In these uncertain economic times, many people are turning to growing their own food. One website with a lot of information about how to do it and where is www.dublinfoodgrowing.org.
This organisation started with a conversation between Willie Morrough, Morag Friel and Bruce Darrell, who identified the need for more allotments in Dublin City Council. A public meeting was held in February 2008, to discuss campaigning for allotments and the necessity and urgency of looking at food in Dublin.
More people got involved and a steering committee was set up, and Dublin Food Growing was born with the overall unifying purpose of establishing ‘food security from the ground up’.
Their Vision of a Possible Future Dublin includes:
* All Dublin’s food (fruit and vegetables) will be grown locally. Dublin will feed its own population, achieving food security comparable to Havana in 2007.
* No organic matter leaves Dublin: Fertile waste and water is captured and used in a closed loop system (including grey water, run off, and sewage).
* No space wasted: Every empty space is cultivated to become a productive, edible landscape.
* Dublin Food Growing operates at all scales: From window boxes to allotments to commercial.
* Anyone who wants to grow food can: Space and resources will be available and easily accessible to all.
* The food system does not deprive other people of food and resources necessary to feed themselves
* Some of the things they recommend to realise this vision are: Increased availability of public park allotments (including new parks).
* Public plantings promote productive use by encouraging food cultivation in public spaces in your area.
* Aim high. (eg.100 allotment sites and 200 community gardens).
* Register all existing community gardens as community associations.
* Argue for establishing community gardens at every public amenity: school, library, park, hospital, retirement home.
* Support an allotment campaign of letters, lobbying, documenting potential sites and interest.
* Lobby and Influence Dublin City Development Plan.
* Identify and map potential sites: Google earth and community mapping research, make lists of potential food growing sites.
* Ongoing active research programme: conduct research into the best species, soils, techniques and strategies to support every Dubliner interested in food growing.
* World Class Resource Centre: Education at all levels.
* Resource Exchange Service: Free-cycle for food cultivation offering easily accessible information, experience, materials, ideas, techniques, labour
* Build website as active hub with volunteers
* Establish a regular media presence: Integrate promotion and outreach strategies into all activities in as many ways possible
* Become a recognized source for information on food issues for the media
Dublin Food Growing is also an information point for courses teaching the skills people need to garden successfully, whether in pots, a communal site, an allotment, or a back garden
.They mention:
Grow Your Own Food– course run by Bruce Darrell, one of the founders and active contributors to Dublin Food Growing.
Although not in Dublin, the courses run in Gortabrack Organic Gardens, Co. Kerry may give you ideas of courses to run in your growing project!
The Botanic Gardens frequently run courses on diverse subjects from composting to the importance of butterflies in the garden.
Cultivate, Centre for Living and Learning in Temple Bar regularly runs courses on gardening, food production and sustainability. Their premises in Essex Street West also houses an amazing garden which is perfect to stop in, sit out and appreciate nature. Check out their website for dates.
Be inspired, visit gardens around Dublin which are maintained by the Office of Public Works, there are also details on the site of free educational visits for schools.
Starting an Urban School Garden
According to Jackie Bourke at Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square in the city centre, “Perhaps the biggest challenge with starting an edible school garden is overcoming the fear of what seems like a very daunting task. It can be easy to think yourself out of ever beginning. Best to simply throw yourself in and deal with each un-anticipated obstacle as it comes along. The school yard is tarmac and concrete, and we knew very little about food growing. But we raised funds and began with pots. Tomatoes, beans, and peas thrived. When an old trough was emptied, we craned in five tonnes of rubble and threw in four tonnes of topsoil. Lots of achy backs the following morning!
We transplanted everything into what had become a raised bed. Children of every age have been involved each step of the way. The plants cheer up their yard, and they regularly pinch bits of lettuce and parsley, taste nasturtium flowers, and squish juicy little tomatoes in their mouths. Starting and maintaining a school garden is hard work, but the benefits are immeasurable. The children love helping out. They take great pride in their success, and learn a lot about growing food– which in the long run will help save the planet for them, and their children.”
Well– at the very least, this offers food for thought.
Above: Philip McDonough and Jack O’Brien tending Ringsend Community Centre’s vegetable garden.