Supporting communities to manage their local green spaces
Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales
Celebrating
community gardens and city farms
1960-2012
www.farmgarden.org.uk
“The place just changed my whole attitude to life and to people. The general things that used to be important didn’t seem so important any more, once you see so many different people, such a diverse array of cultures on the farm. It’s a humbling experience actually. You think ‘what have I got to moan about?’ It’s infectious. You put more in than can be reasonably expected. Not because you have to, just because of the effect the farm has on everybody.” Tim - Heeley City Farm
Learning from the past, shaping the future Preface by David Drury, Chair and Jeremy Iles, Chief Executive, May 2013 In 2010 the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens reached its 30th Anniversary. In planning how best to celebrate that achievement, the Board of Trustees agreed that we should try to undertake an oral history project to record the memories and experiences of the founding members of our movement. What started as a simple idea developed into a steep learning curve, and we are grateful for the advice received from an Oral History Society mentor who helped us shape our ideas. That project became ‘Learning from the Past – Shaping the Future’. After detailed discussions and preparation we were fortunate to receive funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the
Mulberry Trust, which in turn enabled us to appoint an expert oral historian to take the work forward. It has been a fascinating, rewarding and humbling experience to be involved in this work. Neither of us can claim to be founding members – even though we’ve both now been involved in the movement for over a decade, we are still in many ways newcomers – but we’ve been amazed by the passion and commitment to the original ideals of the city farm and community garden movement which still burns fiercely amongst people, some of whom have been involved for up to 40 years. Thanks must go to Tracy Craggs, our expert oral historian, whose hard work, warmth and caring professionalism enabled and encouraged many individuals and groups to record their memories. And of course, thanks to the many individuals and groups who gave up their time to contribute to the success of the project. We hope this summary report will be of interest to you and that we do indeed learn from the past to help shape our future.
Introduction Our Heritage Lottery Funded oral history project ran from June 2010 to September 2012. During that period, Oral Historian Tracy Craggs chaired 22 group interviews and undertook 69 individual interviews at city farms and community gardens around the country. She also helped organise our Founders’ Event held at Hackney City Farm in January 2012, at which three more group sessions took place. The key aims of this project were to: • research the history of the movement • train volunteers to organise their own witness seminars • develop a digital toolkit to assist those organising their own witness seminars • collect photographs and other documentation to add to the FCFCG archive. The key finding reflects what people involved in the movement already know - that there are tremendous benefits to all concerned, whether they are staff, volunteers, or visitors. On several occasions during the Founders’ Event people mentioned being ‘hooked’ from the start. It is also clear that where the projects capture the affection and commitment of the local community, then the community will rally around in times of crisis. Time and again volunteers spoke of the farms and gardens as being sanctuaries, places of friendship and warmth. As Stan from Stonebridge City Farm said, “when you walk through that door you feel welcome”. The effects on some of the volunteers are incalculable in terms of growth in confidence and acquiring new knowledge and transferable skills. For many others the farms and gardens are just somewhere to go, where they will be accepted without judgment.
This is not achieved without personal cost to many of those involved – the long working hours, the enormous personal and team efforts, the pressures of facing the inevitable challenges that arise, can all take their toll. Indeed, some interviewees mentioned the effect on their personal lives, simply because the project took over. For everyone who spoke of this it was viewed as a consequence of their commitment being all-consuming. This report focuses on the following questions and includes responses from the movement’s founders, those people involved today, and the thoughts of those setting up new projects: • Why and how did people become involved? • What were the challenges faced, who helped, and what notable successes were there? • What were the original aims for the site? • What difference does the farm or garden make? The responses give an invaluable and inspirational insight into people’s motivation for becoming part of the community farming and gardening movement.
How and why do people get involved? The founders we spoke to came into the movement from a variety of backgrounds - education, the arts, and the civil service among them. Maria Hornsby from Rice Lane City Farm had been a Youth Worker in Toxteth, Rose Noonan of Vauxhall City Farm worked in a local nursery class, while Mike Primarolo from Windmill Hill City Farm, Harry Galley from Deen City Farm and Lalage Grundy from Vauxhall City Farm all came via the primary and secondary education sector. Many had a deep-seated commitment to changing the local area for the benefit of all, but others became involved more accidentally. In 1979 Maureen Willett from Deen City Farm was looking for a place to stable her daughter’s horse but was soon volunteering seven days a week.
