Land share
Like many people in this area, I live in a Victorian terrace. I love the house but unfortunately I have a back yard the size of a postage stamp.
Last year I put my name down with the council for an allotment. 18 months later and I’m still 20th on the waiting list. So while I wait I’ve planted my first ever edibles – cherry tomatoes in a pot. Since they started growing I’ve been going outside and willing them to bear fruit, then when the first tomato appeared I came pretty close to pestering it to death. I just couldn’t leave it alone, prodding and poking at it. Since then lots more have appeared but have stayed stubbornly green. Then finally, one turned orange. I felt a huge sense of achievement even though in reality Mother Nature had done all the work. If I had a plot of my own I’d have a go at growing all kinds of fruit, vegetables and flowers.
The point of all this is that many of us want to grow our own produce but don’t have the space. I looked at the Land Share scheme (see the River Cottage website) but unfortunately the nearest available plot was in Waterfoot. I’ve read articles suggesting that allotments aren’t the only option available to those of us wanting to grow our own. Many businesses have land which isn’t maintained and is seen as a burden, and there are unused patches of land all over the place offering loads of potential. You can spot them, find out who they belong to and approach the owners to see whether they’d consider renting them out. There are advantages for all involved. Landowners get extra income, a share of the produce or both. Growers get to grow and eat varieties of fruit and veg unavailable in the shops, they save money and often a great sense of community comes about as a result of people digging in together.
I’ve got my eye on an empty, overgrown space just up the road. I sent a letter on Friday asking who it belongs to. Maybe I’ll hear back, maybe I won’t. But if you don’t ask you don’t get. And I suspect I’ll be basking on the council allotment waiting list for at least another year or two.
September 1st, 2009 at 11:51 am
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Sarah, I also live in a Victorian Terrace with a garden the size of a postage stamp (is there any other kind of garden in Rammy?) and despaired of ever getting an allotment. I had read about this scheme and wondered if it was active here, so your post was very helpful.
Clearly we need to get more folks signed up. I wonder if there is any way to get the council’s permission to garden empty lots or unoccupied public land in Ramsbottom … maybe even get a corner of Nuttall Park for a community garden? I think there is a scheme like this in Todmorden where some friends live so I will try to find out some more info. It might be worth getting a group of locals together to investigate the options?
September 1st, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
What a great post it is something that I also have been thinking a lot about recently, I would love to have a very small chicken coop, but it would have to be within walking distance of the house, I have had my name down for an allotment for a couple of years, no joy, I know there must be empty ones, I was told some time ago that the council were reviewing who had what patch, but I have not heard anything.
Would love to rent a small patch of land
October 10th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Also consider looking at http://www.spareground.co.uk
This website also allows users to advertise or search for unused land, gardens etc for growing veg, keeping bees, chickens etc. Not as big as Landshare but nevertheless it’s free so why not. Quite a lot of land there already.
Also allows users to adsvertise any other free space they have such as unused parking space, greenhouses, storage etc and open to everyone to use free of charge.
November 22nd, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Last week I went to a conference in Todmorden’Incrtedible, Edible Todmorden’, They intend to be self sufficient in food; veg,fruit,dairy, meat and fish by 2018 and are well on their way to achieving that. What started as a bit of guerilla gardining just grew and they are just about to plant another 2,000 fruit trees. Rossendale are hoping to produce a lot more of their own and are having a public meeting at Haslingden library at 7.00 on 25/11. there are twice as many people waiting for allotments in Bury than there are plots.
Anyone interested in a Rammy food public meeting?