Pedal - Community farm?

[wangi]

From http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh/Port ... 6534615.jp

Porty sows seeds for its own farm
By VICTORIA RAIMES
A COMMUNITY farm could be created in Portobello, allowing residents to produce their own vegetables, eggs and meat.
The project, developed by local group Pedal, is designed to be run entirely by local volunteers who can grow and rear around 25 per cent of their shopping list in return for working on the land.
...

[Franck]

I expect a petition from local retailers on this, consistency demands it.

[Makaveli]

"Or we might sell some of the produce to local traders to sell on."

They could see if they could set up an agreement to sell their produce to Waitrose

[Franck]

Flippant remarks aside, I'd be interested in helping out with this.I've been having a look at allotments and their availability recently and they are thin on the ground.Considering I have a garden I decided against applying for one as it was unfair on those looking for one who live in flats.I almost resurrected the allotments on the golf course thread in favour turning them into allotments!

[Roxina]

My s/needs daughter would love to be involved in this

[Maria]

I think the phrase "as yet unidentified site " might be key here.

[Porty]

Should we suggest a lot of sites and get the Council to investigate their feasibilityy?

[Bob Jefferson]

I can imagine some of the suggestions already. Portobello Park, the Scottish Power site, the site of the current PHS, the freightliner terminal. Have I missed any obvious ones?

[Roxina]

It would be good though don't you think

[Sandra]

Flippant remarks aside, I'd be interested in helping out with this.I've been having a look at allotments and their availability recently and they are thin on the ground.Considering I have a garden I decided against applying for one as it was unfair on those looking for one who live in flats.I almost resurrected the allotments on the golf course thread in favour turning them into allotments!

I'm in the process of applying for the Edinburgh Garden Share Scheme as would love to be able to grow veg/fruit so think the Community Farm is a brilliant idea.

[Puerto bella]

Am sure I heard that Pedal have awarded a tender re: feasibility/ site identifcation/ business case to a 'something' 'organics' company - can't remember the name, sorry.

Wonder if they will approach the local allotments - Portobello East Junction and Telferton re: their waiting lists - lots of people on them that would be willing to help, am sure - plus others who are put off by the length of time it actually takes to get an allotment these days. Use me as a contact for Portobello East Junction - any Pedal folk out there - or are you as illusive as the CC ?

Would it be a Gorgie Farm type of thing plus kitchen garden?

[Porty]

Despite poking fun- I do think it is a good idea.

[Poppy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-e ... e-11263531 re more allotments in Edinburgh

[Bob Jefferson]

Would it be a Gorgie Farm type of thing plus kitchen garden?

I just can't see these hippy vegetarian types (without wishing to stereotype PEDAL members in any way) producing meat. And if you are suggesting that it could be some sort of petting zoo at the same time then you can begin to see the issues that might arise. It's not easy to kill something once you've given it a name. Charlie the chicken? Lucy the lamb?

[Puerto bella]

Would it be a Gorgie Farm type of thing plus kitchen garden?

I just can't see these hippy vegetarian types (without wishing to stereotype PEDAL members in any way) producing meat. And if you are suggesting that it could be some sort of petting zoo at the same time then you can begin to see the issues that might arise. It's not easy to kill something once you've given it a name. Charlie the chicken? Lucy the lamb?

Do you think it'll just be a community kitchen garden then?

Sounds a bit like a Hugh Fernly Doodah programme.

[Porty]

Animal Farm does seem a good fit.

[rmolehusband]

I just can't see these hippy vegetarian types (without wishing to stereotype PEDAL members in any way) producing meat.

If you really don't wish 'to stereotype PEDAL members in any way' then a good start would be to not describe them all as 'these hippy vegetarian types'. Putting the little disclaimer in brackets afterwards, as if what you had typed was an accident or a result of the cat wandering across the keypad, doesn't really excuse it.

Anway, I'm a veggie for reasons of sustainability and animal welfare. If I was ever able to raise my own animals in a way I felt was ethical I would happily kill and eat them. My wife is not a veggie. Neither of us are hippies and we're both members of PEDAL.

The community farm is a great idea.

[Maria]

The community farm is a great idea.

In an urban setting? I'm unconvinced. I grew up helping out on my grandfather's croft and saw just how difficult it is to slaughter and eat an animal you have raised yourself and appreciate what a responsibility (and ,at times, an expense) animals can be. Additionally, I know just how smelly a chicken coop can be on a sunny day; I can hazard a guess that pigs might be rather fragrant too.

If we are talking about supplying a community with fruit and veg, then we have East Lothian on our doorstep and it seems to me it does a grand job of growing crops on a large scale.

If we are talking just about the pleasure of growing one's own fruit and veg to supplement a smallish number of individual households, then we are really talking allotments. Now, they're a good idea.

[rmolehusband]

In an urban setting? I'm unconvinced.

You have a point there but, while I haven't seen the shortlist of possible sites, I doubt it will be an urban setting. Finding a site suitable for the farm which is at the same time easy for folks to get to (in a sustainable way of course) is probably the biggest hurdle but, given Porty's location on the edge of the city, it's well worth a look to see what could be done.

There are other benefits of a community farm other than the actual supply of food, the main one being getting people involved with and reconnected to the food chain. For example the farm could provide smaller scale involvement for people who perhaps don't have the time or ability to run an allotment. As you point out, it allows involvement in animal husbandry. They could have beehives...

So, yes, it's going be be a hard job to get it up and running, but it's still a great idea.

[Maria]

In an urban setting? I'm unconvinced.

You have a point there but, while I haven't seen the shortlist of possible sites, I doubt it will be an urban setting. Finding a site suitable for the farm which is at the same time easy for folks to get to (in a sustainable way of course) is probably the biggest hurdle but, given Porty's location on the edge of the city, it's well worth a look to see what could be done.

Coincidentally, at last night's (rather heated!) Community Council meeting there was a presentation from The Dalrymple Trust, who are developing housing at Newcraighall East. They have identified an area of land there ( east of the pylons), which will be green space for residents. They said that Pedal had approached them with the idea of locating a community farm there. The developers seemed very amenable to the idea, though it seems that there are several groups interested in that space. The possibility of allotments was also mentioned.