to more than 400 households each week throughout south London and Surrey.

Farm pitch: Wassailing with visitors at the Community Farm’s Winter Warmer harks back to old English agricultural traditions and superstitions

• Tickets for the Winter Warmer need to be booked in advance, via Eventbrite.
• Tickets are £5 for adults, £2 for those on low incomes. Children under-18 are free.

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