grace and flavour overview
DESCRIPTION
A vegetable growing co-operative in West Horsley, Surrey.TRANSCRIPT
Where?
• Dene Place Nursing Home - West Horsley
• Old/derelict walled garden
• Adjacent field
The Team as it is today
• Steering committee responsible for:– Constitution, principles, planning, PR, etc
• 4 work streams– Site development – Gardening– Allotments – Operations
• Lease negotiations• NT Senior Rural Surveyor & Deputy
are associate members of Steering Committee
Funding
• External– Grants
• Several public grants applied for and in play (DEFRA, Local Food. LEADER, Surrey Community)
• Several more being explored– Donations
• Local residents are being asked to donate £52 if they wish
• NO requirement to donate in order to be a member– Local government
• Both Local Parish Councils have been very supportive
• ExternalGrant funding causes cash flow challenges as it is retrospective. For this reason we have set up the G+F100 founders club which will donate and operate a peer-to-peer lending (bridging) scheme.
Project Overview
Entrance, fencing, security, removal of trees, shrubs and weeds
Project overview – entrance and parking• The new entrance• Parking arrangements• Access to Allotments• Access to Walled Garden
Project overview – fencing and security• Fencing to access route• Deer and rabbit challenges• Hedge screening• Tool shed
Project overview – remove trees, shrubs etc• Ripley Lane• Northern boundary• Collapsed wall and
overgrowth• Key trees retained• The Lime trees
Project overview
Soil preparation, water
Project overview – soil preparation• After removal of unwanted vegetation
• Spread manure - source
• Plough
• Reduce to fine tilth
Project overview – Water
• Connect to mains water• Extend over site• Water tanks
A project of 2 halves
1. Allotments – individual activity
2. Community garden – collective activity
Allotments – individual activity
Community garden – collective activity
Allotments
Parish Council
WEST HORSLEY PARISH COUNCIL
DENE PLACEALLOTMENTS
22 proposed allotments
Leasing an allotment• Allotments leased direct from Grace
and Flavour• Parish Councils channel
applications and manage waiting list – priority to local residents
• Allotments are for growing fruit, veg, flowers for personal and family use only
• Annual rent £20-£25 for a 100sqm allotment
• Lease based on national standard allotment contract– renewable in September each
year
Community Garden
Community Project - aims
• Community garden – emphasis on community benefits
• Produce good, low cost fruit & veg.
• Low carbon footprint
• Self funding
Community garden – who do we want?• Everyone with enthusiasm
• Expertise not necessary but very welcome
• Willing to work
• Willing to learn
• Be part of a team
• Lots of jobs other than gardening
Community garden – initial plan
• location
Community garden – existing to be kept• Walls – such as they are
• Paths – 1 central possibly one other
• Apple trees – by central path
• Few other mature trees
Community garden – planting plan
sowplantharvest
type name variety year january february march april may june july
salad leaves lettuce all the year roundlettuce winter densitylettuce winter gem (Vaila)
brassicas cauliflower snowball A 1cauliflower snowball A 2cabbage pyramid F1cabbage kalibos (red)cabbage April
spinach etc spinach beet white silver 2 1spinach beet white silver 2 2rhubarb chardswis chard
• Work in progress• Will always be changing
Community garden – planting aims• Veg
– Traditional - nothing fancy yet– Maximise ground cover– All year round cropping
• Fruit– Maintain existing– Set aside sector for additional
• Herbs• What do members want to grow?
Community garden – polytunnel• Hidden from view – these are not pretty• Size – as big as we can afford and
accommodate• Plants for
– planting-out– early crops– tender crops
• Initially our only cover• Notice board
Community garden – raised beds• Entrance and car parking should provide
soil• Placed to cover broken glass• Objective
– Access to project for infirm and disabled– Produce plants for transplanting– Hardening off from polytunnel – cold frame– Salad crops – Herbs
Community garden –planning & organisation• Divide the garden into 4/5 sectors with gardener.
Examples – herbs, salad leaves, roots, pods, squashes, onions, brassicas, etc.
• Members express preference or don’t care• Gardeners determine work and place list on
notice board in polytunnel• Members arrive and carry out work and record it
in a log inc. time spent and mark it done/½ done etc. on notice board list.
Community garden –sharing the crop• 2 possible models on board
– Discount levels based on ‘bandings’ (effort based)
– Points + prizes system whereby an hour on the garden is worth a point.
• There is no perfect system• Aim to minimise problems• We will test 1 and review at next
year’s AGM
Community garden – future plans• Bees• Sell to shops (agreed), Dene Place
Nursing Home, etc.• The potting shed – worker’s tea room,
office, meeting point, information, etc• The ‘Tithe’ – 10% of produce to be
donated to those in need in our community
• Events
Community garden – next steps• First AGM - Date – November 10th
• Info/Questions - see the web site and forum www.graceandflavour.org/