Rose milking the goat at Vauxhall City Farm in the 1970s
Some of the founders became involved because they could see the educational potential of having a local farm. None of them were attracted by the condition of the sites themselves which were often nothing but rubble and weeds. Getting them established was extremely hard work.
Mike Daligan remembered that Meanwood Valley Urban Farm had no gas, electricity or running water. The facilities consisted of two caravans and a chemical toilet. At Kentish Town City Farm volunteers lived in the bottom floors of derelict houses. For David Powell, Kentish Town in 1972 ”felt like the new frontier at that moment”. Everyone who joined the movement in those early years had a willingness to be ‘hands-on’. Rose Noonan recalled having to be on site for the concrete deliveries that would turn up at odd times when the company had spare concrete available. She also took on maintenance jobs and milked the goats while being responsible for taking school groups round the farm. Many of the founders joined the management committees of the projects they helped set up and several also became members of the Federation Board, with a few still being Board members today. Some were also actively involved in the setting up of the European Federation of City Farms. On a personal level a small number of the founders were very politically aware and active. For people joining the movement more recently, there are still as many different routes into this area of work as there are people joining. In 2011, Ian Andrews joined Vauxhall City Farm from a finance background. He was keen to move into a new sector and his employment history in risk management was complementary to the needs of his new role in managing the farm. In 2010, Steve Sayers came from a scientific and operations management background but his keen interest in the environment and his own allotment meant his new role as Chief Executive at Windmill Hill City Farm was not too big a change. Steve explained that he sees the farm as “alive and grounded, there is nothing ethereal about it. I love being part of a team that together can create something bigger than the sum of the individuals”.
Case study: participant interviews at Transition Richmond, Yorkshire The Temple Grounds site in Richmond hadn’t been used as allotments since the end of the Second World War. Interviews with participants revealed how the hopeful new allotmenteers were eager to get started, had been involved in clearing the land and drawing up the plots, and were
willing to work within the restraints imposed due to the nature of the site, such as how deep they would be allowed to dig. A further interview elicited the views of the landowner as to why they were returning the land to allotment use and the history of the site. Later sessions with people working to transform two other sites managed by Tranistion Richmond, Batts Old Orchard and Quarry Road As to why people get involved, the reasons are the same as they have always been. Participants cited a love of animals, a desire to effect change in their local area, a feeling of wanting to get involved in a local community initiative, a love of nature and a desire to care for the environment. Less often cited but no less deeply felt, was a feeling of wanting to do something because of the participant’s faith. For any project, it often takes the vision of one or two key people to get started and encourage others to get involved and then stay involved. These are people like Leroy Wint, Chair and Founder of PRUNE (Pill Residents United in Nurturing their Environment in Newport, Wales) who researched the local area for eighteen months, then approached the local community to ask them their views about establishing a community garden and running gardening classes.
Community Orchard revealed a wide range of reasons why people want to be involved in developing an orchard, including providing a place where people can learn about managing fruit trees, managing the land for biodiversity, keeping the area a green space rather than turning it over to development, and enabling local gardeners to try and grow things that were beyond the scope of their own gardens. As is often the case, there was a core of people who stayed involved, with others joining and leaving along the way. Leroy had been instrumental in starting the project but considered it important that he should not be at every event, that it was important to empower people in the group. He said, “I’ve had to stand back...[but] as the Chair I like to bring us all together and discuss issues and compromises between us all”. Another person who works to promote environmental initiatives is Sally Reckert of Transition Richmond Yorkshire. Sally has been a key figure in returning allotments to public use, and encouraging community members to plant up raised beds in the town centre and restore old orchards to their former glory. Like Leroy, Sally sees her role as facilitating development but then stepping aside after the initial stages to allow others to carry the baton.
Another question explored during the sessions was why do people feel they would like to change their local environment but only some of those people actively take on that challenge? A project initiator needs to be able to galvanise the enthusiasm of others, communicate effectively and keep everyone working towards the group aims, while at the same time encouraging individuals to use their specific skills to drive the project forward. According to Sally Reckert, once the project has got past the initial stages and seems to be working, more people come forward to be involved – and this is essential if the project is to be sustainable. She considers that for volunteers to stay committed to any project they need to see a role for themselves that they can develop and take forwards.
