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Grow Zones

Date started: 
14 March 2009
Public Launch date: 
6 September 2010
Last updated: Thursday, 10 March 2011

Website

http://www.growzones.com

Images

Grow Zones team
Contact Project

Project Aim

Grow Zones is an international community group resources that helps new growers begin growing food in their own gardens along permaculture principles. BBC gardening expert, Alys Fowler describes it as, "Finally, an easy to use guide on how to get a community group up and running. This brilliant resource for anyone who wants to gather some like minded people together to get gardening. Now all you have to do is get out there and garden!"

The central aim of Grow Zones is to get more people growing and it achieves this through a fun, community experience. More than food develops through Grow Zones, community and friendships grow too.

Further details

The Grow Zones kit, comprising materials for the participants and special resources for the facilitator, is designed to make life for the facilitator easy. Here are five clear reasons why Grow Zones is a great resource if you’re wanting to start a community growing project.

 

 

  1. Getting people growing. Grow Zones gets people growing which for many, will be their first time. It is designed to encourage reflective practice which means that that learning is shared by the whole group rather than there needing to be one expert or teacher in charge.
  2. It introduces permaculture. Participants are encouraged to design along permaculture principles if possible which is a great way to overcome some of the challenges facing a new grower.
  3. An organisational resource. The kit provides the resources and the structure to organise the garden designs and the diary of visits. Organising garden designs and a diary of visits for a large group of people (so that each garden has a design, is visited by the team, but that no participant does more than four visits) can be a lengthy task without a structured process to help you do it.
  4. A community forming project. Participants are likely to form friendships and stay in touch through Grow Zones.
  5. Insurance cover. Registered Grow Zones seasons are covered by insurance to give you peace of mind during the group visits.

 

 

Inspiration

Grow Zones was trialled in Bristol as an attempt to bring permaculture ideas to a new audience. What we found was that it was fantastic and creating community and friendship. The team visits to the various gardens were opportunities for friendship building and enjoyment.

Outcomes so far

With help from the Local Food Fund we have developed a resource pack with booklets and a DVD. The project is being launched nationally and groups are springing up in many places including overseas (USA and Aus so far).

Unexpected outcomes

One early unexpected outcome was the positive community building aspects of the team visits.

Sources of Funding

Local Food Fund

Contacts

Primary point of contact: 
EmbodyBruce

Files

image/jpeg iconA Grow Zones team
image/jpeg iconThe Grow Zones kit

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