As a community enterprise we take accessibility very seriously and are always looking for ways to ensure that anyone and everyone can get involved with us. When introducing GO Local Food at events there are two regular comments “I haven’t got time” or “I’m not as mobile as I once was”.
Although the bulk of our vegetable growing work is undertaken by two contracted horticulturists with a team of dedicated workshares, we also rely on member volunteers to help out on the fields.
We also know that many people join our cooperative as members because they want to volunteer on the fields; to learn more about growing, to replace their allotments with something more manageable, or to be outdoors enjoying some exercise and the company of others. Our growers are great at finding ways to adjust tasks to fit people.
The opportunity to explore what additional tools and equipment might help us, was welcomed, when we were successful in being awarded a Challenge North Tyne grant under their Healthy Ageing Challenge stream.
Information was gathered from a range of members, workshares and gardeners from which a shortlist of typical issues was drawn. This helped us research a long list of relevant tools and transport solutions to lessen the impact of back injuries, arthritis and other physical mobility constraints. Our growers then selected the tools which they felt had more usefulness on our soils and climate.
We needed tools to be light weight, and help with soil preparation, weeding, soil fertility, watering and harvesting. Shiny new tools such as double wheel hoes and cultivators, seedbed roller, kneelers/seat, puncture free wheelbarrow, multi-change system tools have arrived on site to great excitement all round. In total we acquired over 15 different tools and implements which our growers have been actively playing with and trying out.
These unusual tools are not typically available in the Northeast but have a following amongst Community Supported Agriculture schemes in the USA and Europe. These tools are also compatible with agroecological methods including no-dig practice, which is becoming popular in UK allotments and commercial market gardens alike.
The tools were acquired through a generous Challenge North Tyne grant, funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and delivered in partnership by the North East LEP and Innovation SuperNetwork.
Successful ageing … ” includes physical exercise, continual learning, social contact, natural daylight, the need to belong” – GO Local Food offers all of this! And has been selected as one of ‘50 innovative North of Tyne businesses aiming to create impactful and scalable solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in our region.’
Our plan is to use the £5,000 grant awarded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority, and delivered in partnership between the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Innovation SuperNetwork to help us acquire new market gardening equipment that support growing and land tasks. Last year we had the opportunity of visiting a project that has been experimenting with light weight, handheld tools to help with soil preparation, weeding, soil fertility, watering, harvesting and transporting veg.
Some of our workshares and volunteers are in the over 60 category – we want to make being part of the growing team, manageable and enjoyable.
In addition to identifying and building the equipment most useful on our sites we’ll be part of a collaborative group. “The Challenge programme is centred on co-creation and peer-learning, with help from other members of the cohort as well as key Challenge Supporters“
To help us with design of the project we are currently collecting information from over 60s. It would be great if you could help us by taking the survey
