Thursday 20 June 2013

In the news.


Here is a link to the latest Melton Times story on the community allotment.

http://www.meltontimes.co.uk/community/community-news/dig-deep-to-support-allotment-dream-1-5199037



Don't forget you can vote for 'Melton Grow your Own' in the community forum on 3rd July. 

Vanessa 



Thursday 13 June 2013

A new beginning.


We've taken on the task of getting the community allotment at the Melton Mowbray Country Park up and running. When the founder of the project Adam Basey sent out a tweet asking if anyone wanted to take over the project, we couldn't say no.
Myself, my husband David and our daughter Hannah are all keen growers.
Three years ago we moved to our new house with a garden big enough for an allotment at the bottom and it gave us a new enthusiasm for gardening. We made four lots of raised beds, filled them with topsoil and bought some seeds. We've had some amazing crops, and throughout the summer we have had to buy very little in the way of vegetables. It also means we get the chance to try all kinds of food you might not find in the supermarket; purple carrots, white brocolli and black tomatoes, there's always something new to have a go at. Hannah has really taken to the grow your own idea, she's always coming up with recipes if we have a glut, and I often catch her munching on a handful of mangetout or in the greenhouse tasting the different varieties of tomatoes.

                                                     


So, knowing the benefits of growing and eating your own grown vegetables, we felt it would be great for Melton to have something the whole community could be involved in and this project seemed a really great idea.
The project is aiming to get people involved in gardening that otherwise wouldn't be able to. It's about allowing families that don't have the space in their gardens, to be able to come and grow on a bit of local land, and have the chance to eat some fresh healthy food. Children can come and learn about gardening, get their hands muddy and try new vegetables that they might otherwise ignore. It's about individuals and groups taking time to start a new hobby, or rekindle an old one, people of all abilities coming together to create a beautiful green space that Melton can be proud of.





The site is a previously unused part of land in the Country Park, just off Doctors lane, near the Scalford Brook Play Park. It has been cleared with the help of volunteers from Mars and the project has had amazing support from Melton Building society, including a donation of £3500.

 Currently the soil is stripped back while drainage is being sorted. Once this is done the plan is to get a security fence in along the path and then the work can begin on the big transformation. We have applied for funding through the community forum for some wood for raised beds and some slabs to create a path and we have our fingers crossed people will vote for 'Melton Grow your Own'. An integral part of the project is for the whole community to be able to get involved, and a path will mean the site is accessible by all, including access for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and the raised beds will be helpful for those with limited mobility.
We're sure you will agree that this project will be really beneficial to the community and we hope you will support it.
You can view and comment on the funding proposal here:
http://www.leicestershireforums.org/mowbray/cfb-project,898.html
Voting night is 3rd July so it would be great if you could come along and vote for the project!

Any donations of tools, seeds, pots, watering cans etc would be very much appreciated, or if you are a company that would like to donate wood or slabs for paths please get in contact.

If you'd like to get involved in the project in any way, please contact us at communityallotmentmelton@gmail.com 

I'll keep this blog updated with what's happening on the project as often as I can, I hope you enjoy following the progress.


Vanessa