Forres

Forres Friends of Woods and Fields

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The story so far: Forres Friends of Woods and Fields (FFWF) manages 8-acres of woodland as well as a field with a Community Garden (including space for a dedicated children’s garden) and another field in which they intend to plant an orchard, with woodland maintenance and growing activities underway. However, to allow wider community uses such as events, children’s activities, and therapeutic gardening, planning permission is currently being sought for a change of use of part of the land from agricultural to community use, along with the erection of a polytunnel, potting shed, tool store, and compost toilet on this land at the same time. In addition, there is a need to erect deer fencing, but it has been established that this can be done under permitted development rights, so it is not necessary to apply for planning permission for the fencing.

Whose land? The land is currently owned by two of FFWF’s trustees but is in the process of being transferred to the Biodynamic Land Trust, which will then own it in perpetuity.

Land agreement? Once the land has been transferred to the Biodynamic Land Trust, the intention is for FFWF to be granted a long-term lease of this from them. The bigger challenge faced by FFWF in establishing their project has though been the need for planning permission, with the group initially having been advised by the local planning authority that they needed planning permission for a change of use of all the land required for this, the application fee for which would have been prohibitively expensive. However, following further discussion with the planning authority, it was established that there is no need for planning permission for those parts of the project which purely involve planting, growing and harvesting produce, including the orchard. Rather, planning permission is only needed for the land on which wider community uses would be carried out and the structures to be erected on this. This then reduced the fee significantly, in addition to which it was possible to reduce this further by having the planning application submitted by the Community Council on FFWF’s behalf (the fee payable by a Community Council being half the standard fee), and FFWF have now been granted planning permission.

Advice to others looking to secure land? To be aware of what does and doesn’t need planning permission and where planning permission is needed, explore the potential for an application to be made by the Community Council rather than by the group directly.

More information is available on FFWF’s website.

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Kirriemuir Community Garden at St Mary’s Field

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The story so far: Land gifted to St Mary’s Church in the 1930s for the purpose of food growing and cultivated for many years as a market garden is once again under cultivation as a thriving community garden. The one-acre site tucked away in the centre of Kirriemuir has become a key area of local action for Sustainable Kirriemuir- a community group established in 2019 with local food, climate and community at its heart.

Sustainable Kirriemuir took on the land in 2020 with support from the church to develop the garden into an inclusive, nature-abundant haven with a focus on learning and sharing through local food production. The garden welcomes volunteers from all walks of life, facilitating sessions three times a week to grow fresh, affordable food for distribution throughout the town. Garden produce is sold directly from the gate and through the zero-waste shop at less than the market rate. It is also sometimes available through the local food hub. All volunteers are also encouraged to share in
the harvest, ensuring that everybody can access locally grown food regardless of income. Integral to the running of the garden is an ethos of collective ownership, collaboration and everyone taking part in a way that suits them. This year the garden hosted a Bio Blitz session to explore the gardens’ wide range of species from pollinators to fungi, lichens, and herpetofauna. They also welcome “young legs” by hosting rural skills school curriculum activities. In a relatively short time, the garden has become a cherished and well-supported part of Kirriemuir life.

Whose land: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Land agreement: ‘While a longer lease would enable better future planning and open up more funding opportunities, the church has a longstanding policy of committing to 3-year leases.’

Advice to others looking to secure land: “We’ve been extraordinarily lucky; we started with optimism
and ideas and little more. The community has rallied round and the team behind the vestry at St.
Mary’s Church has been very supportive of our goals: to grow good food in a biodiverse setting,
and to get that fresh produce into the community.”

More info on the Field and the wider work of Sustainable Kirriemuir can be found on their website.

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Nature wins

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Imagine a more biodiverse, greener Scotland for people and the planet. It is possible, and many community food growing sites across Scotland are leading the way in growing with and celebrating nature and climate every day, as recognised by Shettleston Community Gardens’ nomination for the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards next week.
The Forum’s recent response to the Scottish Government consultation on Biodiversity highlighted the importance of recognising the stewardship role that Shettleston and thousands of other growing sites across Scotland play in creating and supporting local connections with biodiverse, beautiful and nature-abundant spaces in our communities. Local, informal opportunities to connect and grow food with nature on our doorstep can grow micro but profound collective steps for a biodiverse future. So, go Shettleston and all the gardens you represent- we are rooting for you!
Unsure where to get started read the Forum top tips for growing with climate and nature whatever your setting.

Kirriemuir

Scotland Land Stories

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The Land Stories series highlights different models of public and private land being used for growing and demonstrates what is possible across Scotland when community groups, land owners, and other stakeholders work in partnership to benefit our communities and climate.

If you have a Land Story to, inspire others, share it here. Meantime, if you are looking for guidance and technical support to access or enable access to land don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Community Land Advisory Service. scotland@farmgarden.org.uk.

 

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Keeping 1.5C alive

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For many, a gardener, the simple act of working the soil is enormously hopeful: by growing, we commit to the future. Individual and collective action here in Scotland can and will count when it comes to our climate emergency. For gardeners and community growers, our urgent role is to take things back to basics but with more intention and knowledge: doing what we know works, doing more with others and asking for help and support to get it right. Wherever you are on your journey, here are four steps to keeping hope alive.

 

  • Nurture your soil
  • Grow more of what you eat, and eat more of what you grow
  • Grow for and with nature
  • Make connections with what you do and why you do it


Let’s demonstrate climate solidarity and work together.

 

Tesco-4

Communities supported to grow food

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Coordinated by GrowGreen Scotland and partnering with local groups, we are supporting communities local to 40 Tesco stores to participate in and reap the many benefits of growing food.

Learning from groups across Scotland, we know “There is no substitute for tailored advice and encouragement to start and sustain growing so that ‘every seed takes root and grows’, and this funding will support 40 communities to get and keep growing.” Lou Evans, project coordinator.

