Interactive community vegetable growing scheme launched in Wotton-under-Edge (From Gazette Series)

Interactive community vegetable growing scheme launched in Wotton-under-Edge

2:00pm Saturday 19th January 2013 in News By Lucy Fulford

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL farmer in Wotton-under-Edge has launched an interactive and organic community scheme.

Lara Madge, 42, and her husband Oliver moved to 20-acre Park Mill Farm four years ago, having had no previous farming experience.

Passionate about sustainability, Mrs Madge grows organic pigs on the site.

She said: "This time last year, we thought it was too big a space not to share and looked into community supported agriculture and how that works."

The result was EdgeVeg, a veg box scheme offering more than just weekly food deliveries.

Unlike other veg box schemes, members who want to can come to the farm and help sow, grow or pick their own vegetables.

"They can come and get involved," said Mrs Madge. "Growing your own vegetables is a fantastic thing to do but can get very time and space consuming for everyone who has such busy lives.

"I love the idea of families being together here and having a good time."

She added that getting children involved in the growing process makes them eat vegetables that they wouldn’t normally try.

While people can visit the plot there is absolutely no commitment.

Carrots, potatoes, Savoy cabbages, purple sprouting broccoli and Brussels sprouts fill the delivery boxes at this time of year, and in the summer people can look forward to receiving tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces – which they may even have helped grow. 

Schoolchildren from Kingswood have visited the site, and Mrs Madge wants to get more schools using the community space this year. There will also be more volunteer days, open days and on-site barbecues.

To get involved, see Edgeveg.org.