Getting going

The farmer ploughed the field the day before
our new members arrived

When a reasonable number of applications had been received it was then necessary to go through them and identify those who could become growing team leaders or have other potentially useful skills.

There are three requirements for all effective team leaders and each leader must have each skill.

1. Skill in communicating with and managing a group
2. Sufficient time to devote to thinking about the issues, communicating with the team and leading and training the team by example
3. Sufficient horticultural knowledge and skills in growing the groups and dealing with some of the basic issues that arise and the humility to ask for help when it is beyond their experience

Our new empty field

The path was marked out and the 20 plots set

If a new leader lacks one of those skills it will soon become apparent. They can do damage to the organisation, but fortunately they tend to move on quickly.

We have found that it is really helpful when the teams are put together that there are a mixture of ages and skill/knowledge levels. Older retired people can come down during the week when younger folk may be tied up with families and work. They are very useful for making bits of equipment or putting up sheds or doing some of the routine tasks in the polytunnels, like watering. Younger people should have the strength for sustained periods of digging or weeding. Children have always been welcome as what they learn in their formative years will influence them for life.

Start up costs are relatively minor. We needed money for insurance and advertising. Some projects may need to pay rent in advance. Clearly if you are intending to buy land for a growing then you will probably need some form of external funding. By the time we started we had a rather ramshackle collection of tools, donated by members, elderly parents of new members, friends or picked up at the local Council tip. We know of some projects who have been given tools by their local DIY supermarket or hardware shop. As soon as we had money from members' subscriptions we were able to buy some essential tools like wolf hoes that greatly speed up weeding of previously dug soils. These were all kept in a small wooden shed that had been donated.

We collected up many stones and used
them to make the central path

While some members may be prepared to donate old or surplus seed stocks, we found it better to buy our own selected fresh seed for most of the larger crops. With time we have developed links to our suppliers which have been very beneficial. We took advantage of our local Allotment association shop which sell seeds and equipment to members at below shop prices. 

We call it the Roman road


Our inaugural meeting took place on Friday 9th April 2010. Over 60 people had turned up. The major points that were emphasised there were that we are:

• a community project, which means everyone will be expected to work together.
• a Co-operative, working in a very positive relationship with each other with give and take and trust as fundamental components. 
• involved in a new venture. We shall have lots of successes but mistakes will be made
• a simple start but will diversify and expand as we go
• worki
  ng in a hazardous place so need to be aware of health and safety issues.

Our treasurer then gave us a provisional budget for the year:

Income		Expenditure
Stakeholders	£1,000	Seed	£500
		Insurance	£210
		Leaflets	£190
		Hire of church	£50
Sub-Total	£1,000	Sub-Total	£950
Sale of produce to Stakeholders	£2,000	Fencing and plot rent	£2,000
Sale of any surplus produce to the public	£1,000	Hire of market stall	£200
Total	£4,000	Total	£3,150
Potential Surplus	£850

A few of the courgettes that those seeds grew

All who had attended the inaugural meeting had been given a few courgette and butternut squash seeds to get going in the warmth of their homes and bring on for planting out when conditions were a bit more favourable. One of our team leaders had grown some lettuces at home so these were planted out as soon as the ground had been cleared.