Through people and projects connecting and learning together, with tailored one-to-one advice, hundreds more people and projects across Scotland can start and keep growing in a nature and climate-friendly way.

Claire de Silva, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: “Tesco Community Grants help support local good causes, especially those projects supporting young people, those providing food, and local causes close to our colleagues’ hearts.”

Tesco Community Grants, run in partnership with greenspace scotland and community-focused charity Groundwork, has awarded grants to thousands of local community projects every year.

Tesco’s Community Grants scheme – previously Tesco Bags of Help – has already provided over £90 million to more than 40,000 projects across Britain.

Emma Halliday, Community Enabler at greenspace Scotland, said: “Tesco Community Grants continues to give local projects the boost they need to help their communities thrive. We are pleased to have been able to help so many local good causes over the years and look forward to seeing what community organisations can achieve in the future with the right resources.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. To find out more visit www.tesco.com/communitygrants.

 

two ugly rain barrels (blue and grey) for catching roof water for the garden and a rotating composter (black) off to one side

Water Wise

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For many of us, a better-than-average Scottish summer means drought. Tap water is resource intensive, expensive and not always best for plants that prefer the stuff that falls from the sky. Taking part in a less energy-intensive food system is central to growing for climate and nature.  Here’s how:

  • Grow veggies as close to where you collect water as possible to minimise travel by hand, hose or drip feed irrigation.
  • Soil with plenty of organic matter is key to managing extreme weather conditions.  Insufficent watering early in the growing season will mean some plants ‘bolt’, go to seed early. 
  • When you have to water in dry periods avoid watering, where possible, in the middle of the day water will be lost to evaporation.
  • Take care to water the soil around the base of the plant to avoid wasting water.
  • Plant more herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme; these plants are able to withstand dry periods and are great for bees.  
  • Resist the temptation to water flowers unless they start to wilt, and save water for your veggies. Overwatering prevents them from developing deep roots that can help them be more self-sufficient.
  • Mulch, mulch, mulch wherever and whenever possible.
  • If you are growing in pots or on a windowsill at home washing up water will do just fine.
  • In a communal setting, make sure that you all understand and follow a water-wise system for it to be effective.
  • Tell others. Combined small actions can make a big difference.

Registered charities meeting certain criteria, can register for the water exemption scheme, read more here. 

N.B In hot weather, there is an increased risk of legionnaires disease – read more here 

Send us your water-wise’photos, top tips or questions to share

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Where do we grow from here?

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Demand for land for growing food near where we live continues to soar as more and more people want to grow local. See the Glasgow Community Food Networks’ recent Demand for Land Campaign.

The Community Growing Forum has long advocated that growing locally in community gardens, allotments, community orchards and more can support cost-effective, community-led solutions to issues of food insecurity, health and well-being and people’s urgent desire to take global climate action locally. So, where do we grow from here?

As advocated in our response to the National Planning Framework 4, we need an urgent rethink at national and local government levels that tackles land distribution and safeguards suitable land for feeding ourselves over development. Meanwhile, grassroots groups continue to seek creative solutions to growing local wherever and however they can, often in partnership with local authorities, NHS and the church. Increasing numbers of private landowners are willing to support diverse models of growing locally too, but if we are to grow our Good Food Nation and develop greener, more climate-resilient communities across Scotland, we need so much more of it. 

The Community Land Advisory Service Scotland provides one-to-one support for landowners and community groups to secure land for growing. Contact karen@farmgarden.org.uk

Later this month, this site will feature their updated Growing in the Community- Scotland Land Guide a unique resource which aims to make more public and private land available for growing locally. Written for both community groups and landowners, with technical advice and sample leases, it is an invaluable resource.

 

Gardeniser Group Photo March 22 (1)

Can we reach critical mass?

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Scotland’s first ever Gardeniser [‘garden organiser’ = Gardeniser] training took place 14 – 18 March on sites in and around Edinburgh.  This unique course, developed by Social Farms and Gardens [SF&G] and EU partners, is the first accredited course for community growing in the UK and EU, and recognises the unique skill set for starting, managing and developing our greenspaces for nature based activities. 

16 people from across Scotland came together for an intensive week of learning. The Gardeniser training programme, and daily onsite visits to a range of sites, offered an invaluable opportunity to hear and learn from one another, breakdown the different components to good practice and, perhaps, above all, take inspiration and energy from the knowledge that they are part of a growing network that has its roots just about everywhere … critical mass here we come!

The participants now have six months to complete self-learning tasks and take an online exam to be awarded the Gardeniser accreditation. 

Sponsorship from the Scottish Government made this possible and SF&G Scotland are looking to running the course in the Inverness area in autumn this year. If you’d like to know more email karen@farmgarden.org.uk

Nuture your soil

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If you have ever had the pleasure, and let’s face it, the privilege of working with soil, you will no doubt know just how good it can feel. But, whilst words can rarely describe the feeling of increased well being when taking care and making a connection to this vital life source, it is time to put words and actions to the link between healthy soils and our fight against climate change.  Soil is the next frontier; a healthy soil holds and captures carbon, stores and delivers water when and where required and is home to billions of bacteria and microbes central to our existence. It’s mind blowing to be honest. Yet now, the very substance that sustains us, needs us. Taking a regenerative approach, to rebuilding our soils and associated ecosystems is gaining ground but urgent action, at ALL levels is required. It’s our turn in our gardens, allotments and shared greenspaces to nourish, replenish and yes, quite simply worship the ground beneath our feet.  So, if you have a little bit of soil to work and nurture you can make a difference. Here’s How

‘Nuture your Soil’ is part of our post COP26 series GetGrowingGreener supporting you to take positive action, locally.