Project Green Feet

Our work with schools in the area has been going great. We’ve reached over 800 children!

We’ve been to Hyndland Primary, Broomhill Primary and the Glasgow Gaelic School and we’re currently running workshops with St Charles’ Primary so we’ll see that number go up to quadruple figures by the end of the year. We think that it’s really important to encourage a connection with nature from an early age. It’s been such a treat working with all these children, playing games and quizzes about vegetables, where they come from and how they grow. The kids were really engaged and after the veggie treasure hunt, they wanted to eat all the fruit and vegetables! It’s great to see children excited about their food without the pressure of eating healthily, and when interacting with and learning about foods this way we found they were more interested and curious about them, even the ugly ones.

The teachers had great feedback about the activities, telling us how much the children enjoyed it and organising more for next year. With so many schools signed up to the eco-schools programme and many going for their Green Flag, our activities can really support existing programmes. One teacher commented, ‘The activities tied in really well with the topics they were working on and also our “eco” and “growing good citizens” programmes.’ This year we held an Edible Flowers event at Glasgow Botanic Gardens, which was a great success.

About 150 people stopped in to learn about edible flowers and how they can be included in tasty dishes. At the same time, we published our Edible Flowers Recipe Book featuring all the recipes showcased at the event as well as some safety information about eating flowers and tips on eating a sustainable diet. If anybody would like to give growing edible flowers at home a go, we provide free plants and seeds, advice and information on how to grow them, and how to make the most of your produce. Watch this space, our next edible flower event will be in March 2017!

We’ve had a good year of produce from the community gardens and had a great time with all the volunteers who helped, and continue to help out. Our community growing spaces have slowed down for winter, but that doesn’t mean the work slows down! Green Feet Garden in Hyndland is still producing Spanish borage, kale, spinach and plenty of herbs. Many Hands Garden in Maryhill is still producing tons of salad leaves and herbs thanks to its sheltered position, but the birds have taken most of the raspberries for themselves.

Winter time means lots of planning and prepping for the year to come, and we’re looking forward to our newest collaboration with Glasgow University Environmental Sustainability Team (GUEST) and the GOOD gardens at the university. We’ll be working with them make their raised beds productive and bring the community together here. Our car share scheme is up and running for anybody who wants to participate – simply email info@foodfruition.org and if there’s someone (or someone’s) in your area commuting to the same area we’ll link you up! It’s a great way to save money on fuel and parking whilst doing your bit for the environment.

For those of us that live a little closer to our work place, we encourage you to try cycling to work! It’s frequently quicker, cheaper and definitely better for your health, as well as being environmentally friendly. There are lots of places in Glasgow to pick up a refurbished second-hand bicycle so it needn’t be a big expense, and it will have paid for itself within a month. With cycle paths along the Clyde, Kelvin Way and the canal it’s easy to get from A to B, and if you need any help, advice, or even a guide, get in touch and we can help. Lastly, we’d like to introduce and welcome our newest member of the team – Alasdair! He is a recent graduate of University of Glasgow and joins us as an Environmental Consultant.