Raymond Blanc backs 'Go Organic' scheme

The campaign also aims to urge people to support the work of Garden Organic's Heritage Seed Library (HSL) in its battle to conserve rare vegetable varieties that are under threat of extinction. People can 'Go Organic' by hosting a sponsored dinner or lunch for friends and family where the menu is made up, in part, of organic ingredients. The guests will then be encouraged to make a donation that will be passed on to Garden Organic to fund the work of its Heritage Seed Library. Blanc, who grows and serves vegetables from Garden Organic's HSL collection at his restaurant, Le Manoir, has devised a series of exclusive recipes for those taking part in the scheme. He commented: "No matter what your ability, anyone can get involved – we are not talking cordon bleu standard meals. And the dishes you make don't have to be totally organic, it just needs to have some ingredients which are organic. Not only will it help raise much needed funds to support the work of the charity but people can also share with their friends and family just how tasty organic food really is." A massive 98% of vegetable varieties have vanished over the last 100 years. The varieties in the HSL include all types of common vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, beans, peas and onions. Myles Bremmer, chief executive of Garden Organic, touched on the advantages of growing your own produce: "By growing your own, you can be sure only natural inputs have gone into your produce and the environment hasn't been damaged in the process. Your food will be fresher than fresh, only travelling from your back door or windowsill before it hits your plate and you'll be reducing your carbon footprint significantly." To date, HSL has saved 800 varieties of vegetables from the verge of extinction. Weblink: www.gardenorganic.org.uk