Garlic Shoots

Shoots vs Shoots

When garlic begins to grow, the shoots start to protrude from the top of the clove. For amateur growers and professional farmers alike, this is a re-assuring sign that the crop cycle has begun.

The garlic shoot to which we refer in this article is actually a photo shoot, at The Garlic Farm. When the clients of the outdoor marketing specialists 'Active Content Partners' were given a choice of locations to photograph their high-end cycling kit, they chose the Isle of Wight above Norway's Fjords and Italy's Dolomites.

MCM All-Road Bikes

Tasked with authentic road-test trials of the specialist bikes, clothing, and equipment in harsh conditions; Tim Wiggins and his team set off from Little Mersley farmhouse before first light. Charged with covering plenty of miles over mixed surfaces, the riders were using MCM All-Road bikes from Cipollini. The freedom afforded by these bikes that cope with on-road as well as off-road suited the country lanes and tracks that surround The Garlic Farm.

The Ride

Bouncing between hypothermia and over-heating is a challenge with off-season endurance cycling, but a good mix of protection and breathability was supplied by the clothing partner for this trip. Alé Cycling have a collection called Klimatik that focusses on comfort in challenging weather.

Spinning the pedals at high cadence is a good way to keep the blood pumping on a cold day and stiff, light shoes are a must on big days. DMT supplied the high-spec race shoes for this adventure; and over 300 miles no-one put a foot wrong.

End of the Road

The 'trickle-down-effect' from professional to amateur is a not unique to either cycling or garlic growing. Just as weekend riders doing 20 sunny miles will look to bikes and kit used in extreme 150-mile races, kitchen gardeners wanting a reliable crop of garlic will look to proven varieties that are grown on a commercial scale.

Through many decades of trial and error we know what garlic is going to shoot well, and by welcoming Tim and friends to stay at the self-catering holiday cottages and yurts on The Garlic Farm, we now know that garlic shoots also work here!