If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about in regard to Community Gardens, here’s ten things a group of Kilkenny community gardeners learnt in just six months working together…
- They’ve learnt new skills and how growing, harvesting and eating your own food is good for both mental and physical health.
- They learnt about the seasonality of food and picked up recipe ideas and new cooking techniques.
- They’ve tried out different foods and flavours that were once popular but may not be available in supermarkets.
- They’re encouraged to grow their own food at home in tandem with the community food project.
- They’ve learnt how successes and failures of growing food are ‘normal’.
- They have a better appreciation of how difficult it can be to grow food without using chemicals and why organic food is generally more expensive at markets and in shops.
- They’re more likely to shop locally, searching out better quality foods and flavours.community.
- Community gardens are available to people on a tight budget.
- The experience has given them a better appreciation of their community.
- They’ve learnt a basic life skill – they will know that whatever happens, they will be able to provide food for themselves and their families.
This list could go on. There’s room for a community garden everywhere. All you need is a small scrap of land to create one and an enthusiastic bunch of people to get it up and running. For more tips on how to start a community garden, take a look here.