Garden Share scheme in Brighton & Hove

Since we started our garden share scheme in Brighton & Hove (which is called Grow Your Neighbour's Own) a number of people from around the country have contacted me to ask for advice on how we got going... so I thought I'd start a thread here to which people can reply with other questions and answers which can be shared with everyone...
The details of how we set up our garden share scheme here in Brighton are pretty much laid out on this page on the Transition Town Totnes website: set up

This page sets out almost exactly what we did, mainly because I had a long conversation with Lou in Totnes before we did ours... I think she wrote the page afterwards so that she wouldn't have to keep repeating herself...! We also use Google Maps to keep track of where all the garden owners and gardeners live (just for our own use, the map is not publicly viewable).
There's only a couple more things to add to her page, namely that we found that setting up a website where people can email in their details proved very effective (see our website here: )but the website on its own is not enough, because the most important thing is matching up people with the same expectations from the scheme. There will be all levels of gardening experience amongst the gardeners, from beginner to experienced, and this needs matching with what the owners are expecting, as well as matching by location, times when access is available, how much time gardeners have available, etc.

As to legal/security issues: we meet all of the gardeners personally and check a personal reference for all of them. We don't ask for CRB checks, but if a garden owner requests this, many of the gardeners already have a CRB check, so we just match them with a gardener who has.

We've also taken out Public Liability Insurance for the gardeners in case of an accident/damage in an owner's garden (we've got a small grant). But generally we want to just pair people up and let them get on with it – we provide them with a list of guideline questions to discuss before they agree to the pairing...

There are other practicalities to think about if you are in a city like we are in Brighton and Hove: namely that the gardeners will generally be living in flats near the centre of town, and the garden owners on the outskirts... so you have to find out if some gardeners are willing to cycle/get the bus to get to gardens (we've tried to avoid people using cars, but we might change this sometime soon so that we can match more people up), and promote this by saying they get the pick of the gardens if they do...

I have a number of the documents that we use (and there are others on the Totnes garden share at the link above):

• an info sheet about the scheme,


• the guidelines I mentioned above,


• the certificate we ask the pairings to sign once they've agreed to be matched together,


• an example of the garden owner details sheet that we show potential gardeners when they are picking a scheme;


• as well as the procedures we follow when visiting garden owners or gardeners. If anyone would like copies of these please email me at grow_info*at*transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk

Community Supported Agriculture talks at the Friends Meeting House Nottingham: Thursday 19 Feb 2009

Kristin Glendinning of the Soil Association argues that it would indeed be possible to imagine a situation where 80% of our food is grown within Britain and 60% of it grown within a 100 miles of where it is consumed.

Nottingham has a huge potential to contribute to this vision given that at least 50% of the city is made up by green space. One of the key vehicles of transition would be to set up Community Supported Agricultural Schemes (CSA’s). These aim to forge partnerships between producers and consumers where both the rewards and the risks are shared. Kirstin has been involved in a CSA project in Swillington (near Leeds) that has managed to get local people involved in a project that grows fruit and vegetables. Local people were invited to pay £600 (or £375 for a half share) up front for which they received a box from June through to March. The scheme has now expanding to include local people on low incomes with subsidised half shares. This was an important part of the project as many of the local people were from former mining communities. In the first year the project produced 35 boxes but they had now expanded to 50. There is also a similar project running in Hackney that supports a local organic box scheme, farmers market and runs a patchwork farm which is currently training local people on apprentice schemes in farming. Again this has attracted interest from low-income groups as 30% of the people involved in the box scheme describe themselves as living on a low income. Should anyone wish to find out more about CSA’s run by the Soil Association they should visit http://www.soilassociation.org/csa for further information.

Kirstin also talked at length about CSA’s run in Oregon (http://www.yourbackyardfarmer.com/) that have set up CSA’s in back gardens, and even in public parks in Belgium. The founding principles of CSA’s are that they are self-financing, can provide a livelihood for a farmer or grower, guarantee a market so there is no waste, and help develop resilient community networks. If anyone is thinking of setting up a CSA then the Soil Association offer free advice and should visit (http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/) to find out more.

The second speaker of evening was Mark Simmonds (mark.r.simmonds@cooperatives-uk.coop) from the Union of Co-operative Enterprises who talked about the legal structures that are necessary to forge an alliance between landowners, consumers and growers. Mark outlined a number of different corporate structures that anyone wishing to start a CSA, community shop or food co-op may like to consider. Mark is able to offer free legal advice.

This was a hugely enjoyable evening with lots of people talking about their own ventures and asking interesting questions to the two main speakers. Anyone new or old to the idea of transition towns or the politics of local food would have come away both encouraged with lots of practical information and detail.

The farm that feeds its shareholders

Get involved in growing your own vegetables.

