It was clear from our Community Assemblies on the Climate that people in all five areas are passionate about being able to grow their own food, which is an essential part of reducing our carbon footprint and creating resilient and healthy communities.
GwyrddNi has been supporting some existing growing projects and has helped start new ones. Get in touch if you want to start something in your area!
Bro Ffestiniog:
A gardening group meets between 11am-1pm on Thursdays in Blaenau Ffestiniog – at Gerddi Maes-y-Plas (gardens) or a new community plot nearby.
Join the Bwyd Lleol Bro Ffestiniogon WhatsApp group for details of where/when to meet, or even just to keep an eye out for progress and produce. Contact ffestiniog@gwyrddni.cymru.
Gerddi Maes-y-Plas in Blaenau Ffestiniog is a market garden projects from Y Dref Werdd – here is a clip of the gardens on S4C (on Facebook). GwyrddNi has been collaborating with Maes Y Plas, with volunteers and to promote and expand the work.
Follow Gerddi Maes-y-Plas on Facebook.
GwyrddNi has also been collaborating with Gerddi Maes-y-Plas on another, nearby community site. Last year the site brought an idea from the Action Plans into reality and produced more than 1000 tatws (potatoes) locally. This year, the focus will shift to growing fruit shrubs and trees.
Prosiect Tyfu Tatws distributed 25 boxes with everything you could need to grow your own potatoes to all sorts of different gardens in Manod. This project is now on offer to any community Bwyd Lleol group in Bro Ffestiniog – so get in touch if you want to deliver Tatws i Bawb in your area.
Contact ffestiniog@gwyrddni.cymru to be part of this!
Dyffryn Nantlle:
Yr Orsaf’s Food and Wellbeing project is developing three main elements – a community allotment near to the leisure centre; Penygroes Wildlife Garden (Yr Ardd Wyllt), to create a community garden for local people and increase bio-diversity at the same time; and a Community Pantry, using food from the local Co-op, and food from other supermarkets, the ACT Foundation and FareShare. Contact esyllt.yrorsaf@gmail.com for more information.
Gardening Gatherings take place at Yr Ardd Wyllt, Penygroes every Wednesday from 10am-12pm.
Gardd Nant, Talysarn was started by Cyfeillion (Friends of) Talysarn a Nantlle with support from GwyrddNi. Over the past year, they have collaborated with local schools, had a visit from a group from Alabama (which was on S4C!) and have been organising other community events such as litter picking.
Volunteering days are organised regularly. Contact them at garddnant@yahoo.com or look for updates in the Facebook page for Cyfeillion Talysarn a Nantlle.
Dyffryn Ogwen
Gerddi Ffrancon (next to the Leisure Center in Bethesda) is a community garden by Dyffryn Gwyrdd (Partneriaeth Ogwen). Volunteers meet 3-4 times a week to grow food, with the hope of sharing the food with the community. The crew created jam over the winter with the fruit grown over the summer last year.
Contact chris@ogwen.org to get involved with the garden.
GwyrddNi also supports volunteers to garden with the pupils at Ysgol Abercaseg.
Pen Llŷn
In the Pen Llŷn Community Action Plan, there are plans to establish allotments to grow food locally, to collaborate with schools, to create a network of local producers and to promote local food in order to reduce food miles, improve health, strengthen collaboration, and boost the local economy.
Do you have an idea about how we can start achieving this, or do you want to be part of bringing this vision to life? If so, contact llyn@gwyrddni.cymru or fill in this form!
Dyffryn Peris
The Dyffryn Peris Community Assembly wished to:
- Create a community food map
- Find enclosed spaces for a garden/allotment
- Share food and information
- Create a space to share seeds, conversations, tools and company
- Create micro community gardens and allotments for people to grow their own food
- Create a group that is interested in working on the above.
Do you have an idea about how to start achieving this, or do you want to be part of bringing this vision to life? If so, contact peris@gwyrddni.cymru or fill in this form!
