Investment project code: 58
The Allotment Associations of Edinburgh and the Caledonian Royal Horticultural Society will come together to establish an Edinburgh network called Grow Local, Grow Green by recruiting from members of the public and from interest groups who will be attending our major event in September 2023. We will encourage gardening of all kinds: from the sunny window-sill to the full-sized urban garden.
The network would be open to anyone regardless of age, race, gender. We aim to build interest throughout society, and to show how gardening can mitigate climate change and enhance health and well-being of individuals and their families.
Starter Packs will be distributed with leaflets detailing how to (i) reduce the air miles that food travels from grower to consumer by ‘growing your own’ and being more selective when shopping (ii) adopt organic growing principles to avoid pesticide-contaminated vegetables (iii) make compost, to reduce the dependency on bought-in nitrogen fertilizer which requires high energy expenditure and contributes huge global emissions (iv) capture carbon in soil (v) reduce food waste by donations to local charities (vi) engage with youngsters to pass good practice onto the next generation.
The event will be combined with a Flower and Vegetable Show, aimed at demonstrating what is possible, and inspiring newcomers and their families to ‘have a go’ to ‘Grow Local, Grow Green’
The network will continue, through creative climate education. Some of our own members are school-teachers and lecturers at colleges and universities, able to design materials and deliver practical advice in the form of seminars and face-to-face encounters.
The money will be used for these specific purposes:
Justification for the above expenditure
Location: Edinburgh
Proposed on behalf of: We are allotment gardeners, belonging to FEDAGA (Federation of Edinburgh and District Allotments and Gardens Associations)
Grow Local, Grow Green promotes the idea that everyone can experiment with 'grow your own' at home no matter how small the space and encourages amateur growers to adopt a more climate-friendly approach.