At the end of last month Cultivate commissioned Poet and Actor, David Reakes from Tor Theatre to write a poem around the food story of buying local, thinking local and thanking the community for shopping in their local farm shops and businesses.

Teaming up with one of our active members, North Perrott Fruit Farm, we arranged a schedule of performances one foggy November morning to brighten and lift spirits of some of their customers in Crewkerne, South Pertherton, Misterton and North and South Perrott.

Along with their home delivery of local food, the poem was performed on customers’ doorsteps to enjoy from the comfort of their own home. We visited five households and focused on those living alone or with little human interaction since the pandemic began.

The poem was untitled Bags versus Boxes – watch it here

The reactions were heart-warming, here are just some of them:

Bob - “How lovely, you’ve brightened my day - it would be so much better if you could come in for a cup of tea”

Anne - “Thank you so very much, you have just reminded me I need to buy some radishes”

Mr Sherlicker - “That’s different, so clever - thank you”

Barbara - “I like poetry, it’s lifted my spirits”

Pam - “After the news today we all need a bit of this, it has made me feel so much better - thank you so much, I can’t say it enough”

Cultivate plans to work with Somerset Food on 15 January 2021 in another pilot project of Doorstep Poetry.