In establishing PRUNE, Leroy Wint wanted to promote a different image of Pill - a feeling that would resonate with people involved with Arkwright Meadows Community Garden who also felt their area had been unfairly portrayed in the past. The site of Arkwright Meadows Community Garden had been a place of syringes, dog mess, broken glass and anti-social behaviour. It was the view of the head teacher of the local primary school that something needed to be done to turn the site into a usable space. He applied for a £50,000 grant that could be used for developing a community project. After Peter moved to another school, his vision was taken on and developed into a community garden by a core group of local residents. Peter recalled, “I got an invite to the official opening and I felt quite emotional actually when I saw it”.
Arkwright Meadows Community Garden: then and now
What were the challenges faced, who helped, and what notable successes were there? Funding has been a challenge since the first farms and gardens were established, but there were also other challenges in the early years. Rose Noonan and Lalage Grundy remembered many heated ‘discussions’ among the management committee at Vauxhall City Farm, with plumbing being a particular source of disagreement. Lalage also remembered that “the local neighbourhood in those years was a predominantly white, racist and sexist area which could be violent”. David Walters told of how he sat through three committee meetings before the establishment of Hackney City Farm just to decide if they would take minutes! It took six years before a suitable site was even found. Setting up a project was almost impossible without local support from the community. It was also difficult if supporters then withdrew their commitment. Mike Daligan remembered that he arrived at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm just as the local council had announced plans to close it down. Once the first farms started, newer ones could turn to these more established projects for help. David Walters remembered visits to, and assistance from, Mudchute and Freightliners farms. Harry and Maureen from Deen City Farm travelled to Vauxhall City Farm quite often. Maureen recalled that in the beginning she couldn’t tell hay from straw and that she and Harry were keenly aware that they needed more knowledge about animal husbandry. She spoke of how they were thirsty for knowledge but that their ambitions were driven by their desire to develop the farm rather
than personal growth. As time has gone on, they have been able to pass on their experience to newer projects visiting Deen City Farm to learn for themselves. Maureen and Harry remembered other challenges at the farm. They felt there was a cynicism about the establishment of the farm in the early days, although once it was up and running local councillors were more eager to be associated with it and provide core funding. One of the major issues was that in the early years the farm did not have a long lease and this could also make it difficult to secure funding; in particular the farm was once refused a £30,000 riding school grant for this reason. In 1979, with unemployment a key political issue, there was a lot of funding available to assist the long term unemployed although Maureen discovered that they would need to install a clocking-on machine and only pay the wages at an appropriate time to ensure the workers would return. The challenge at Byker City Farm was the discovery of contaminated soil on site, resulting in the closure of the farm for several years. This was also an issue at Arkwright Meadows Community Garden where testing the soil and then coping with the contamination meant a re-design in the early stages. At Arkwright Meadows, Lynn spoke of“a Tellytubby mound” of soil, some of which was taken off site and some was covered over with new soil. Anita remembered that there had to be 30cm of clean soil to stop any roots reaching the contaminated level so they put raised beds in the polytunnel and added tyres to create additional raised beds outside. Trees were planted at the front of the garden because the soil there was uncontaminated. Many of the projects had ‘growing pains’ that resulted in schisms, changes in staff and wholesale changes in what was offered to people coming to the site. This is common and could have positive effects as well as negative.
others stop it and local people look after the site informally”. Aloysius also from Heeley concurred, “All the plants you potted up the day before can be tipped upside down or a fence might be smashed and it gets you down, but then you can have kids come and show a real interest. Kids might be at risk of getting involved in crime, and then they come here and their lives are turned around and they come back in a few years time and say ‘thank you, I’ve got a job now’ and that makes it all worthwhile”.
