Guest Blog: Going Back to the Basics - The Patchery's 2050x Story

Story by Cursty Mackin, 2050x Fund Awardee; Edited by Shivali Moda, Communications Co-ordinator

A 125m plot of land which, until 4 months ago, was just a large patch of grass is now being developed into a thriving community allotment by a local group of volunteers. Thanks to incredible support from the 2050 Climate Group’s 2050x Fund and NatureScot, the land’s potential is finally being realised. 

Vision for The Patchery

Having secured permission to utilise this land situated behind a local businesses premises in the wee village of Cuparmuir, in north east Fife, a dedicated team of volunteers is working hard to turn the plot into a thriving community allotment where members can learn about sustainable agriculture and have access to free produce, in return for their time. 

The underlying belief for the project is one that the group at The Patchery abide by: ensuring every person has the opportunity to grow their own produce, because it is only by getting truly involved that one really begins to understand the amount of effort and resources that go into growing produce. In a day and age when it is all too easy for us - cruising through stocked aisles of well-packaged produce in supermarkets - to take it for granted, The Patchery aims to take us back to where it all comes from in the first place. 

Is growing your own produce for you? 

The short answer is - yes, it absolutely is! 

As with anything, growing your own produce can seem daunting at first - we’ve been there, felt that. So, we know. There's the question of what to grow, when you should sow seeds, where you should plant them, and then, the all-important matter of actually keeping them alive. A number of The Patchery's members have seen (and been heartbroken by) the passing of more than a few houseplants left in their care, so if that sounds familiar to you, then the idea of being responsible for a whole bed of onions might seem laughable. But the reality, quite simply is, that everyone has to start somewhere. What’s more is that once established, most produce is actually quite hardy. 

Growing produce on a small scale doesn't necessarily require much by way of equipment, but some things can make life easier. And as always, you do need some space - whether that's just somewhere to put a grow bag, or an area marked out in a garden. By being part of a community allotment, you're able to get hands-on experience, make some new friends, and pick up some free veg while you're at it. What's not to love?!

Next steps for The Patchery and how to get involved 

The group aims to be as low waste and low impact as possible, so is committed to utilising no-dig, organic farming techniques, as well as composting and recycling everything we can. With this in mind, wherever possible, we source materials secondhand and plan to save seeds from the plants grown this year. 

Currently 8 members strong (aged 6 years old and up), this year the group is spending a lot of time learning, researching, and developing our little plot. So far, we have planted around 80 seed potatoes, 40 garlic, 40 onions in beds, and have a number of other seedlings currently germinating. In the next week or so, we hope to finish building the shed, and set up the water butt so that rainwater can be used for sustainably watering the plot during the summer. 

Long term, the group are hopeful that later in the year, when produce has reached maturity, there will be an opportunity to donate excess produce to those in the local community that need it. We also aim to take further action to encourage new members to join our group - if you’d like to get involved and get your hands dirty (literally!), just pop us a message on our Instagram and we'll let you know what we've got going on - you can then come along to the patch for a natter and lend a hand with some weeding.

The group at The Patchery are so grateful for the support we have received from 2050 Climate Group and NatureScot, without which we wouldn't have been able to procure the much needed equipment and materials that have enabled us to take some significant steps forward already. #2050StarsNow!