Post in Launch Topic 1: How would you like to see Wicklea used now and in the future?

Oct 11 19:01 UTC

I have been thinking a lot about the space at the back of wicklea. I really
would like to pursue this but just will not have any spare time this year. I am
currently on a Learn To Teach course run by the WEA. I hope to use this to
enhance my skills within the area of growing food/ community green food
initiatives (the course will finish in December).

The main advatge that Wicklea obviously has is the huge potential for growing
its own food.

Wicklea is ideal for food growing and cooking! I have taken part in a teenage
cookery project that ended up with them cooking and serving and evening meal to
paying customers it was superb! Idea's going around my head are focused on the
growing of food including scrub clearance,  building high-raised beds for those
who find it difficult to bend low, composting, acquiring tools, tool storage,
polytunnel/greenhouse. Where to find young people to work alongside older
members of the community? Family focused food growing - I do have a rough
scheme for this as I am hoping to start this at the farm in the spring. Food
growing with enthusiasm about recipes and how to use the food grown (I find
that quite a lot of our volunteers at the farm don't even know how to cook what
we grow or how it tastes! I am trying where I can to change this).

One of my concerns is that of cash. I will try and look at the BCP form for
projects this week but with the time spent on APAG and homework I am uncertain
that I will make a comprehensive bid. The project will need start up money and
hopefully wages?? This is not my strong area but I realise it would be in our
best interests to be aware of current funding opportunities.

I did once have the great opportunity of being part of OrganicLea a project not
disimimar to this. See http://www.organiclea.org.uk They turned around a green
space with very small start up costs within a few years. So its not impossible
if you have enough people who are happy to work as volunteers.

One of the very successful things we have been doing at the farm this year is
corporate challenges. Many groups ie Insolvency and AXA have come to the farm
and completed quite large projects for us. They also bring some money with them
for materials. Perhaps this would be a good way forward to get half of the land
cleared and veggie beds built?

It would be good to link with any other Brislington parties interested in
working on this. I'd definitely like to be part of it, possibly even taking a
lead role, but as its essential to me to be Mum to Natty(2) and Xavi (5) while
they are still so little I cannot commit to full-time in the immediate future.