Deen City Farm - early days
David Powell remembered the local authority becoming very supportive of Kentish Town City Farm once major changes occurred at the farm in 1989. During the witness sessions it was sometimes mentioned that vandalism was a challenge. However this was usually small scale and seemed more of a nuisance than a real issue. There were specific instances such as fires that caused real problems for sites, yet these tended to be one-offs. Sarah from Heeley City Farm felt that it is a “testament to the work that more vandalism isn’t done. We do have instances of vandalism but
John Langan on duty at Kentish Town City Farm
Mark felt if possible, sites should remain open after hours. “If you want to hang round here at 10 o’clock at night then you can. There was a vicious incident when I was here but it probably doesn’t get as much as you’d expect to get. Some places are locked up like Fort Knox but this is open and it’s a credit to it. It shows there is some respect there. It will be a sad day when you have to put fences all around it and locked gates”. In fact one of the challenges that many of the projects have risen to time and again is engaging with young people, often where others have failed. At Deen City Farm they took on young people who had been excluded from school and helped them develop and grow.
John Langan at Kentish Town City Farm also worked with challenging young people who had been truanting from school. He felt that it was one of the selling points of city farms that young people could be encouraged to modify their behaviour through their involvement at the farm and local vandalism would decrease.
What were the original aims for the site? When Kentish Town City Farm was set up by the InterAction Trust the focus was initially on arts and theatre projects, however it was also seen as important that the disused allotments and buildings were restored to their original purpose. David Powell recalled that at the beginning there was no great environmental rationale but the development of the farm assumed its own momentum. As the stockman and a youth worker at the farm, and having been connected with the farm for nearly thirty years, John Langan still gets great satisfaction from the fact that people of all abilities and ages work together. Similarly, Mike Daligan recalled a group of young people from the Manpower Services Commission all working together at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm which was ”absolutely wonderful to see” while Mick Marston remembered that Byker City Farm, now Ouseburn City Farm, was established because “we needed something for the kids” in what was a built-up area. When John Bond joined the Federation as its first fieldworker in 1982 he was struck by the commitment of everyone involved. “People were living and breathing this new movement of city farms. It seemed to mean so much to people”. As he visited the sites to encourage their development he recalled, “I just couldn’t believe the transforming effect it (the movement) was having”.
In those early days, six out of seven new projects failed, yet John was impressed by how people managed to achieve results despite problems with mounds of rubble and toxic soil. He considered that the high failure rate was probably due to a lack of funding or not having the right motives. John felt it was asking a lot of people, especially in the deprived areas where many projects were located, to have all the skills needed to set up a new project - to be fundraisers, know how to work with staff and to have a knowledge of animal husbandry. Despite an awareness that some people, especially in the corporate sector, failed to take the new city farms seriously, he considered that because the founders did display these skills then the local community trusted and supported them. Whilst that support was essential, Mick Marston also said that those setting up new projects wanted independence in terms of funding. They were grateful for money from local councils but not their influence. Local communities wanted to make the sites their own.
What difference does the farm or garden make?
Stonebridge City Farm
For the founders of the movement, staff and members of management committees battling with challenges there is an underlying belief that the work they do changes lives. For many of the volunteers, project participants and visitors, the funding struggles and day to day issues have no relevance. They come to the sites because that’s where they’re happy. It’s where they want to be. They feel accepted and often dedicate large parts of their lives to the farm or garden. People like Andrew from Spitalfields City Farm, Kenneth from Windmill Hill City Farm and George from Stonebridge City Farm feel ownership of the projects, often because they have been coming to the sites for many
“When I started, there was a whole family used to come down and they took over the farm a bit and I said, ‘They think they own the place don’t they?’ Then one of the gardeners said, ‘That’s kind of the point’.” Christa, Stonebridge City Farm
