Growing enthusiasm for home-grown food (From Oxford Mail)

Growing enthusiasm for home-grown food

FOOD projects springing up in Blackbird Leys are fuelling calls for a community market on the Oxford estate.

Allotment expert Reg Curnock will share his skills

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) and the Seeds for Change organisation are launching new programmes to help people grow their own produce.

They have also been involved in talks with residents about opening a community market in the near future.

OCVA spokesman Catrina Pickering said: “Starting in March, we are running a programme bringing together residents who want to grow their own food, and those who already do.”

Ms Pickering said: “It has become very apparent that food prices have gone up and are still going up.

“And for a lot of people in this community, it can be very difficult to buy healthy food that is cheap as well.”

She added: “We know a lot of people in the Leys already grow their own food, so we’ll hopefully be building on their expertise to help others.”

It is hoped the initiatives could lead to more community projects on the estate, like gardens or a regular community market.

Ms Pickering added: “A group of residents have got together to take forward the idea of a community market.

“They are looking at getting some funding and running a pilot in May. It is hoped this won’t just be something that sells food, but somewhere with a cafe and somewhere for everyone to meet.”

One top gardener to be approached for his expertise is Reg Curnock, 75, who has been growing food on his allotment in Blackbird Leys for more than four decades.

The grandfather-of-14 said: “It's a great idea to get people growing their own food. It brings people together in a nice atmosphere and you save a lot of money.

“Years ago when I had my six children at home we used to cut cabbages and other vegetables off the allotment.

“Then my wife would weigh them, put that in a book and compare it to the price she’d have paid in a shop.

“We worked out we were saving £18 a week. And that was in the 1960s. You could treble that now.”

Seeds for Change spokesman Richard Howlett said: “This is about people on the Leys sharing their skills with others on the Leys.

“We want to hear from anyone who is either keen to share what they know or wants to learn.”

• To get involved, email catrina.pickering@ocva.org.uk or call 07540 703366 or 01865 258914.