Home Grown Scheme Takes Root In The Village

A GROUP has been set up in Holmes Chapel with the aim of growing vegetables for the community.

At a meeting on May 12, more than 40 residents turned up to listen to villagers, Andrea Berry, Sue Mitchell and Helen Kirk talk about how Holmes Chapel can copy an idea first instigated in Yorkshire.

The trio has been inspired by events in Todmorden, initiated by the group known as Incredible Edible Todmorden.

The presentation at the meeting took residents on a photo tour of Todmorden, from the vegetables growing in all of the seven schools, to the raised beds in the grounds of the care home, from the herbs at the railway station to the community plots at the social housing developments.

The volunteers decided to set up Home Grown in Holmes Chapel.

On Sunday, May 22, the volunteers planted the first vegetables in the village in planters near the carpet shop on the corner of London Road and Parkway.

A variety of fruit and vegetables were planted in four planters near the carpet shop in the centre of Holmes Chapel, including strawberries, lettuces, cabbages, sugar snap peas and radishes donated by the volunteers and runner beans donated by Fryer’s Garden Centre in Knutsford.

Sue said she wanted villagers to think about how they live their lives.

“We want to encourage them to buy local food and support their local shops,” she said.

“We would like them to be able to pick a few beans to go with their tea, a couple of lettuce leaves to go with their sandwich for lunch, or maybe pick a sprig of rosemary to go with that lamb from Cranage that the butcher is selling.

“We are not trying to feed Holmes Chapel – just show what is possible with a little space, sunshine, water and love!

“It is great to eat vegetables which have been grown for taste, not for shelf life, and it is great to be able to do so without driving the car anywhere or eating produce that has been flown halfway around the world in order to reach us.”

02/06/2011