Grow Your Own

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Started April 2016, the Grow Your Own project is about minimising carbon emissions through revitalising of food growing skills in the community, alongside a programme of waste reduction and hands on cookery workshops. For more information, see our Facebook page.

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Community Growing Project

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The Community Growing Project has now come to an end. It was set up at the beginning of 2014 following a community consultation process. It was made possible by funding from Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Climate Challenge Fund and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, and employed a full-time gardener and a part-time outreach officer. The project provided four food-growing polytunnels and a solardome at its site in Grinnivat, South Shawbost to supply year-round fresh fruit and vegetables for the community. It also offered two allotment polytunnels, one in South Shawbost and one in Dalmore, for community members to grow their own produce. Additionally, the project included a programme of talks and activities on everything from ways to prepare fresh and tasty meals with locally-grown produce while reducing food waste and food miles, to sustainable gardening advice.

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The Growing Project was invited to participate in the 2014 Sustainable Scotland Network conference under the strand ‘Tactical Benefits of working with your community; exploring how to deliver change in partnership. It was also the winner of the Best Practice in Community Regeneration category of the prestigious 2014 SURF awards.

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The activities of the project were:

• Providing a focus for community effort, bringing individuals together and forming an educational resource for young and old;

• Increasing the availability of fresh, locally-grown produce, particularly for those who have difficulty travelling regularly to shops;

• Promoting healthy, active lifestyles;

• Cutting carbon emissions by reducing food waste and food miles;

• Encouraging water conservation through initiatives such as rainwater harvesting.

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