Grow Organic News

A lot of work has been carried out by the Allotment Officer on the Scotchman Road allotment site to make it more inviting to new tenants. This has been so successful that there is now a waiting list!

'The best yet!' was the verdict of the judges of the annual Manningham and Girlington in Bloom best garden competition.  Worthy overall winners were Abbey Green Nursery and Children's Centre, where every centimetre of space is used to give a rich outdoor experience to the children.  Two newcomers to the competition were also prize winners: Colin Malcolm's Scotchman Road plot was the best allotment, and Irsad Begum's garden in Mannheim Road was the best small garden. 

Growers on the Down to Earth allotment project at West Bowling were proud to see the vegetables they had grown taking their place in the Food Zone of the Silver-medal-winning Places of Change Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. The brightly coloured chard, curly kale, beetroot and cabbage, lovingly nurtured through the frosty spring, looked delicious planted up in the allotment beds. Down to Earth participants were also justly proud of the three mosaics incorporated in the garden which they had created with Artworks.

Many of our schools took part in Blue Peter’s Mission Nutrition campaign last year, growing wheat from the seeds sent to us by Dove’s Farm, organic flour specialists.

The cold weather didn’t stop children at a local school getting out to their allotment last week.

Grow Organic has visited the Polish community at the Well-Being Café on two separate occasions recently to promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.

Carlton Smith, the chief executive of Bradford Community Environment Project, spoke to the Telegraph and Argus about the need for the Council to do more to encourage people to grow their own food in inner city areas.

Saturday 10th October was Apple Day at Bowling Park Community Orchard! Hundreds of people came to celebrate the diversity of our apple and fruit heritage and enjoy the lovely sunny weather.

The longest peel?

At the beginning of 2009 Grow Organic started work at a local Children’s Centre, putting in some raised beds so the eager young gardeners who attend the centre could grow and eat their own fruit and vegetables.

Recently a reporter from the Telegraph and Argus visited one of our women’s groups and was very impressed with what she saw. This is what she said: