Community garden grant for Transition Town Newton Abbot

By PRSD, on Saturday, December 13, 2008

posted by Ctpn

Members of Transition Town Newton Abbot and the town council get stuck in to new community garden *

Community gardens are spaces, as the name suggests, to allow the whole community to get their hands dirty and take part in a growing, green project. And Transition Town Newton Abbot has just received a grant from the town council to set one up in waste land in the town.

“The community garden or allotment will be managed by and for the local community,” Jackie Brodie of Transition Town Newton Abbot told the PRSD.

“The emphasis will be on growing fruit and vegetables, similar to an allotment but other garden related uses are possible. This will be for the community to decide. Growing your own vegetables is immensely satisfying, good for your health both in eating what you produce and the effort taken to grow them.

“Another benefit is that you are reducing your reliance on supermarket fruit and vegetables and all the food miles and packaging involved with that.

“A Community Garden has the added value of allowing people to pick up the skills required to grow their own food and we would like to hear from anyone interested, not just the experts.”

The first skill that people can pick up is ancient skill of using a spade – which has almost died out in some regions.

“Initially, there will be a lot of site clearance work and we will be looking for volunteers to undertake this task, alongside Teignbridge District Council, who hope to begin the process of clearing the site before Christmas. There will still be plenty more work for volunteers to get stuck into in the new year,” said Jackie.

The site, Vicary’s Field near Baker’s Park, is owned by the town council and has lain unused for years, and Transition Town Newton Abbot are joining forces with the newly formed Friend’s of Bakers Park for the project.

“If you have an allotment but are struggling to maintain it or would like an allotment but don’t have the time to commit fully to it, the community garden could be just the answer,” said Jackie

Of course, you might just want to get your hand dirty evey now and then.

If you would like to get involved email natransitiontown@live.co.uk

* People in photo are from left to right, Catherine Field (Friends of Bakers Park), Jane Ballantyne (Community Plan Coordinator), Audrey Compton (Bovey Climate Action) and John from Newton Abbot Town Council

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