Uploaded on 2017-06-08 by Maria Moise

I would love to implement a project in my city that involves growing your own food. At the moment, there are allotment spaces to be rented in Sheffield, but not many. Land around the town that is unused (and there is a lot) could be fertilised and rented for such purposes. The climate allows such practises: enough sunshine, the city is located on the hills so even better access to it by planting on tilted land can be provided, it rains quite a lot and even if there would be more dry periods, the town has two big rivers flowing through it that would provide the necessary water. Gardening and growing your own plants has many benefits, starting with overall health improvement by reducing stress levels, giving a sense of purpose and a goal to achieve, making people more aware of the things they eat and what does producing food imply and, of course, reducing the food expenses. If going bigger on this, the positive effects would extend to the local climate (cooler temperatures in the summer) and would boost the local economy, as well as the happiness of the residents. It might even help with bonding between different generations, integration of groups with a diverse cultural and ethnical background. Food, teamwork and development in society are for everyone. My idea starts with citizens growing the legume/vegetable/fruit of their choice at home, in small pots (eg herbs - mint, parsley etc - lemons, peppers, carrots, garlic, cherry tomatoes, lettuces etc). A database would be created, with information and input from everyone tending to their own pots at home. Tips such as best season to grow certain things, the amount of water/light they need, fertilising the plants and how long does it take for them to grow would be included; I also think that people would trade seeds between them and encourage each other by tracking how their plant grows and how fulfilled they feel after cooking a meal with ingredients grown in their own home! I would also add that the database should provide information regarding how other people around the world, in different urban or rural areas, are doing this as a motivation and a boost to start developing habits and ideas. Small events could be held around the city, such as exposing pots from your neighbourhood at the local market or involving children in developing the idea! I would personally be involved into this as I am already growing some herbs and vegetables. I firmly believe that many people could discover a strong connection between them and the natural world around them by starting to grown their own small pots. For some of them it would be a natural step to plan bigger and want to grow their own proper garden, which is the step in which the local government should be involved. If the information collected through citizen input in the data base is solid and enough people would like to invest their time and money into producing locally sourced food, then the city council should develop a better policy regarding the available allotments around the city. Within a long term vision, the city would definitely be shaped by the idea, as urban farming can arise on top of the buildings, in parks, in the front gardens of the houses or schools!