Making it easier for residents to create sustainability projects that will improve their local area.
2 people liked Save Merseyside care farm and peat bogs3 months ago
By Climate Friendly Food CIC Trading as Fir Tree Community Growers
Securing income & volunteering on a St Helen's veg care farm. Diversifying into plant nursery raising rare plants for Merseyside's peatbog nature reserves, partnering with Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
We are a five-acre care farm with no paid staff. We provide opportunities to people with disabilities/facing isolation. Climate harm is already happening in St Helens. 2023 was a devastating year for weather, resulting in 70% yield drop and gale force winds destroyed our polytunnel. Fruit and veg is our sole income. We need to secure volunteer opportunities ~4000 hours per year. Our solution is to create an exciting partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust to become a satellite plant nursery, growing rare plants to restore Merseyside peat bogs which are a precious and degraded Merseyside habitat. We will build a rain water reservoir, reskin the polytunnel (but bury the cover to mitigate gales), buy peat-free ericaceous seedling compost then propagate "local provenance" plants. Cotton grass, cross-leaved heath, sundews & sphagnums will conserve local gene pools & prevent extinction. We will provide transport for likeminded disadvantaged groups to visit to share best practice.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
1) SAFE GUARD A CARE FARM'S FINANCES BY DIVERSIFYING TO PROVIDE INDEFINITE NATURE AND WELLBEING OPPORTUNITIES TO DISADVANTAGED LOCAL GROUPS. We do not charge. The majority of the core volunteer team (8 who act as steering group) and drop in community members (30+) have protected characteristics especially disability and older people at risk of social isolation. We have no paid staff and so core volunteering is essential and we are so grateful to all our wonderful volunteers. If we diversify beyond veg opportunities can continue indefinitely. 2) BECOME A SATELLITE PLANT NURSERY TO RAINFORD AND SUTTON MOSSES IN ST HELENS - producing rare plants that are of local provenance. There is no-one else in the world doing this. The plants will be planted on local nature reserves. 3) BECOME A SHOWCASE IN THE NORTH WEST and host visits for knowledge transfer so that other communities including minibus costs for groups working in high Index of Multiple Deprivation from Liverpool and St Helens.
Steps to get it done:
We are happy to provide team building days for corporate social responsibility and charge for this service with reasonable rates.
Gallery
Location King's Moss
About the space
Climate Friendly Food CIC T/A Fir Tree Community Growers. We have organic vegetables, hazel alleys, apple and plum orchards, forest garden, ponds and wild areas.
Council
St Helens Council
Journey
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Making it easier for residents to create sustainability projects that will improve their local area.
How will the money be spent?Target (inc. fees) £4,973
Costs Breakdown
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Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Target (inc. fees) £4,973
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Volunteer
Climate Friendly Food CIC was founded in 2009 by three vegetable growers who were advocates for ultra-low carbon food and Jonathan Smith separately created a footprint calculator https://calculator.farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk
Jenny Griggs went onto create a care farm - "Fir Tree Community Growers" in St Helens and received five years funding under Big Lotteries Local Food. Between 2010 – 2015, we worked on average with 2000 beneficiaries a year.
From 2015, the decision was made to continue the care farm solely with traded income from produce which has meant the outreach ambition had to be reduced, principally because Jenny worked full time elsewhere. Jenny Griggs at that time became a volunteer and joined forces with Organic Direct’s Kirsty Montgomery becoming a co-director.
Jenny and Kirsty are experienced therapeutic horticulturalists and run two volunteer days every week – Jenny on a Tuesday and Kirsty on a Friday. Our third director is Alan Abbott who is the landlord of the wider farm. Alan (who is in his late 70s) does all the wider mowing and field cultivations with his tractor.
Fir Tree Community Growers’ care farm is on 5 acres. Our majority income is vegetables and orchard fruit and we have some innovative features including earthworks for children to enjoy adventures and are piloting “wet farming” crops including irises for cut flowers.
Everyone is a volunteer. The majority of the eight-strong core volunteer team (also steering group) and drop in community members (30+) have protected characteristics especially disability and older people at risk of social isolation. We run farm open days and training days which are well attended by the local community. We average 4000 volunteer hours per annum and most of the volunteers would be considered marginalised principally because of diagnosed mental health conditions and age.. Five of our volunteers are men over 60..
Project Owner: Climate Friendly Food CIC Trading as Fir Tree Community Growers The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
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