Exchange and to-Mart-o

Keen gardeners in Shrosphire are being urged to exchange a glut of fruit and vegetables to prevent them going to waste.

Shrophirestar.com is launching Vegetable Swop, a scheme where residents can email us with details of their surplus produce and be put in touch with others who would like to trade.

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The scheme has already won support from Church Stretton and District Gardening Club member John Lloyd, who was also a long-serving former Green Party councillor at South Shropshire District Council.

Mr Lloyd said: "It's a very sensible idea - providing it is localised. The idea should be that people trade with one another locally. Obviously, it would be self-defeating to have people from Ludlow travelling to Whitchurch to exchange fruit or vegetables. That would have a negative effect on the

environment because of the food miles.

"So what we want to see are people who are able to exchange a surplus of one thing for a surplus of another with those that live fairly nearby."

Fruit and vegetable growers across Shropshire are expecting healthy crops of fruit this summer because the combination of heavy rain and dry, sunny periods has provided good growing conditions.

Shropshire Star reporter Andy Richardson said: "We've had a bumper harvest of plums this year, not to mention a good crop of redcurrants earlier in summer.

"We always try to give away our surplus, but exchanging them with other people who would like them seems to be a bright idea."

Readers who have a surplus of fruit, vegetables, herbs or late-flowering flowers can send an email to us here at shropshirestar.com, and we will put your details and contact email online.

Simply tell us what you have to offer and where you are based by clicking here, and we'll put you in touch with other swoppers.