Less people celebrate Harvest Festival, reveals YouGov survey

23rd September 2010, 11:53am

A survey by YouGov has found that more than 80% of people in the UK no longer celebrate Harvest Festival - and over half of those that do mark the occasion by taking dried or tinned food gifts to school or church.

The survey was commissioned by the Eat Seasonably campaign, funded by Defra, which encourages people to reconnect with the food they eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables at their seasonal best.

The study looked at how people acknowledge harvest and how they celebrate it.

Of the 20% of people who celebrate harvest festival by taking tinned or dried food gifts to church or school, over half (54%) listed baked beans as one of their agricultural offerings.

However, the survey found that less than a third (29%) of those who said they mark harvest celebrate by taking fruit and vegetables to school – the traditional offerings - suggesting a decline in awareness of the origins of harvest.

Lisa Faulkner, winner of Celebrity Masterchef 2010, has joined the campaign this year bringing with her "a heightened appreciation for fresh, seasonal produce".

Faulkner said: "It's a shame that tinned goods feature so highly at harvest time when there is a real chance to make the most of the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables at this time of the year."

Harvest celebrations traditionally marked the end of the agricultural year where crops were gathered and the farmer could repay his workers with seasonal food, drink and entertainment in a harvest supper.

It evolved as a chance to give thanks for the abundance of fruit and vegetables available and make offerings to the less fortunate.

Director general of the National Trust Dame Fiona Reynolds said: "Growing up with processed food and fruit and vegetables available all year means we've lost our knowledge of what's in season.

"Eating more seasonably means the produce is at its tastiest and often cheaper and a great step towards thinking about the food we eat in a more sustainable way."

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Anne

04 October 2010 at 8:51am

I'm astonished by this. I work with a small group of women who run a website called Make it and Mend it and our pages are full of stories about people making their own jam, growing their own vegetables and fruit,baking, sharing recipes etc. Maybe the festival is failing to attract this new breed of harvesters?

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