Green Shoots sustainable growing project puts down roots in local schools and Transition Town Forres

An environmental group teaching people how to grow food sustainably hopes to expand.

Having launched in April with support from the National Lottery Community Fund, ‘Green Shoots’ has worked with pupils and staff from local schools and started an after-school club at Transition Town Forres (TTF), Bogton.

However, project team member, Martin Allen, confirmed the group is applying to Moray Council for planning permission to erect a new polytunnel, ready for the 2023 growing season.

He explained: “The season is largely restricted between March and October. Temperatures have fallen and days are getting much shorter. It’s harder to get outside with groups in the garden to grow tender crops or bring on seedlings and plants without the aid of a protected growing space. The addition of a polytunnel will have several benefits, allowing session participants a wider range of crops and to learn more horticultural skills. There can be overwintering of salad crops and herbs. We can sow and grow seedlings in early Spring to give crops a head start for outside beds. And tender crops including tomato, cucumber, peppers and aubergines can be grown in the summer.”

He added: “The polytunnel will provide an undercover learning space and more flexibility to run sessions in poor weather, allowing more people to benefit.”

Martin is qualified in horticulture and therapeutic gardening. He splits his time between freelance gardening and running education and well being workshops around horticulture.

The Green Shoots project team also includes Barney Thompson, an experienced community gardener, schools food grower and environmental educator, and Sarah Ripley, an experienced gardener, passionate about outside learning and food growing in schools.

Barney said: “There is burgeoning interest in growing locally, along with an urgent need to tackle climate change and improve food security. Reducing food miles and packaging cuts carbon emissions and environmental pollution, as likewise does home composting and caring for the soil. Growing organic food together leads to healthy children, families and wildlife through nature connection, fun outdoor exercise and learning.

“We are looking after the local ecosystem and eating chemical free, tasty fruit and veg, as well as saving money.”

The aims of Green Shoots align with those of TTF, whose support helped secure funding for the group’s six month pilot involving Forres Academy, Logie, Dallas, Anderson’s and Dyke Primary Schools and Pilmuir Primary School and Nursery.

As well as facilitating class visits to TTF, the Growing After School Club was also set up for children and parents.

Sarah said: “Participants learn about composting and soil care, sowing, tending and harvesting a wide range of crops which they take home and enjoy.

“They also make new friends!”

Funding allowed Green Shoots to stock gardening tools, gloves and equipment, all stored at TTF.

Moray Community Payback Team also converted 10 potato boxes into vegetable growing planters, which have been filled with a compost/topsoil mix and planted with a range of food crops.

Funding is currently being sought to run sessions through next year and to develop the educational growing space further.

For more information email ttfgreenshoots@gmail.com.