Community Food Project 2004 -2011

The Organic Centre’s Community Food Project supported by the HSE from 2004 to 2011 has come to an end, but the results ot this ground breaking joint venture can be seen and felt everywhere.Not only has the project created long lasting community gardens all over the North West, it has been a model for community development all over Ireland.
The Organic Centre has written "Growing in Confidence a How-to-guide to Community Food Projects, which is available as a download. (Community Garden start up guide).
Various evaluation reports "Growing in Confidence" (2005), "Putting down Roots" (2006) and "Growing in Confidence" (2007) and "Taking it further" (2010) have shown the benefits of the project to participants, local communities and wider growing movement in Ireland.

The project has worked with St. Michaels Family Life Centre and the Forthill Men’s Group at the Northside Community Centre, Glor na Mora, Rathcormac community group beside the old National School, the Gyreum Ecolodge at Lough Arrow. We established the first community garden at a 3rd level institution at the IT Sligo with students and lecturers partcipating. Two gardens in Sligo and Cliffony were being developed as therapeutic horticulture facilities, using gardening as therapy.

Community-based organic gardens not only help promote organic gardening skills and awareness of healthy eating, but also have a number of other benefits. There are health benefits from increased physical activity, and from consumption of fresh and affordable organic vegetables and fruit. Taking part in a community garden project is a very positive experience. It promotes social interaction and a great sense of shared achievement. It raises awareness of the environmental benefits of local organic food production, which generates fewer carbon emissions from ‘food miles’, and by using natural fertilizers and methods of weed and pest control, avoids the use of harmful chemicals. Generally, the project is a great encouragement to participants to continue growing organically for themselves, and in some cases, to consider growing commercially.

The Organic Centre plus team is available to give advice and support to communities and can also project manage the establishment of local community garden projects.