years and have seen and helped bring about many improvements. They will have dug paths and ponds, fed the animals, cleared tables in the café and generally assisted with the multitude of everyday tasks. On trips around the sites with the project co-ordinator they pointed out their hand-prints sunk in the concrete, artworks they had contributed to, walls they had helped to build and sheds they had painted. Maureen Willett spoke of Deen City Farm being set up behind corrugated fencing on rough industrial land, with a backdrop of skyscraper flats. She felt that people used to turn up at the farm with little spiritually but that the farm gave them a release. One woman would arrive with her children and bring scraps of food for the animals. She later bought a donkey for the farm. It was the animals that provided a medium for reaching the local community. For many, the projects have provided a sense of continuity that they value. David Powell spoke of taking his grandaughters back to visit Kentish Town City Farm. Others who have long been associated with this city farm have done the same with their own children and people have made life-long friends through their connection to the farm. This is a common theme at the longer established sites around the country. John from Stonebridge City Farm recalled, “People ask me ‘Do you remember me? I used to come on the farm when I was little’. Sometimes they’ll be pushing a buggy with a couple of kids inside”. When people started volunteering at the projects as children, they sometimes went onto paid employment in similar areas with their experience at the project in their favour. Some even took on paid positions at the project where they had originally volunteered. At the witness seminars people spoke of how members of the local community would congratulate them on running successful events or tell
them how much the sites meant to them. This long history and connection to the locality can mean that an appeal to the community can prove successful if a project runs into difficulties. When Windmill Hill City Farm experienced a drastic shortfall in funding, an appeal resulted in local people forming an emergency committee to run quiz and music nights and other events to raise money. Some of those involved in the appeal also took up positions as trustees as a sign of their commitment to the long term sustainability of the farm. Many younger people are enthusiastic about taking on positions of responsibility. At Vauxhall City Farm an appeal for new Trustees resulted in younger people coming forward, and Rice Lane City Farm has sixteen and seventeen year olds on the management committee. Deirdre Demassini, formerly of Vauxhall City Farm, made the very valid point that not only do volunteers and visitors benefit but that staff are affected too. During her time working at the farm she recalled, “it was obsessive... this was my life and I think it was [obsessive] because it was such delight to see so many young people flower”. Dierdre described how it was impossible to be unmoved “when people are like that, completely giving, so delighted to be here”. Deen City Farm
One word summaries During the witness seminars participants were asked to think of one word descriptions or short phrases to sum up their projects. The responses were overwhelmingly favourable, although references were made to being cold during the winter months. They included: • a little gem
• an oasis
• a sanctuary
• infectious
• resilient
• creative
• magical
• innovative
• continuity
• friendship
We also asked participants at the witness seminars held around the country what changes they would like to see happen at their site in the short and longer term. Inevitably funding pressures meant that participants focused on the need for additional staff, better facilities for visitors and animals, and more funding for specific projects. It was also felt that the projects needed to be sustainable in the long term or have a financial reserve in case of emergencies. Participants were also asked how they would spend a substantial donation. The purpose of this question was to open up areas of possibility that did not depend on funding. The answers given proved very interesting, ranging from buying a tractor or more animals, through to purchasing an extra farm perhaps on the edge of the city to create an urban/ rural link. Participants also spoke of buying extra land close to their current site as space on city farms is often very limited, commissioning sculpture trails and creating endowments. The emphasis, as always, was on continuity. Doing more certainly in terms of opportunities offered but overall, securing the project’s survival.
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It is clear that the core opportunities and benefits offered by involvement in the movement are the same now as they have always been. Ian EggintonMetters’ experience of having seen first-hand how people’s lives have been changed in terms of more confidence and general well-being is as relevant today as it was in the 1960s and 1970s. Lalage Grundy spoke of the movement as being one of empowerment of individuals and local communities. Although new projects today have to overcome different challenges, in particular increased health and safety concerns, they face many of the same issues as projects did in the early years, particularly in securing sustainable funding. However the enthusiasm and commitment displayed by newer members of the movement remain the same.
As Mike Daligan said,“city farms and community gardens act as a vehicle to allow community development to happen”. Let’s celebrate their history and their future.
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Published May 2013
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City farms have had to adapt to survive and they are much more than solely places where people bring their children to see the animals. Maria Hornsby from Rice Lane City Farm summed up what they need to be. She said “the farms’ survival depends on how they respond to the needs of the local community and it does not necessarily matter what brings people to the site so long as they come, whether it is for football clubs, the allotments or classes”.
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Many of the original founders are no longer active in the movement. However, it was rewarding to witness the affection in which they hold their years of involvement. Harry Galley enjoyed the camaraderie of the movement. He found it personally inspiring and an important part of his life.
Certainly, despite the current pressures, the founders were as optimistic for the future of the movement as they were thirty or more years ago.
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Conclusion