One group of people in Stroud, Gloucestershire were so keen to grow-their-own they've created a whole farm. Around 200 members now pay into the not-for-profit Stroud Community Agriculture scheme

Do you know of a farm nearby which might like to get involved in this? If so, contact the food group of Transition WB and we shall see if we can make it happen.

For now we have schemes like the Shared Garden Project (http://www.sharedgarden.co.uk/) where a group of people work to gether on a number of allotments. Although there are no spaces left, You might be able to get a few friends together and work an allotment together, or join Jake Jackson's garden share project.

If you don't have the time or strength to have an allotment, container growing on the patio, balcony or back garden might still be an option. On 29th May, local gardeners will be giving away vegetable plants on Central Avenue for you to grow in containers at home as part of the Green Streets Initiative.

So no matter how small a space you have, there is virtually always a way to grow something tasty!

One of the founding members, Jade Bashford and farmer, Mark Harrison explain how it works. For more information about community supported agriculture schemes, visit the Soil Association website

The farm that feeds its shareholders(02.59)
New allotment takes root(01.52)
Vegetable drama with no plot(01.34)

Switch on to green electricity!

Many electricity companies are now offering a ‘green’ tariff, but which tariffs are best? How do they work? Do they lead to more electricity being generated from renewable sources? And how much do they cost?
GEM is a website that gives you details of the ‘green’ tariffs on offer to UK domestic customers. You may even find that green electricity will cost you less than you are paying now.
Signing up for a green tariff is easy. Just follow our simple three steps and you could start the switch to green electricity today!

http://www.greenelectricity.org/

JOIN THE ZERO CARBON CARAVAN

Come with us on a journey to save the planet. A Zero Carbon journey to show that we can live differently, travelling from all over the world to arrive in Copenhagen for the UN climate talks in December 2009.
You don't have to come all the way to Copenhagen, just come for a few days if you like.We will travel mainly by cycling and sailing, but any methods of travel are allowed, so long as they use no fossil fuels. We will hold conferences on the way, explaining the need to reduce our carbonemissions to zero, then discussing ways of doing just that, and Zero Carbon Concerts, using bicycle-generated electricity and audience participation – people power not fossil fuel power.We will demand a zero carbon world as fast as we can. The whole journey will have a high profile on internet media, so the politicians negotiating for a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol are aware of the pressure from public opinion.Cyclists, sailors, musicians, climate scientists, renewable energyexperts, organisers, media officers, we'd love you to join us!

This maybe our last hope. For more information or to receive our email newsletter (once every fewweeks) please contact Chris Keene chris.keene@zerocarboncaravan.net+44(0)1603 614535

Energy monitor on loan

Most of us would like to be more environmentally conscious but it isn't easy. This little device can help. Do you know how much energy your electric kettle uses? Or the greenhouse gas the power station gives off to make enough power for that cup of tea? Watch and be amazed.

Simple to install, you just clip a sensor next to your electricity meter, the meter monitors your energy use and shows you, in big LCD numbers, on a portable display. It's a real eye-opener and will help you turn a few things off, so saving a serious amount of energy. Good for your pocket and the environment at the same time. Sally Collard is willing to lend you this monitor for a couple of weeks but if you would like to buy one afterwards you can buy it on line.

There are a few different monitors on the market, this Owl Wireless Energy Monitor is easy to install and can be bought from ethical superstore £34.95

How to... insulate your loft with BBC Green

If your loft is home only to cardboard boxes and spiders, you could be wasting a huge amount of energy keeping it warm. Laying proper insulation can slash your carbon footprint and your heating bills – and you don’t have to be a DIY guru to do it.



In this article
What are the benefits?
How much will it cost?
Payback time
What equipment do I need?
Step-by-step guide

What are the benefits?
Without loft insulation, you could be losing up to 20 per cent of your heating costs through your roof. It is a simple and effective way to reduce your heating bills, acting as a blanket by trapping heat rising from the house below. Not only that, it will keep your house cooler in the summer by blocking heat from the sun on your roof. For optimum efficiency you should also consider lagging your pipes and fitting an 80mm hot water cylinder jacket at the same time.

How much will it cost?
Nothing in the long term. Expect to spend around £250 if you do it yourself – it'll cost you twice that if you get the work done a by professional fitter. Check the Energy Saving Trust’s table below to find out how quickly you will make your money back.It’s also worth finding out if you're eligible for a grant to pay towards the cost of loft insulation.

Payback time

What equipment do I need?
Protective clothing, gloves and masks are essential items, especially if you are fitting mineral wool insulation.
A knife to cut the material to the right size.
Insulation material – this depends on the insulation you have already. If you have none then you’ll need 270mm thick roll-out material. You can choose from mainstream insulation, such as mineral wool, or more eco-friendly types, such as sheep’s wool or loose-fill recycled newspaper.

If you already have some form of loft insulation, top it up with rolled or loose-fill material.
Chipboard (optional) – you can add chipboard above your insulation for added protection and to allow you to walk on top.

