Heeley and District Allotment Protection Society (aka Heeley and Meersbrook Allotments) have been supporting Food Works since August 2021. They provide an amazing range of locally grown fresh produce that we feature in our patron boxes and use in our cafes and for bistro nights. We spoke to the society members to find out more about what working with Food Works means to them.
1) What does your organisation do to support Food Works?
We promote the Grow a Row scheme to our plot holders, but we take it one step further! All of the food grown on our Community Plot is grown for Food Works. We liaise with the GAR coordinator and the Growers at Norton when deciding what and when to plant to complement what they are growing and receiving via their supply chain.
2) What made you want to get involved with Food Works?
We started donating food by encouraging plotters to grow a row specifically for charity, then we also donated surplus food grown by the plotholders. We used to donate to local foodbanks, but there was a lot of waste as they couldn’t cope with seasonal gluts of produce. The committee decided to change to Foodworks to utilize the food better and have a greater reach. Food Works’ organisation and infrastructure is outstanding and plotters who donate can rest assured their carefully grown produce will be reaching people who really need it.
3) What advantages does working with Food Works bring to your organisation?
We believe that the GAR scheme makes the plot holders think about growing extra food for people in the community who don’t have access to quality locally grown food. It is amazing to think that some of the recipients may have never seen or tasted produce that didn’t come from a monoculture farm hundreds of miles away! Allotmenteering requires much effort and care, so knowing that their hard work is helping the community gives a wealth of satisfaction and a feeling that they are really making a difference.
4) What do you think is the best way individuals can help contribute to making a fairer food system in Sheffield?
Buy local, buy less, compost your waste and grow more! Even if you only have space for a couple of tomato plants or some lettuce, do it to remind you what fresh vegetables tastes like! If you don’t have any space then help a friend at a plot, volunteer at a community plot or at local growers (like Food Works’ Norton Nurseries)!
Want to get involved?
Donate surplus: If you have any surplus at the end of your growing season whether that’s from an allotment, an apple tree or your own garden get in touch at: info@thefooworks.org or visit the website https://thefoodworks.org/join-us/donate-food/grow-a-row/
Volunteer with us: If you would like to get involved in growing you can volunteer at our farm in Norton: https://thefoodworks.org/join-us/volunteer-with-us/
