So
what’s different about Community Growers?
Well first we want all of Sheffield to benefit, not just a few neighbourhoods
or areas. Grow
Sheffield’s dream is to have all Sheffielders who wish to grow
their own organic vegetables
and fruit in their own space. So Community Growers is about coaching
and inspiring folk to
do it for themselves – have a go, catch the Growing Bug and pass
the enthusiasm and skills
on to others.
It’s for everyone – children planting seeds and helping
to water them, a group of neighbours
getting permission to cultivate a patch of land at the end of their
street for herbs and
raspberries, starting to sow and grow veg in pots in July to pick in
December for Xmas
dinners. It’s about encouraging everyone – old people, school
children, students who may
only be renting for year or two but are itching to dig up a patch and
plant a leek or two, some
who want to meet and help others. Some may have only balconies in high
rise flats and start to grow tomatoes beans and strawberries in the
sun, in pots; some may have large back gardens and want to share their
space.
Sheffield Community Growers is about providing the expert advice, some
starter materials
and tools and above all the opportunity to make growing a fun and social
activity to share
with neighbours.
How did it start? First we thought – what can we do with limited
resources that will eventually
help and influence the whole of the city? The Community Growers idea,
based on a
successful model in Cuba (when the source of oil supplies dried up)….was
attractive to the
Sheffield First Partnership for the Environment and the Council who
gave us a little money
to pilot the project. We started in Sharrow and it was a success and
we are now responding
to requests from other communities to start a small project or support
a group to grow on a
small patch in other parts of the city.
Today we have a part time coordinator (Vanessa) a part time Community
Grower for
Sharrow (Jerry) and some lovely volunteers in Sharrow and Crookes. For
the rest of the
season we shall be supporting groups in Carwood, Ecclesall and Gleadless
Valley and be
advertising for enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers with a few
hours to spare and a
couple of expert organic veg gardeners to join a bank of sessional Community
Growers.
If you are interested in any of these ideas and wish to know more, please
contact Vanessa
or Jerry on 0114 258 0784 or e-mail [email protected]
GROW
artist residency
The
culmination of Grow Sheffield’s first Artist-In-Residence program THE
IMAGINED WINTER GARDEN TRAIL took place on a cold afternoon in
December 2009. The Imagined Winter Garden Trail evolved through the
collaboration between artist Bob Levene and the local residents &
vegetable growers of Sharrow in Sheffield.
Bob
worked with five local growers to create interventions, installations
and performances, which formed the backbone of the trail and was shown
to the public for one afternoon only. Starting at Sure Start Centre
the trail was a chance to see the gardens and growing spaces of Sharrow
in a new light, it played with the unused or neglected spaces in our
neighbourhood and shared the visions, achievements and memories of some
of Sharrows Growers.
For
more information about the project and photographs of the trail you
can visit the website.
Community
Growers Wordsearch Postcard
Paul
Conneally was commissioned by Grow Sheffield to create a wordsearch
portrait of Jerry Simon, our Sharrow Community Grower, to use as part
of Community Growers’ 2010 publicity. They were printed on recycled
card postcards by the Footprint Coop, which uses environmentally friendly
processes and inks. http://www.footprinters.co.uk/
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