My, Graham and co ! What an energetic bunch you are !! (I only wish that I were so !! ) Your posting, here, puts me in mind of a piece in Dolores Hayden's book 'Redesigning The American Dream' (I've lent my copy away) which speaks about a 'Community Greenhouse' project in the Mid-west USA (Chatanooga? ) where the ?local authority? set up a grenhouse with a paid ?superintendent? so that people could come and volunteer to do the work, under his guidance and to ?his? work plan. Seniors came and 'worked' a lot, and took a little of the produce home, while family folk came for shorter time, but helped eat up a greater part of the crops. Seemed like heaven on earth (all puns intended) to me !! (Was I dreaming it all ?) Keep at it all friends, j ***************** ---------- >From: "Graham Burnett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Community allotment/LETS growing peroject- lessons learned... >Date: Mon, Oct 25, 1999, 6:52 pm > >This relates to a discussion going on over on the 'Kitchen Gardens' list, >but I thought it might >also be of interest/relevance here on 'Organic Steamradio', EconLETS & the >permaculture lists > > On the subject of community plots and suchlike; > >We've learned loads of lessons from the LETSGROW project we've >been trying to set up, it was supposed to be a local organic food >growing/distribution scheme >operating through South East Essex LETS, but it hasn't really worked out- >after 2 years myself and >Steve, the other co-ordinator, have called it a day as despite all of our >attempts to get others >involved (including TV and local press coverage) nearly all the work was >falling to the 2 of us, >which meant we were neglecting our own plots. There were lots of reasons >why this happened >including poor quality soil (heavy clay- lots of lightening/organic matter >required which we didn't >have), non-supportive allotment committee, difficulties with access (only >Steve& myself were key >holders), but mainly it was about the gap between peoples ideas & initial >enthusiasm and their >actual commitment- there were lots of daydreams and big talk about putting >in polytunnels, wind >generators and aquacultures, etc, but try getting those same people to turn >up to plant a row of >onion sets.... > >but the idea hasn't been totally dropped, instead we've 'mutated' and >joined forces with an already >existing community growing project 'The Open Mind Plot', which was >initially set up as a >therapuetic project for people recovering from mental health problems, and >we're now 'The Open >Garden', providing a space for people who want to grow veg, or flowers, or >just want to sit about & >chill out or socialise. We've also dropped the LETS component in terms of >payment for work, now >people are welcome to just turn up, grow stuff which they can take away, >and if there is a surplus >maybe distribute it via LETS. It's on 3 reclaimed allotments on an >otherwise largely overgrown >site, and we're hoping the Council will support us as an Agenda 21 project. >Well, we'll see if it >works out! > >For more info about our LETS allotment, check out our website, > >http://pages.unisonfree.net/gburnett/index-page15.html > >I'd be interested in hearing others experiences with community plots/ >growing projects with LETS or >similar- >have they worked? How? Any other lessons learned/tales/inspiration? > >Graham Burnett >35 Rayleigh Avenue >Westcliff On Sea >Essex, UK >SS0 7DS > >South East Essex LETS >http://pages.unisonfree.net/gburnett/ > > >
