Connecting rural villages with Incredible Edible Marshland

A big part of the Incredible Edible ethos is about connecting communities. When Incredible Edible Marshland decided to try to tackle the challenge of where to place new community garden beds, they came up with an inventive idea to bring several villages together! Special thanks to Nigel from Incredible Edible Marshland for putting this guest blog together:

 

May 2019 saw the beginnings of Incredible Edible Marshland (IEM). Since its inception much has changed though our ethos remains the same, striving, in all that we do, to bring our village communities together. The ways in which we have been able to achieve this have had to be changed and expanded through experience. While our initial approach was that of growing and sharing produce it has always been a challenge to establish a communal growing space.

You may add, when looking at the very rural nature of our patch, surely that is possible. Not so, there is little or no land that is not privately owned and as we cover a vast area establishing the same in one location would be very unfair to our other village communities.

Putting our thinking caps on we thought hard on how we could bring the villages together, linking individual communities. Yes, we could run individual events, classes and workshops on a whole plethora of subjects, which we continue to do, but could we introduce one activity that would have a marked and lasting effect for the benefit of all.

The decision was made to investigate the possibility of erecting planters on the lampposts running the whole length of the road through all our villages, Swinefleet, Reedness, Whitgift, Ousefleet and Adlingfleet. What better way of linking our communities, they could be appreciated by all residents and those driving through or visiting the Marshlands. Additionally individuals and local business could be involved with their production and erection. Having applied to our local council to undertake the project, identifying the individual posts we would use, they approved the same having completed a survey and gave us a green light to proceed.

We were very fortunate to procure the planters and associated brackets at a really knock-down price, admittedly previously used, but nothing that a good clean or in the case of the brackets a repaint, wouldn’t sort out. What then did we lack – plants and compost. This was a masive ask having 110 planters to fill. Some we could source locally but also we had to look further afield. At 10 plants per container that was a lot of plants and many litres of compost! With very willing help from many volunteers the planters were prepared and filled with compost and plants. In the interim our council street lighting department affixed the brackets to the posts in readiness.

After two or three weeks establishing the plants were ready to go on display. Again a local business came forward offering to erect all 110 planters. Then the next hurdle was watering. Having purchased a bowser which conveniently fitted in the boot space of a small car it proved to be no problem. With offerings of support throughout our community, watering and latterly a little additional feeding proved easy.

So why are we telling you all this now? Well, we thought other groups may just be interested in doing the same. Locally, our council has severely cut back on the number of planters they erect, a situation quite common up and down the country. Yes, and probably rightly, it’s the council’s economics again taking away something that is always much appreciated by their constituents. But is this then a chance to approach
them? Maybe they would part with a number of now excess to requirement planters at a bargain price. True, to buy new they are a prohibitive price but maybe there are now bargains to be had.

In conclusion, this undertaking by us, Incredible Edible Marshland, has been one of our most worthwhile, most appreciated tasks involving many of our residents. Our only problem, we’ve set a precedent, they’re
now requested each year!

 

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