We now have a new lease for the 1/3rd acre Communigrow garden at Ditton, Kent, within the East Malling Research Centre and Trust. They are wonderfully supportive with a desire for us to progress from the community allotments of the last two years to a full market garden and so we have the option for the entire 9 acres over time.
This project has its roots in Betsy's 'Joining Hands' group of community enterprises based in Ashford. With her hard work and net-work she has raised the support of the Trust, secured this area for community use and worked it with huge success since the spring of 2011. Though the growing may be quite individual from her main craft projects part of our aim is to bring them all together with the new skills centre on and off site around Ditton, East Malling, and Maidstone.
Additionally we now have the prospect of new volumes of produce to grow at the site and a very varied range of crops from potatoes to lavender. Unlike most community orientated food producing projects we aim to grow staple vegetables as an essential part of our scope of produce for distribution to our members rather than simply concentrate on higher value salads grown under plastic for putting into boxes of vegetables which are mostly brought-in from farms further afield. To minimise brought-in produce with seasonal production that may be more appropriate to our aims as all our surplus vegetables will then go to Food Access projects. These run in certain inner London Boroughs by co-operative enterprises specifically working to improve the diet and health of families who may not otherwise consider fresh fruit and veg as a priority to their budget.
For further information the East Malling Community Supported Market Garden, membership and support contact Laurence
and join us at Facebook http://www.facebook.com/LondonCSA
and http://www.facebook.com/groups/Communigrow/
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
for market gardening at Park Farm
Brief description:
There is one line that sums up the idea, "We are
never going to be able to afford local, sustainably raised food without doing
it for ourselves"
Inspired by the ever increasing interest in good local
food with a desire to exhibit best community engagement it is essential to
promote shared knowledge, experiences and resources to be viable. We aim big by
networking skills and resources and work small to each locality between
‘Patchwork’ sites.
Networking sets out to maximise returns for a site in
isolation. Returns being assessed and valued on social inclusion through
engagement, sustainable use of our limited resources, conservation and exchange
value for all our labour and production. This network may provide what an
individual site needs as and when it may be needed.
Establishing new Community Supported Agriculture projects
(CSA) is vital to the longer term viability of each site. We aim to produce
quality vegetables, fruit, nursery plants and grafted trees using sustainable
methods only along with unusual and hard to source ethnic foods for the
communities involved as well as staples.
Building
on the experience
of Joining Hands to continue and
expand the community function off site beyond food with Art and crafts. Off site facilities which include basket making, spinning, weaving and a
host of food associated crafts,
jams, chutney etc with further expanded
growing for arts and crafts, including dried flowers, herbs and oils. Sustainability
and Conservation is crucial to all.
Membership open to the local community and from further
afield with a rolling programme of workdays to enable individuals and groups to
become involved in as many aspects of growing as possible. Surplus would be
sold direct to the broader community and wholesale in partnership through
established food access initiatives in Hackney, Greenwich and Newham. They
would take all surplus vegetables we could produce and pay a fair price.
Currently we cultivate the acre site at East Malling,
Kent with the aim to bring a further 2 acres up to market garden standard this
season. Further sites in Kent and London may be added where possible, with over
40 acres of disused land and many more of underused parks and gardens in one
London borough alone. The scope may be simply enormous.
Communigrow started in 2011 with the support of a well
renowned research centre in Kent. A social enterprise working to create a
community growing project for the benefit of young people and families
interested in growing their own produce affordably and sustainably. We are
always looking to improve our services and the work we do and so find the
natural progression to a viable Community Supported Agriculture project
essential to the demands of a large market garden of over one hectare with added
diversity of craft and associated produce. We work with schools and community
groups to enable individuals of any age or background to participate in unique
and innovative, land-based, experiences.
The community is very much part of the ‘Joining Hands’
team. After membership and initial introduction at a team meeting an
induction allows all of our volunteers
to develop with our organisation and learn by being part of the on-going
projects on offer. There are free courses and training opportunities for all of
our volunteers, as well as staff, ranging from health and safety training to CV
writing and Health and Social Care Certificates and diplomas. By joining you
are sharing your talents and abilities as well as learning from experienced
professionals and enhancing your future career opportunities.
Community involvement may be summed up as follows:
- membership to new CSA
- Subscription to CSA functions
- on and off site outreach for all produce, facilities and training
- vegetables and produce grown at discounted rates
- basic skills days on site with outreach events and talks in the locality
- Training to Certificate and diploma level
- further arts and craft produce from site
- Community shares offer
- further development and links with a network of farms run on similar lines throughout London and Kent
London Community Supported Agriculture (London CSA) campaigns to create viable market gardens in and around London
"We are never going to be able to afford local, sustainably raised food without doing it for ourselves"
Having Identified 40 acres of underused or totally disused land in Greenwich alone, with many more potentially available or for shared use in the borough and beyond the scope is simply enormous. We aim to create new community growing enterprises owned and run by their members.Help and advice needed - to join a team of growers and community developers
https://londoncommunityagriculture/
Go to our blog at http://londoncsa.blogspot.co.uk/
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