On Monday 9 March Kathy Slack gave an interesting and engaging talk entitled Grow Yourself Happy to a good turnout of members .
She charted how growing vegetables helped her restore her mental health following a breakdown while working in the advertising industry. Wry, self-deprecating and always amusing she highlighted the many ways getting your hands in the soil helps people stay ‘grounded’. This prompted a lively debate amongst the audience who asked lots of questions.
Kathy Slack is a cook, veg grower and author of two books, Rough Patch and From The Veg Patch. Now she works full time writing and developing recipes, hosting supper clubs and cookery demonstrations with harvests from her veg patch, food styling and developing recipes for various brands and publications. She has a column in Borough Market’s award-winning magazine, Market Life, as well as a regular slot on BBC Radio Oxford. Kathy has won the Young British Foodie award and the Soil Association’s Best Blog award. You can find more of her writing at kathyslack.com, where she posts about the gluts from her veg patch and the ensuing gluttony in the kitchen.