Food Challenge 2012 - Finding Growing Spaces

[SarahF]

Hi all,

 

I realise now that everyone is in picking and pickling mode, but I just wanted to tell you about our ideas for 2012, so that you can mull over somes ideas that might help us.

 

What we are really looking to do is make more land available for food growing, in whatever form.

 

We have come up with a few ideas, below, but please just add to them as well.

 

• Individually - in our own gardens, planting edible hedges, edible nut trees, fruit trees, window boxes,
• In our street - garden/land share, plant a container at the bus shelter, turn your red telephone box into a food swap box, or a small greenhouse, find some land and plant a community garden/orchard,
• Finding land - churches, councils - parish, town and district, landowners, estates, fields and parks, grass verges and roundabouts

Let us know your ideas below. And if you are doing or could do any of the above in the next 18 months, then please let us know, because publicity and raising awareness will be just as important.

 

One other chain of thought, was how to involve local businesses. There are the obvious plant nurseries and growers around, but may be other businesses that own land, that they could share or loan for growing?

Many thanks

Sarah

 

[liz morey]

We are a childrens nursery with a vegetable patch and could really do with some help in sorting it out planting etc in return for sharing the proceeds.  We are in South Gorley, you will need to have a CRB form but this is free and we can sort this out from the nursery it is needed as there are children on site. Please contact Mrs Watson the nursery manager on 01425 657711

[Viv East]

Hi Sarah... an addendum..... I drove past there yesterday... and there seem to be some bee hives in there... will try and find out more. :-)

[SarahF]

Just drove past the site. Fantastic transformers mural gone up on the wall. Wonder what is happening there? Does anyone know who owns it or how we find out?

I wonder if we can get builders bags locally from Jewsons or Travis Perkins?

[Richard]

There was an item on Gardeners Question Time yesterday about creating raised beds using old builders bags which you can often get for free.....reckon we could do a deal with B&Q or Wickes etc

[SarahF]

Sounds like a great idea! Need some raised beds or grow bags for growing in.

I was also thinking about all the school grounds locally and the parks - in Lymington there is grove park, chequers green and a huge space available at woodside park.

thanks

Sarah

[Viv East]

Hi Sarah.... how about considering approaching owners of properties that are boarded up. For example, the old residential home (or was it just flats) in New Street (at The Avenue end), Lymington. It has a lot of garden around it - it's been boarded up for ages and if they're not planning on doing anything with it any time soon then could be a short term option?

Viv

[Richard]

Would anyone fancy meeting up one evening to throw some ideas about on all this?  It would be good to get some Food Challenge members together 'over a pint'