Feeding Our Community, launched at the start of 2022. With visions of teaching and supporting our communities to grow, store and prepare produce in their public spaces. Working with five specific communities in Northeast Pembrokeshire, our aim was to facilitate the creation of five permaculture designs for their spaces.
The ‘Helping Halls’ project, gave us a kick start by finding five community groups to work with. The pragmatic and enthusiastic volunteers from Canolfan Clydau, Canolfan Maenclochog, Y Stiwdio Hermon, Canolfan Llanddewi Velfry and the Llawhaden field, volunteered their time, ideas, and fervour, by attending numerous meetings and design sessions throughout the Spring and Summer.
This included two, full day, design sessions ran by permaculture trainer Jasmine Dale. Jasmine guided us in the whys and wherefores of the permaculture design process, empowering us to start designing the green spaces in our communities. We also held two tours of Bruce Slark’s wonderful Forest Garden in Moylegrove. To explore the ‘Food Forest’ concept further and see first-hand just what can be grown in our West Wales climate.
A forest garden is a garden modelled on the structure of young natural woodland, utilising plants of direct and indirect benefit to people – often edible plants.
To pilot the teaching part of the project, Louise Cartwright and Corinne Cariad ran three training sessions at Field of Beans running from July until September. The training sessions focused on Biodynamic theory, horticultural practices & practical food preparation techniques.
Our next steps.
We are continuing to work with our volunteers to finalise designs for their community green spaces. During the Winter, the Feeding our Community team will be collating all these ideas into an overarching plan for each group. These plans are intended for display in each community venue, for community members to look at, learn from, and add comments to.
The final designs will be presented to each group coupled with a grant up of up to £1000 to implement a chosen design feature!
If you work for a community hall or are part of a group with access to a green space and are based in Northwest Carmarthenshire, then we would love to hear from you! Email louise@cwmarian.org.uk to express your interest.