Grow Greener with Garthdee Field Allotments Association

Tag: sustainability Page 2 of 8

Dung and/or Compost Opportunity

We were all disappointed to find that our local supply of cow dung had dried up – so to speak! We are investigating alternatives which can be delivered in bigger tonnages – of domestic green waste compost and/or manure.

The scrapping of the containers from site produced a one-off windfall for GFAA funds and we hope to make around four barrowloads of dung and/or domestic green waste compost available free of charge to GFAA members.

We fear demand my outpace supply, so requests will be fulfilled on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.

If you are interested, please leave a comment below this post with your name and plot number. The compost/dung will be delivered to your plot once it is available. This may take a few weeks to organise. Bear with us.

If things work out and there is enough interest we may try to repeat this exercise.

Community Orchard Boost

We are delighted to announce that GFAA’s application to the Scotmid Community Orchard scheme has been successful. We are to receive £200 for the purchase of fruit trees or bushes to extend out existing Community Orchard in the communal garden area on site.

Thanks go to Ron (Plot 65A) who wrote our bid and, of course, to Scotmid for offering their excellent Community Orchard Scheme.

We are tickled pink to be one of the early participants in the programme and have the chance to help add to the thousands of trees that will grow throughout local communities, from the north of England to the Highlands of Scotland – all thanks to Scotmid.

Plotters or volunteers who can offer advice, or help with purchase, planting or maintenance, please get back in touch. We would love to hear from you.

Fresh Food for Frugal Families

Our Project

In the Fresh Food for Frugal Families Project, local primary pupils will work with volunteers to grow and cook their own vegetables, providing tasty, inexpensive, and healthy meals for themselves and their families. While they do so, they will develop thrifty habits and learn the importance of acting local to protect nature and the environment from Climate Change.

Together we will:

  • Experience the joys of working in teams outdoors in the fresh air
  • Grow and cook food to share with our families and local residents via TAMS
  • Learn how tasty, inexpensive and healthy home-grown food can be
  • Understand why locally grown food is better for our environment
  • explore practical ways of protecting the environment while cutting carbon
  • Learn to feed and conserve the soil to grow healthy disease-free vegetables
  • Create growing spaces safe for all sorts of bugs and beasties
  • Find out how green growing can cut emissions and protect against Climate Change
  • Recycle, repurpose and compost materials to cut down landfill waste.

How the funding will help

The Just Transition funding will allow us to enhance the experiences we offer our volunteers and school visitors by providing equipment to cut our carbon emissions and two outdoor learning spaces: a greenhouse laboratory and a solar powered workshop and classroom. These new spaces will also allow visits to go ahead in inclement weather.

Pupils will attend one afternoon a week over the full 10 week summer term. Our Volunteer Squad attends three times a week, 11 months of the year.

Plant Buying Opportunity

New Arrival

We took delivery of our Wheelchair-friendly Picnic Table this Tuesday.

We weren’t expecting it to come flat-packed and the team’s first attempt to assemble it lead to consternation amongst the volunteers and cries of, “Should have gone to IKEA.”

Not quite what we expected

However, the team soon rose to the occasion and had it all sorted out.

All’s well that ends well

The table and bench set is entirely made from recycled plastics and is designed to facilitate use by two wheelchair users and and group of six. It will certainly be a great community asset for many years to come.

TAMS 2021 Dividend

GFAA is a longterm supporter of The Allotment Market Stall (TAMS) and it was a delight to hear that last season we earned our largest ever dividend from the sales of our surpluses.

Thanks go to all the plotters, volunteers and friends of GFAA who helped generate the £495.71 for our funds – and of course to the TAMS’ Team for all their efforts in the community or our behalf.

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