Many ways to grow

from BH Six & Seven | June 2023

Alpine Swifts – one of this year’s migration sensations

By Grounded Community

We have monthly Basic Food Growing workshops and we have been holding seed swaps after these events.

We know that the next few seasons will be tougher to get fresh produce and we need to start to grow more local chemical-free food.

We encourage anyone who wants to start this journey to make the effort this spring.

If you need help setting up our growers’ team can support, but if you just need pointers our workshops are great.

If you are an experienced grower, you could offer support to others or give away your surplus food.

If you have fruit trees you can contact us to collect gluts to make jams, or maybe you like to cook and want to join our Gatherers’ preserving group?

We have a lot to achieve as a community. We want to make sure people don’t go hungry, but also that we get the healthy nutritious food our bodies need. The food industry standards are about to drop with US trade deals, the amount of fresh produce is in short supply. Farmers are struggling. https://www.forevermorefood. org/ is a local project to create fresh food boxes. Residents of Beaufort Road Estate, Southbourne are growing food and contributing to this scheme – you could join in too.

We recently held a second Growing Great ideas event with the BCP Access to Food partnership. A total of 50 people came along to collaborate and discuss ways to improve our local food production. It was an amazing evening hearing from like-minded people. Did you know BCP Council has a new foraging map?

Patricia from https://www.naturesynergies. com/ came and used surplus food to cook up tasty treats for us. She is hosting fermentation workshops this month.

There is a huge amount of energy to change our approach and attitudes to food, supporting local and practically setting up more growing spaces. Market and kitchen gardens, community growing, wild growing and foraging, small holdings, garden growing and homesteading. There are many ways to grow. Come and visit us and get your hands dirty this year. We believe that ‘Together We Can Grow’.