Grow Food, Grow Dunoon

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The Grow Food Project
Not only are home grown fruit and vegetables nutritious and tasty, they may soon be necessary.
Climate change, loss of biodiversity, pollution, soil depletion, political, economic and other global
dynamics are threatening our food production and supply. However, growing food is hard work.
It takes knowledge, skill and commitment. Which is why a group of us came together and we
work as a team.
Gardening in your own garden or allotment can feel overwhelming, there is so much to do.
Working as a team means the load is shared and different people bring different skills to the
project. One person might be skilled at sowing seeds, another at creating compost, one might
love weeding, another digging holes, and so on. When you’re working with others, the whole
process becomes easier and more enjoyable. You can also produce far more.
We use a highly productive food growing approach - a ten-bed rotation system which divides
vegetables into heavy and light feeders as well as using the classic crop rotation. This way of
growing vegetables produces a high yield in a relatively small space. Currently we grow enough
vegetables for our team of 8 to enjoy and also to sell at Farmers Markets and at the site on
weekends in summer. Though there are more people wanting to join which is why we are looking
for more land.
Our first project is with the Dunoon Community Development Trust and Kirn Primary school
called Grow Food Grow Dunoon. We have a polytunnel, built raised beds, propagated plants and
planted herbs and vegetables. We teach children how to sow seeds, water plants, enrich soil with
compost and seaweed and other useful skills they may need in the future.
We have documented and had a short film made of the first year of the project in order to
provide a model for other Grow Food Projects elsewhere. You can see the film and also a slide
show of the pupils talking about their experience in the garden at www.thegrowfoodproject.co.uk
We also are beginning a teaching programme. We have run a very successful course in basic
vegetable growing. We are planning more courses covering herb growing, fruit and vegetable
growing, seeding, compost, bee keeping, bush craft and caring for trees and orchards. We are also
developing the Bulwood Nature trail which will provide a facility for many community and
educational groups to learn about and explore nature.