Step-by-step guide
Mind that dodgy loft ladder!
Clean and dust the gaps between joists.
Start at the eaves and unroll the insulation material between the joists, towards the centre of the loft.
Tuck the end of the roll into the eaves but don’t block them completely.
Mind you don’t insulate below the cold water tank or cover any electric wiring.
At the centre of the loft cut the roll, then go to the other end of the loft and start again. Cut and butt the ends closely together where the lengths meet in the middle.
Repeat along the remaining joist spaces.
Cross-lay a second layer at right angles to the first, this time above the joists.
You won’t be able to see the joists now, so be careful where you step – lay down chipboard to walk on.
To insulate the hatch cut the right sized piece of material, tap nails in each corner and criss-cross string to keep it in place. Watch out this doesn’t catch on the latch.
You're all done – have a nice cup of tea!

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Foraging in and around West Bridgford

As part of our food group we are looking into setting up foraging walks in and around West Bridgford.

If you know of any apple or other fruit and nuts trees that are fruiting in autumn and no one claims the fruit, or you would like to join in on these foraging walks, please contact: Julie on 9452556

For some specialist courses see: The Wild food School. For a free guide to download, they do a monthly e-mail newsletter to subscribe click here: Join the Newsletter E-mail list

Expecting to start sometime in March possibly coinciding with the Green Streets initiative on the last Friday of every month.

The Gardening Catalogues have arrived!

Whilst the snow is melting outside, I am looking through my Thompson and Morgan catalogue and came across some lovely fruit varieties that might be of interest to you to be(come) part of the grow your own movement in West Bridgford.

To give you some ideas on what I have come across:

Strawberry Irrisistible 10 plants for £10.99 or 30 for £19.99
Blue berry Top Hat 3 for £17.98
Goji Berry 3 for £17.98
Peach Avalon Pride (resistant to leaf curl) £29.99
Hardy Kiwi £17.99
Aronia Berries £9.99
Honey Berry 3 plant for £9.99
Fulton's Rhubarb strawberry surprise £8.99

There are lots more interesting easy to grow fruits that might fit into your garden, containers and your budget.

Organic vegetable growing in your own garden

Kernewek Gardens, Nottingham is pleased to introduce a new scheme.

Like to have fresh, healthy food from your own garden, but don't know how?...
We can establish and tend to food growing in your garden which in turn will mean no food miles, no packaging, grown using organic principles and cheaper than the shops.
Planting the seeds for a healthy future.

Well, its February already, the gardens are ready to burst into life and the frosts are breaking down the soil into a fine tilth.
The first seeds have been sown and should germinate anyday now. Broad Beans and Peas in their deep pots first, followed by Cauliflower and early nantes Carrots. The early crop Potatoes are going into their tyres ( yes, i'm using tyres to grow them in ) later this month. Ive constructed some poly-tunnels to get all my Sweet Peppers and Chili's off to a flyer too.

Remember, there's still time to sign up to our growing and maintenance schemes, with prices from just £ 40 per month

We have some turfing jobs on this month, as its an ideal time to lay a new lawn; and of course, seeding jobs can wait for another month as its too cold for the seed to germinate.

What are you waiting for?
Call Simon on 07808 808 091
or email to: organics@nicegarden.co.uk
all garden aspects covered see our website for more details
www.nicegarden.co.uk

Car2Share Initiative is now available!

A few weeks ago I mentioned a website for you to see what the true cost of running a car is.
www.thisismoney.co.uk/cost-of-your-car-calculator.

If this calculator made you decide that maybe it would be an idea to look at alternatives to your (second)car, we might have come up with an answer.

Enterprise rent-a-car, our local car hire company has very kindly come up with a brilliant deal for people in West Bridgford. It is simple to use, cost effective (for occasional use) and will contribute to clearer and safer roads in our Town.

They will come and pick you up, drop you off, give you a huge selection of cars available (depending on what you need it for that day/weekend/week etc Van, small car, large car, MPV)

Just click: Car2Share to go straigt to their site

News from Nottinghamshare - Lift sharing scheme

This has been an amazing year. Over 75,000 new members registered to the liftshare network in 2008, meaning more people than ever are likely to be travelling your way.


And what better time to save some money and inject some friendly company into your journeys than over the Christmas break? As our cartoon observes, the economy is not in a good way right now, and we all need to save money in every way we can. Why not make it your new year's resolution to share as many journeys as possible?

Click here if you would like to join this Lift share scheme

With very best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009,

the liftshare team

Rail and Coach Deals

Family & Friends Railcard 25% off code. This gets up to 4 adults & 4 kids 1/3 off adult and 60% off kids' train fares. A special code's available again cutting its price from £24 to £18. See the Deals Note: Rail and Coach Deals Related Guide: Cheap Train Fares