Digging deep to help City Farm
STAFF at The Citizen have been digging deep into the heart of the Tredworth community with a little help from their friends.
We have launched The Citizen Gets It Done project with Gloucester-based logistics firm Downton, to identify groups in need of a hand to clear up an area.
Last month we were painting fences in Longlevens, and for the second installment of the campaign we were at St James City Farm, in Tredworth, on Monday.
Gardens had become overgrown with weeds and the soil needed turning over ready for the planting of new produce.
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After four hours of digging, the allotments were completely transformed.
Deputy news editor Charlotte Lewis and senior reporter Dan Charles were joined by volunteers Dan Ellis, from B&Q, at St Oswalds Park, along with Dan Graham and Steve Collins, from the Hallmark Hotel.
Derek Brown, manager of the City Farm, said: "Once our new cafe is up and running, the aim is to grow and use our own food.
"The work done on Monday has gone a long way to making sure we're in good shape for that."
In the 1990s the land was used as a breeding ground for lambs, then later it became a community garden. Over the past few months it has only been tended on an ad-hoc basis.
B&Q donated the spades, gloves and wheelbarrows.
Daniel Graham, general manager at Hallmark, said: "We are very keen to work with the local community and this was a great chance to do so."
A spokesman for Downton said: "We are a well-established business with strong roots in the community so in these difficult times we are happy to do anything we can to help.
"We care about Gloucestershire and want to help make it a better place."
Comments
by Ysedra
Thursday, November 01 2012, 11:23AM
“See, now I'll get flak for spamming, but the first post wasn't visible until the second was posted, however many time I refreshed...”
by Ysedra
Thursday, November 01 2012, 11:21AM
“Second attempt to post (I did wait over an hour):
And there you have it. Never heard a word about this patch of land being 'neglected' before yesterday's article. I'd see people in their late teens working there occasionally, and assumed these were agricultural students getting a bit of practical experience. If there'd been serious worries about the upkeep of the plot, I would have expected calls for help, and I would certainly have pitched in. But highlighting problems publicly, to rally the community, has never a strong suite for our 'community leaders'.
Still, at least this is a councillor-free article...”
by Ysedra
Thursday, November 01 2012, 10:15AM
“And there you have it. Never heard a word about this patch of land being 'neglected' before yesterday's article. I'd see people in their late teens working there occasionally, and assumed these were agricultural students getting a bit of practical experience. If there'd been serious worries about the upkeep of the plot, I would have expected calls for help, and I would certainly have pitched in. But highlighting problems publicly, to rally the community, has never a strong suite for our 'community leaders'.
Still, at least this is a councillor-free article...”