Incredible Edible/Bwyd Bendigedig Welsh Gathering 2023!

A Welsh Gathering of Incredible Edible/Bwyd Bendigedig groups came together at Ty Pawb in Wrecsam, on September 22nd. It was the first one for 5 years, the last being in Machynlleth in mid-Wales in 2019, where the Welsh welcome had been true to form and one to remember, with bucket loads of rain but with vibrancy and vitality from the groups to match. This time the rain kept off and we were able to take a tour of IE Wrecsam’s town centre plot, a science centre with aquaponics, and the fabulous roof-top garden space at Ty Pawb, just going to show that community gardening can happen almost anywhere, if allowed to do so!

The morning was spent celebrating the Welsh group’s achievements and discussing future plans, which for Incredible Edible Porthmadog will be building an impressive Earth Ship. We swapped plants and seeds over a vegan lunch and groups displayed photographs bringing their work to life.

Incredible Edible’s Chair Pam Warhurst arrived to great applause, as she took us on a journey through “Right To Grow”, the Incredible Edible vision for a healthier, more resilient future, where access to space to grow on public land is made simple. Hearing the message from Pam herself was powerful and motivating, leading to group discussions about how this could work in Wales, approaching the Senedd in Cardiff (Welsh Government) and what that might look like.

Finally, we all joined in an activity to create a very long string of bunting with each person writing a positive message on each flag about how community growing and the Right To Grow could create change in Wales. The bunting will be sent to a Council where red-tape is getting in the way of a group from having the Right to Grow.

One of the attendees was from a new group, Incredible Edible Denbigh, who came away from the event feeling incredibly inspired and brimming with information to help the group on their new “Taith” (journey).