Food Group

We are now well underway and we have regular meetings every couple of weeks. We have our first Action Group – Grow Your Own (GYO) – its aim is to promote the growing of fruit and vegetables locally.

Garden Share Scheme

The idea is that anyone who has a garden with space to spare and who doesn’t have the time or energy to use it all but would like to see the land put to good growing use, can be ‘matched’ with someone who doesn’t have a garden or space to grow any vegetables.

We already have the offer a piece of land which will be suitable for at least a couple of gardeners! If you want to grow vegetables this year please register with us for the opportunity to get gardening. For novice vegetable growers, don’t worry there are plenty of enthusiastic gardeners in the Transition Group who would be delighted to help with advice. And don’t forget the garden owner may well have grown veggies in the past but can’t manage to now, and they could be full of great advice and tips for successful growing.

There is much more information in the Guidance Notes which should answer any questions you have about the scheme. If you want to register either fill in the Gardener Registration form or Garden Owner Registration form. We have included a Garden Share Conditions for the matched owners and gardeners to agree beforehand. We suggest that there is an initial meeting between the parties to discuss the conditions and to see whether you think it will work for both of you as don’t forget this is a commitment on both sides.

If you have any further questions or want to send in completed forms please email foodgroup@ transitionashtead.org.uk or give Derek Smith our Secretary a ring on 01372 378914.

Community Garden

Potential community garden!

We think that a community garden in Ashtead would be a great project. It would be an opportunity for people without gardens or not enough land get out, meet other like minded souls and ‘till the soil’ plus of the great benefit of fresh fruit and veggies.

The exact way that the community garden will work will be up to the group, but we think the plot could be divided into small plots, or everyone can garden the whole plot – either way produce can be divided or bartered between the group.

We are currently negotiating with a land-owner about the possibility of using some land for a small community garden or “multiple garden share” but if you know of a suitable site for a community garden, we’d love to hear from you. We are actively seeking vegetable experts who can give advice to our novice gardeners.

Other Aims

The Food Group wants to promote growing and buying local produce and also encouraging biodiversity by:

• Let the grass verges grow long which is beneficial to wildlife
• Planting more trees and hedges
• Finding sites for bee keeping

If you would like to get involved with The Food Group or the GYO group, please give Derek Smith our Secretary a ring on 01372 378914.

E-mail foodgroup@ transitionashtead.org.uk, or come along to one of the Transition Ashtead drinks evenings where there is normally one or two of us there talking vegetables!

Potential produce!