Community Growers
This month’s episode discovers the community of growers and gardeners in and around Bath. In recent years there’s been a resurgence with more people coming together to grow and share food, care for the land they live near or on - maybe in an effort to help communities tackle some of the challenges we’re all facing.
Hamish Evans, co-founder of Middle Ground Growers tells me about their market garden, Weston Spring Farm, nestling just below Kelston Roundhill in Weston. They deliver organic veg boxes to 120 local households by bike. Their farm goes beyond sustainabilty and operates as a regenerative, agri-ecological model including a nuttery, coppice, wildflower meadow, bee hives, bird boxes and of course the fruit and veg beds. Soil health is improving, insects and birds are increasing and the local community is benefiting.
I meet with Emily Wright, Chair of Grow Batheaston who shows me around their Forest Garden. This is a small patch of land behind the Secret Garden in the heart of the village. A Forest Garden is a layered garden where everything has a benefit - whether it be edible, medicinal, or to our wellbeing. Everyone is welcome to join the growers club and the community planting club. There are also regular pop-up markets. Info can be found using the links below.
Finally I spend a day around the peace path in the heart of the Whiteway estate. Claire Loder talks about the origins of Bloomin' Whiteway with its annual Front Gardens Festival; Lucy Bartlett takes a group of us bug hunting and community worker Rachel Spence talks about creating the peace path and the hope that this piece of land is bringing to the community.
Credits
Music: Audionautix
Produced by Pommy Harmar
Links
www.bathscape.co.uk
www.middlegroundgrowers.com
www.facebook.com/MiddleGroundGrowers/
www.growbatheaston.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Grow-Batheaston
www.bloomingwhiteway.com
www.facebook.com/bloomingwhiteway
www.naturalbristol.wordpress.com
