7:20am Thursday 9th September 2010
By Emma Dunn
WHEN famer Rowie Meers needed something to help support her galia melons while they were growing, she found the answer was right under her nose.
Rowie, of Purton House Organics, realised the answer to the problem was bras and has been asking her female customers to send in their unwanted brassieres this summer.
The 45-year-old found the melons were hanging too low and needed something to hoist them up when she started growing them earlier this year.
“We had such a fantastic crop of galia melons and I was struggling to stop them swinging too low. We needed something to suspend them,” she said.
“My eureka moment came as I looked down – the answer was under my nose. I thought ‘Let’s use bras because they suspend my melons very well so let’s use them for this.’”
Rowie now uses around 40 bras to suspend the fruits and said everyone has been very supportive.
“My customers got involved and we’ve probably got enough now,” she said.
”We appreciate their support in more ways than one. A size D cup bra is probably the best size.”
Rowie has been running the farm for 18 years. She tried growing melons 10 years ago without much success and decided to give it another go after her apprentice suggested it.
She heard about using the underwear a few years ago but dismissed the idea.
“Someone said it a long time ago and I thought it was a bit of a joke,” she said.
The farm has been selling the melons in fruit boxes and plans to do it again next year with both galias and watermelons.
“This is run by women and we want women working on their own and that’s something else we’re trying to push,” she said.
Purton House Organics produces more than 250 vegetable boxes and 60 fruit boxes a week, as well as monthly meat boxes.
Visitors can see the suspended melons at an open day on Saturday.
There will also be a farm tour, mini farmers’ market, bouncy castle, and hot food, teas, coffees and cakes, and guests will get the chance to meet the alpacas, chickens, cows, calves and Bully the bull.
The day runs from 11am until 4pm. For more information visit www.purtonhouseorganics.co.uk.
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