Food Group
Hello ! By now you are hopefully feeling that the long cold winter is nearly over and spring just around the corner. Keen gardeners have been impatient to get out in the garden again and are busy preparing ground and starting to sow the first seeds.
If you are sowing seeds or propagating plants in any way we would be grateful if you could grow a few extra for Transition needs this season. We have several events planned which need young plants – both vegetables and flowers. These are:
- A seed and plant ‘swap stall’ at the Farmers' Market on Saturday May 12th. Bring your spare plants / seeds to the stall and swop them for something you haven’t got. Last years stall was very successful and we hope to be bigger and better this year!
- The community garden at no 28, Derwent Road will be looking for vegetables and flowers to plant. This is a small garden behind the Hexham East Regeneration office which aims to show how much produce you can grow in your own small garden – and still have fun ! The gardening group meets every Thursday afternoon at 2pm from the first week in April and would welcome any seedlings.
- ‘Greening Hexham’ In conjunction with the Hexham Community partnership ‘Britain in Bloom’ group we are investigating ways of using spare plots of land around Hexham to grow more food – a sort of ‘licensed guerrilla gardening !’ This group will need helpers and plants – any offers welcome!
The food group aims to encourage greater consumption of locally produced food. This can happen in many ways including more people growing their own, increasing use of Farmers' Markets, local suppliers and choosing fruit and veg that has not been transported from far off places - this often means choosing foods that are in season.
We have developed a number of schemes and initiatives to help raise awareness of the importance of local food and to make it easier for people to source it. We are keen to work with schools as children tend to love gardening and of course they will grow up to become the consumers of tomorrow.
These include:
- Developing links with local farmers market;
- The Garden Share scheme;
- Setting up school gardens and liaising with community groups to do this
- Teaching people skills to help them grow food - e.g. courses on vegetable gardening and caring for fruit tree;
- Developing community gardens where people can come to meet, learn skills and grow food;
- Planting fruit / nut trees in public places - we hope to develop this in the near future;
- Holding public events - eg seed and seedling swap in the spring
- Encouraging increased provision of allotments;
- Working to create a community woodland;
- We have projects running in each of the areas listed, please read on for more information, if you would like to be more involved or are thinking of setting up a related project in your community, we would love to hear from you.
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Food Group Projects
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Food Group Community Garden
( 5 Articles )
We have been offered the use of a piece of land adjacent to Hexham Middle School, by the Headmaster, to create a community garden. The plan is to create a garden that will be used by school children, local groups and individuals. We intend to run courses and workshops from the garden to teach basic growing skills and to allow people hands on experience of gardening. We hope this will also be a community meeting place and source of information.
Plans were made in 2011 and work started. A generous grant from the school was used to initially clear an old overgrown leylandii hedge, erect fencing and plant espalier fruit trees and soft fruit, plant a wildlife hedge and buy some tools . 2012 will see raised beds made and planted, paths laid, and seating areas installed and the first community event.
Regular work days are held on the first Saturday of each month, children welcome!
NO 28 COMMUNITY GARDEN
This is a small garden created by Transition Tynedale behind the office of the Hexham East Regeneration Office, no 28, Derwent Road. They run regular garden events and have a gardening club every Thursday afternoon 2-4pm – new members always welcome.
please contact Grace on number28@hexhamcommunity.net for more information.
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Food Group Community Woodland
( 1 Article )
The idea is to find a piece of woodland and to negotiate a long term lease – this will allow a group of people to manage the woodland, encourage wildlife, plant trees, collect wood and to have a place to go to simply enjoy without the worry of being told to ‘Get off this is private property’ . If you would like more info please contact Norman Rogers ( details available to registered users via the contacts menu on the right). -
Food Group Fruit
( 2 Articles )
Over the last two years a number of courses have been held, teaching people the basics of looking after fruit trees and pruning. Volunteers have also helped look after an old orchard in Hexham and another at Shepherds Dene, Riding Mill.
We would also love to plot all the wild fruit trees in the area and develop a scheme where fruit is collected from these or from people who have a surplus and then distributed in various ways so please do get involved if fruit is your thing!!
If you would like more info please e-mail Transition Tynedale via the contact form.
