Helen Royall, coordinator of the project said: "This is a great opportunity for people new to growing vegetables to come along and find out more. We want to note thanks to The Midcounties Cooperative and Cainscross Parish Council who have supported this project. It is great that so many food growing organisations have come together and we hope this will be the beginning of a food growing revolution in Stroud!!"
Philip Booth, a Transition Stroud member and an organiser of the project, said: "The stalls on the forecourt are to help publicise the many groups that are about growing food locally. It is also to let people know about the following weekend on 9/10th July with the 35 plus open gardens and various workshops, which are for all of us to share and learn more about growing food."
The organisations on the forecourt include: Transitiion Stroud, Stroud Pound, Foraged Food, Days Cottage fruit trees, Down to Earth cooperative, StroudCo, Stroud Community Agriculture, Get Growing, Vision 21 and Gloucestershire Wildlife.
Amanda Godber, a spokesperson for the cooperative Down to Earth, said: "We aim to support households in the Stroud area wanting to grow organic vegetables and fruit in their own gardens. We offer a range of services including 1:1 training and/or advice, courses and preparation of growing areas. We are delighted to help with this project to increase awareness about growing more food."
Tamsin Bent, one of two new community workers with the Stroud Valleys Project said: "We have just launched ‘Get Growing’ which aims to support food growing in 20 local primary schools. Already we have helped set up gardening clubs to encourage pupils to grow and eat their own vegetables. The Edible Open Gardens weekend will also have some activities for children."
Helen Pitel, one of the organisers of the Edible Open Gardens, said: "This Saturday (2nd July) is a chance for us to publicise the 9th/10th July weekend, where we are have workshops on chicken keeping, setting up a community orchard, drawing a garden, composting and more - plus over 35 gardens opening. Amongst the gardens we have organic, biodynamic, medicinal, and permaculture gardens, individual, community and vegan allotments, new and mature orchards, rainwater harvesting and forest gardens. The gardeners and allotment holders are opening their gardens for free and we are hoping their passion, knowledge and interest will encourage more people to grow their own fruit and vegetables.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS: NOT IN LEAFLET
1. Saturday 11.00am at Happy Valleys Farm Shop and Nursery – Venue 12. KEEPING BEES: A talk and demonstration about keeping bees with the new bee hives at the Happy Valleys Farm Shop and Nursery with Roz Jones and Andy Coombes
2. GUIDED WALKS on Sunday 10th July. Two guided walks around the Edible Open Gardens organized by Transition Stroud, accompanied by an expert gardener who will answer your questions. Walking boots and sticks recommended...Both walks include steep and possibly slippery slopes and some stiles. Pre-booking essential.
Morning Walk – departs 9.45am from Horsley Village shop.
Approximately 1 ¾ miles, visiting 5 gardens in Washpool, Sugley and Tickmorend and returning to Horsley about 12.30pm.
Afternoon Walk – departs 2.00pm from Nailsworth Library
Approximately 3 miles, visiting 5 gardens and a community orchard,
returning to Nailsworth Library by about 5.00pm
Refreshments will be available at some of the gardens.
Leaflets with details of the gardens are available in local cafes, libraries and Tourist Info. There is also a website: http://edibleopengardens.org.uk/
The weekend is being organised by Transition Stroud, (www.transitionstroud.org) a group of volunteers working to strengthen our abilities to grow more food locally and find solutions to our steadily increasing supermarket food, transport and energy costs.
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