Digging in at the plot 20.8.25

Aug 21, 2025

As we’ve mentioned many times before, when it comes to practical work in our community, we do our best to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Yesterday (20.8), it was another working session at the Keynsham Community Veg Plot in the Park. This is the write up we did for the plot Facebook page:

It was a very productive, albeit tiring working session at the plot today. Firstly, many thanks to the new volunteer who came along today - her input made a big impact on what we managed to achieve:)
We picked some of the courgettes - there are a fair few more still to come. A small number of the potatoes were harvested. Also picked were beans, chickpeas, edible lupins and a few of the blackberries.
Having an extra volunteer on board meant that we were able to weed most of the plot and make a start on tidying up the edge along the path where the border shrubs have been planted. It feels like we're finally getting on top of making the plot look a bit tidier.
Despite the grey skies of the previous two days, there has been no rain so, the hose came out and the plot was watered.
The next scheduled working session at the plot will be on Saturday 6th September, starting at 2pm. If you want to come along to help out, you'll be more than welcome:)
If we feel that an extra working session is needed before then, we'll post up a notice on the page at least two days beforehand. Obviously while the dry weather continues, we'll be up at the plot every few days watering.

We’re not going to pretend being involved with a community fruit and vegetable plot is a doddle because it most definitely isn’t. There are times when it can feel like a slog. The point is this – if we’re going to bring about change at the grassroots, we have to be prepared to put the work in.

This is particularly the case when it comes to community food growing projects. The thing about this kind of project is that due to the vagaries of the weather, no two years are alike. With the long, dry spring and summer, this year has been a challenge. Not least because of the amount of extra watering that has had to be undertaken! Crop wise, it’s been a mixed year – some have done really well, despite the conditions, others have to put it bluntly, been incredibly disappointing. It’s always a learning curve but, once the lessons have been absorbed, it’s a rewarding one.

We say this so people have an idea of what they’re taking on should they want to start up a community fruit and vegetable plot, or get involved with an existing one. The last thing we want to do is put people off – we just want them to have a realistic idea of what’s involved.

There are rewards, plenty of them in fact. Firstly, it’s a small but vital step in the de-centralising and localisation of our food supply system. As we’ve said more times than we care to remember, whoever controls the food supply controls the population. We want to make sure that by localising as much of our food supply as possible, it’s us, the people who are in charge. Also, there’s the sense of belonging that being involved in any community project can bring. In these troubled, divisive times, anything that can bring a diverse range people together for the common good has to be welcomed.

As we’ve mentioned many times before, we’re far from alone when it comes to our involvement with a local community food growing project. In the region we cover (Avon/South Wales), there are many similar projects. So, we feel that it’s time to yet again, feature these projects which can be found in The Directory.

Community gardens, city farms, organic gardening & food

The listings above are an attempt to build a database of what's going on across the region when it comes to community food growing. It's not a comprehensive list though, it's a work in progress. So, if you run a community garden or food project in the region and you're not mentioned, please feel free to send the details of what you do to us and it will be added to the directory.

Thanks for reading AT THE GRASSROOTS! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Digging in at the plot 20.8.25

Community gardens, city farms, organic gardening & food

AVON REGION

BATH

BRISTOL

CARDIFF/CAERDYDD

KEYNSHAM

NEWPORT/CASNEWYDD

SOMERSET

SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE

SWANSEA/ABERTAWE

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