Gardens

from St Ives Local, January/February 2022

Travel

Garden Stories: Growing Links

The organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers which fill the Vegbags produced by the Community Garden at Gulval are all harvested from sites within 15 miles – and many are grown in the garden itself.

In this sheltered, south-facing space, experienced horticulturalists and novice gardeners work together to plant or harvest broccoli and beans, apples and aubergines, peppers and pears, tulips and tomatoes, strawberries and salad leaves. Proceeds from the sales of the Vegbags are ploughed back into the work of Growing Links, the Community Interest Company which manages the garden. The seeds of the scheme were sown more than 10 years ago, with the launch of the PEaT Project, designed to give practical help to people interested in growing their own produce but with little idea how to go about it: the letters in the title stand for Plant, Eat and Teach.

A local farmer offered a field, which was initially divided into four plots. This was later divided into around 20 allotments, together with an acre of communal growing space, and the Community Garden also became the hub of a variety of other projects run by Growing Links. These include the Street Food Project, which provides a daily hot meal and a friendly chat for local homeless and vulnerable people. When the first lockdown began last year, the project had to change from communal eating to a system of dropping off food parcels. It also needed to raise money for PPE, which became essential for volunteer distributors.

Growing Links can help people who are unemployed to find work, and provide meaningful activity for those who are unable to work because of physical or mental health problems. There are also practical sessions in organic horticulture and applied permaculture. The organisation’s ethos is that working in the open air is beneficial for mind, body and soul – as is good food. Vegan pizzas are often on the menu at the Community Garden’s regular open days, along with hearty soup, freshly-baked bread and gorgeous cakes. In the early days, on-site facilities were basic, consisting only of an ancient army tent. There is now a Portakabin with a fitted kitchen, and a polytunnel where salad leaves are grown, to keep them safe from the attention of the local rabbit population. Other wildlife is more welcome – visiting birds include wagtails, finches, blue tits and robins – as are volunteers. For anyone interested in growing organic food, there’s always something to do, but it’s also a space to come and find some peace and quiet. Sessions for volunteers take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm each week. Growing Links is funded largely by volunteers and supportive local businesses, and donations are always welcome.