Frome growers contend with an anomalous autumn [WFJ #41]

How climate change is affecting what they grow and what we eat

Vallis Farm’s market garden

More than a year ago, when Devon-based organic veg box company Riverford planned their 2022 growing season, they took into account the then high demands for cooking from scratch. That, in conjunction with the mild autumn we’re currently having, has left them knee-deep in Savoy cabbages, cauliflowers, kale, and leeks – but no one to eat them.

Similar has been felt among growers local to Frome. November in the South West of England tends to bring temperatures hovering between 6 and 12°C. But, less than a week before the time of writing, at times it’s more like 18°C, and the weirdly warm weather is reflected in growers’ usual seasonal crop.