Developing the site

We decided to have ten teams each growing on two plots on opposite sides of the central path. Alongside these 20 plots are the polytunnels, soft fruit area, tool and pot sheds, sales area, social area, compost areas, and toilets. The vegetable growing area is constrained by a perimeter fence.

Initially we needed a shed for tools storage onsite. In addition to spades and forks, trowels and hand trowels we have found that wolf hoes are very useful for quick weed control and ground preparation. We have one or two rotivators and a few members have been trained in their safe use, but teams are generally reluctant to use them. Otherwise most of the cultivation is by hand. This has the advantage of teaching people, often with few growing skills the basic principles of growing your own food, but it does limit the area that can be cultivated and the quantity of food that is grown.

We tried to plan the site so that the communal facilities that quickly grew up were closest to the people who needed them and this plan shows how our buildings and structures developed in the first few years.



Sue, Les and Kate in our sales marquee
This was installed in our first winter 
and lasted until the seventh year when it was
replaced by another large shed 

We soon found that we were accumulating "clutter" at an alarming rate. We were quickly acquired additional materials, such as piles of wood of all shapes and size from a barn construction business on the farm, a second polytunnel, compost bins, many pots, fleece, mypex, (breathable interwoven sheet plastic), black plastic sheets, tea making facilities, seats and tables for recreation and rest, a portable loo, seeds, labels and many other things as well. Some of these materials were placed in sensible locations, others were just dumped in a convenient spot. People were suddenly incredibly generous when they wanted to throw something out - if it is easier to take it to the community farm than to the local Recycling centre they probably will. We found that all sorts of doors, window frames, broken tools, half full tins of paint etc mysteriously appeared. Some were useful, others not, so we had to be vigilant and eventually developed a policy of "No products to be brought onto site and left without first seeking permission from……"



The site developing in 2011

From the outset there has been little opportunity to increase the growing area within the first field but somehow the number of sheds, polytunnels, compost bins and additional items has managed to grow so that now this area which is situated at the side of the 20 plots looks like a small shed village! However we are fortunate that the locations of constructions reasonably correlate to the shortest paths between key installations.