We have now started work developing our new Community Allotment – plot 59B on the William Fowler allotments, by the school, almost opposite Glyme Hall.
We want our community allotment to be a place that will encourage and help people who are new to or unsure about growing their own produce, to more easily explore what is involved or get started. Often it’s more enjoyable and less difficult to do as part of an open group. We’d like to develop some information displays and activities that help introduce people to growing things, or explore new ideas and approaches. We hope it will aid and inspire more people to have a go!
Where feasible we would like to design and run the allotment on agroecology/permaculture principles (making a more self-sustaining and resiliently productive system, by imitating how natural ecosystems work). This includes a greater emphasis on perennials, minimum tillage, ‘forest gardens’ and mixed plantings, (for example we can inter-plant low plants and ground-covering plants with fruiting shrubs). We also want to encourage better biodiversity in our space (for example, bee and beetle ‘hotels’, plants to encourage butterflies and other pollinators or attract good insect predators).
It will take a bit of time to get properly up and running, but where feasible we would like to organise activities like these:
- Open events with educational/informative displays or interesting activities where people can come for ideas or inspiration.
- Simply join in with whatever is going on each week
- Or perhaps take on some area to see what you can do with it
- ‘Taster’ introductions for people who want to explore
- An ‘easy entry’ for new starters, with help if growing plants seems new or scary
- Fun educational activities and displays for children
- And perhaps activities or information for other adult groups including people with disabilities
- Opportunities to discuss or explore new ideas and approaches