Friday 4, March 2011

Issue 3 March 2011

Hello! Spring's nearly here, so what better time for the latest Spice It Up newsletter?  An extra big hello goes to the latest Spice It Up trainees who attended the training at the fantastic Zacchaeus project. We hope you all enjoy this latest issue and it inspires you to go outside and plan what you want to grow this year! This is your newsletter, so please feel free to give us updates about what you are doing, or just ask a gardening question. If you have anything you'd like to share, or some photos, then send us an email at foodnetwork@wen.org.uk or give us a ring on 020 7481 9004 so we can include it in our next newsletter. You might just want to tell us how your garlic is doing, or maybe you're having a problem with something and need some help. That's what this newsletter and WEN is here for, so do get in touch. We might even be able to rustle up a prize for the best photo!

What will you grow in 2011?

When we met up with past Spice It Up trainees at the Art and Gardening Spice It Up Outing back in January (see next story) you told us what you are growing or plan to grow, this year. Katie Ulrick, who graduated from the first Spice It Up training in summer last year, is planning to grow lots of camomile so she can then dry it and make her own tea. Organic tea can be expensive so this seems like a brilliant way to turn plants into food and save money at the same time. Sybil has been growing lettuces over the winter and getting her grandchildren to help her with the watering. Fellow course participant Azzi, who's helped support several food growing projects in Tower Hamlets, told us that some of her neighbours, who had been growing food on a housing estate roof, were quite upset because their plants had suddenly been removed by the housing association. WEN got in touch with Tower Hamlets Homes to find out what had gone wrong, and they promised to hold a meeting with residents and find a new, more suitable food growing space for them. Meanwhile, Kathleen Murray from Spice It Up course 2 has ambitious plans for a new community garden in South London, and is currently applying for funding to make it happen. The community garden will run short courses on organic gardening, a weekly gardening club and run special events to show local people what urban gardening looks like. This project sounds amazing Kathleen, keep us posted!

January's Spice It up outing: Art and Gardening

The first Spice It Up outing of 2011 happened in January, combining art, gardening and a nature walk in the inner city! Over 20 WEN food-growing trainees, volunteers and staff joined artist Charlotte Mew on an adventure through a London park, beside a canal and ended up at the new Olympic Site. Charlotte gave us all a twig with a label attached, asking us to note down or draw things which caught our eye on the walk. Massive trees, catkins, ducks, swans and crows all featured. Crows are known as 'tuke' in Somalia, trainees told us, and in Somalia are much bigger, but make the same sound! Charlotte will combine our drawings and notes with photographs to produce a piece of art telling the story of our walk. The event provided another opportunity for WEN to spread awareness about its work to new people, and also gave us all an opportunity to think about nature and gardening in a new way. Useful links were formed between WEN, Spice It up Trainees and the Chisenhale Art Space's Art and Gardening project . It was decided that WEN will run a Spice It Up training programme from the Art and Gardening projects canalside garden later this year. Go to WEN's Flikr site for more photos of the day.

Would you like to keep bees?

Capital Bee, part of Capital Growth (the project to support 2012 new food growing spaces in London), has launched a second round of their beekeeping competition for community groups.

This round is open to any community group in London who wants to start up with community food growing or beekeeping, but is not already registered as a Capital Growth site and is not already keeping bees. Your project must involve at least five people and be at least five square metres in size, and you must either be planning to start a brand new food growing project, have started a food growing project after January 2009, or expanding on an existing space in some way. Capital Bee ask that you please read the 'Think Bee' guidance notes before you start to complete your application. For more information go to: http://www.capitalgrowth.org/bee_competition/

The final 12 winning communities will get a hive, bees, protective clothing and a year's training and mentoring to help them set up with bees by spring 2012. 

The deadline for competition entries is 5pm, Monday 21st March 2011. Applicants should be ready to start their training by the end of April 2011.

Even if you don't want to keep bees at your community plot, there are plenty of ways you can help bees in London. Go to Capital Bee to find out more: http://www.capitalgrowth.org/bees/

Come and celebrate International Women's Day with us on 8 March!

Join us for a feast of workshops and entertainment to celebrate International Women’s Day 2011.
Activities include:

•Seed planting
•Seed swapping
•Make your own beauty products
•acupuncture and using herb sessions
•Climate change & Equality quiz
•Financial literacy workshop
•Wildlife gardening
•Food tasting
Free Entry & Lunch!

Come and join the fun next Tuesday 8th March 2011, 10am-3pm
St Hilda’s East Community Centre
18 Club Row, London, E2 7EY

Look forward to seeing you there! To book your place please contact: Kate Metcalf on 0207 481 9004 or food@wen.org.uk

Shadwell Gardens: new Capital Growth growing space

As mentioned in the last newsletter, our energetic volunteer Parveen has been visiting many new food growing plots in Tower Hamlets newly registered as Capital Growth spaces. The latest one she's visited is Shadwell Gardens, and she reports that they are a very keen group, who've been knocking on doors to encourage the community to get involved. They plan to plant fruit trees in their space. They may ask local tenants to adopt a trees to that they increase the sense of ownership. Currently there are 5/6 volunteers, but they expect more people to volunteer as the year progresses. The Shadwell DLR platform overlooks the growing space so the group hopes that this will make it easier to attract new people. Feel free to visit and say hello.

Next Spice It Up outing: May 2011

We're currently planning our next Spice It Up outing, which we think will probably be on the 17 May, but we'll confirm nearer the time. We hope to visit the amazing Organiclea in the Lea Valley. Watch this space.