Growing your own

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As well as connecting people with great food that is made and grown locally, Bristol Food Connections wants to encourage more people to grow and make their own food at home. There isn’t much more satisfying than popping into the garden or down to the allotment and picking what’s fresh that day for dinner.

There are several growing events taking place during the course of the festival including family growing sessions at Windmill Hill City Farm, urban gardening demos at River Cottage Canteen and Gardener’s Question Time is being recorded live. But as well as growing in your own back garden, the festival is highlighting opportunities to get involved in community growing projects across the city.

We are working with Incredible Edible Bristol, which began in February this year and has been steadily gathering pace ever since. The team will be leaving a legacy planter behind as part of Food Connections as they help children to plant sensory herbs outside At-Bristol. Elsewhere the team have already set up a small garden in Kingsdown, Edible BS3 has set itself up as a hub in Bedminster and Southville and Trinity Garden has done the same. The overall goal of Incredible Edible Bristol is to turn Bristol into the UK’s first edible city. Find out how you can get involved at www.ediblebristol.org.uk.

Other community garden projects taking place as part of the festival include the Wordsworth Centre and the Southmead Vegetable Garden Project. For those interested in learning more about community food growing the Wilfdlife Trust’s Feed Bristol Land and Food Forum takes place on Saturday 10th May.

Finally, we want to get children excited about growing food and Incredible Edible Bristol, the National Trust and Organix will be helping us to do just that this weekend. Children can plant herbs with Incredible Edible, learn about growing and make their own food as part of the National Trust’s 50 things campaign and grow their own vegetables in the Organix Children’s Area.

Feeling inspired to grow your own? See the What’s on section for a full list of growing events.