Mike Woodhouse, Friend of Farm raises record-breaking £2,000 from his annual plant sale. 

Mike from Wiveton on the north Norfolk coast has been running his plant and produce stall for the past seven years and its success seems to know no bounds.

Initially the offshoot of a gardening project at Beeston Hall School, it is now stocked from a small nursery in the village with herbs, shrubs, flowers, fresh vegetables and bunches of sweet peas.

The stall is situated on Wiveton’s village green, in front of the church. It is a beautiful setting and customers are reported to come from far and wide when news gets out that the stall is position in May.  

All donations are made in aid of Farm Africa. Mike collects the funds every few days and is always overwhelmed with the generosity shown by customers choosing their plants, often deciding to donate more than the suggested prices. Since the plant sale started, the stall has consistently raised over £1,000 a year, and this year has hit a record-breaking £2,000!

The recent success is largely down to the hard work put in last summer when a new barrow was built to replace the rather dilapidated bed frame that had served as the stall for some years. The barrow was constructed with the help of two young pupils from Beeston Hall School – Arthur and Oscar, and they also help to grow plants and restock the stall throughout the early summer months.

The supply of plants for the stall has depended heavily on friendly local gardeners donating seeds, cuttings and divisions, and their generosity as well as that of the whole community is very much appreciated.

Farm Africa’s Community Fundraising Manager, Sarah Goddard, said:

“On behalf of the communities our work is supporting in eastern Africa, I’d like to thank Mike and the local community of Wiveton for their ongoing generosity. The plant sale has been a ‘flowering success’ and you are all truly helping to change lives of farmers in Africa.”