Sustainable food growing workshop

We had a great second session of our climate change combating food growing workshops. Participants were super engaged and keen to learn.

We started off by giving everyone a tour of the food forest, explaining why low/zero external input, perennial food growing systems are needed and introduced workshop attendees to the different plants, including giving tastes of delicious hard-to-get foods being grown that they had not previously tried. 

Workshop participants were then shown the newly installed rainwater system with information given by George, our ex-Thames Water member on key considerations when installing rainwater harvesting, including as part of a wider irrigation system 

We then moved over to the instructional raised beds which were constructed for hands-on food growing education. 

We detailed important considerations when growing annually planted/sown food crops, such as pest deterrents, sowing times etc. Attendees were taught methods by which they can maximise yields of food being grown; particularly relevant for smaller urban gardens and allotments. Information was provided on how to grow food organically and affordably. 

We ended the session by giving everyone the chance to get some seed sowing experience, using two of the yield maximising practices that we had already explained.Thank you to everyone who attended, including our members and the lovely volunteers who kindly gave their time.