I've just read a [url]lovely article[/url] about the town of Todmorden in the Pennines.
They have a scheme called Incredible Edible and now practically the whole town is involved in growing their own fruit and veg, keeping chickens and mostly locally produced meat is on sale.
I wish I lived there. And before someone says, give it a go in your own area, would that I could - but with the best will in the world I can't see that kind of thing really taking off in Tottenham!
I read that this morning too sunanda - its a great idea.
Great idea! Especially when everyone pulls together and it helps build community spirit as well as producing food that is more organic, improving people's diets. I'm all for it! Oh, and it reduces 'food miles' - great idea all round.
Sunanda - I've seen programmes about community gardens in London - does the council not have some spare ground where a small group of you can start it off???
Hi Caroline
I know there's some kind of community garden in a park in Stoke Newington and I read of another somewhere else in the Borough and meant to check it out so it's more my laziness than anything else that's preventing me getting involved. That and the season of the year! I'm a fair weather gardener. I really should get stuck in though...
xxx
How fantastic to hear about this! Thanks for posting it. I loved this quote in particular:
"We don't have strategies, we don't have visiting speakers, we don't have charters and documents. We just get on with things."
Amen to that! Common sense wins at last.
Another group doing good things is the Abundance people; they go around cities and harvest fruit from private gardens and public spaces that would otherwise go to waste and distribute it back to the community. On a personal note, the apartment building where we live wants me to help with planning and planting vegetable patches on the grounds! I think somebody must have heard me crying that I lost my garden when we moved. 🙂
On a personal note, the apartment building where we live wants me to help with planning and planting vegetable patches on the grounds! I think somebody must have heard me crying that I lost my garden when we moved.
I remember you posting about losing your garden, Tapestry. How great to be asked to start garden patches on your grounds. Best of luck. If you can get the same kind of community spirit going as they have in Todmorden, we may be reading about you this time next year.
I remember you posting about losing your garden, Tapestry. How great to be asked to start garden patches on your grounds. Best of luck. If you can get the same kind of community spirit going as they have in Todmorden, we may be reading about you this time next year.
I don't know if I'm active enough for that, but I appreciate the thought! 🙂 Still, even small steps can help. There is a community garden near us that I've been meaning to spend some time with; next year I'm determined to go down and volunteer a couple hours a week. We'll see how busy this keeps me!
I don't know if I'm active enough for that, but I appreciate the thought! 🙂 Still, even small steps can help. There is a community garden near us that I've been meaning to spend some time with; next year I'm determined to go down and volunteer a couple hours a week. We'll see how busy this keeps me!
Yes, I was inspired to look up which community gardens are operating near me and it transpires there are two within a bus ride and one within walking distance (just). So I've bookmarked the links and am gearing up to getting in touch. Ideally I'd like to be involved with growing veg; I have flower borders in my own garden at home. But it really is the wrong time of the year for me now. I suffer from Raynauds Disease so don't enjoy the cold at all.
xxx