Growing Food
Food growing projects aim to give people the knowledge, skills and encouragement to enable them to grow their own fresh produce, as home-grown food is one of cheapest sources of fruit and vegetables.
Food growing initiatives may include city farms, allotments, schemes set up on wasteland or school gardens. Growing fruit and vegetables offers a range of health benefits and simultaneously promotes a healthy environment and sustainable development.
Community food growing schemes have been shown to contribute to better mental health and help participants to be more active, lose weight, and feel more confident.
Growing food with children can also provide a variety of educational opportunities and enables pupils to experience the natural world and learn where food comes from.
Food growing schemes can also provide useful work-related horticultural skills. Importantly such initiatives have the opportunity to regenerate urban areas, and effectively build community relations.
The following case studies, publications and links give advice on how to set up growing projects in the community.
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