Rosehip Collectors Club Badges

Amid the rationing woes of the Second World War, the British Ministry of Food hatched an ingenious plan to boost the nation's vitamin C intake. Their secret weapon? Wild rosehips. These vitamin powerhouses can contain as much as 20 times the vitamin C of an orange. But here's the catch: you had to be a forager.

The Ministry issued leaflets like the 'Hedgerow Harvest’ and the months of September and October became prime time for foraging. The initiative involved the entire community. Children became expert rosehip hunters, earning around three to four old pence for every pound they picked. They quickly learned to weigh their rosehips when they were freshly picked, when they were heavier than after they’d begun to dry out!

Each young forager also received a special card to tally their bounty. If they gathered enough, they earned badges, including a 'Merit of Award' badge for the top collectors. Then, the nation’s rosehips were preserved as syrup to last the year.

So next time life hands you a citrus-shortage, you know what to make. We think they’d make the perfect object for the forager in your life!