Meet the Pioneers: Community Growing

The pandemic and the climate emergency have highlighted the need to improve food security, reduce food miles and connect people with nature. As a result, the number of community landowners involved in food growing has rocketed in recent years. In this Meet the Pioneers webinar, we learn from two community-owned growing projects and from Social Farms and Gardens Scotland.
01:51 Comrie Development Trust runs Comrie Community Orchard and Comrie Community Allotments at its Cultybraggan Camp site - an ex- Prisoner of War Camp. The Orchard, which is managed by volunteers, has 40 varieties of apple along with plums, damsons, cherries, quinces, walnuts, hazels, fruit bushes and an edible hedge. The Comrie Allotments Association leases its 41-plot site from the Development Trust.
17:09 The Ridge transformed two areas of derelict land in Dunbar town centre into community growing spaces. The Backlands site is a much-loved community space that produces flowers and organic fruit and vegetables, as well as providing a safe and inspiring place to volunteer or simply be. The space at Empire Close, which the Ridge took on in 2020, is currently being developed into an apothecary garden.
38:50 Social Farms and Gardens Scotland supports community growing, and the development of nature-based activities and greenspace improvement across Scotland.
59:40 Following presentations from the speakers, participants will engage in a short Q&A session.