Resources and Useful Links
Zero Mile Gardens CIC supports organic, sustainable, and agroecological farming principles. The following websites are a mine of information to learn about these principles as well as with community food growing, and to connect with like minded people, organisations, gardeners and growers.
Community Growing
Social Farms and Gardens
It is a UK charity supporting communities “to grow, farm and garden together”. The website offers many resources for community gardens, farms, and orchards, and information to start a project. Even more resources are available to their members – Zero Mile Gardens CIC is one of them – and membership is free. It’s also a great website to find community growingspaces near you.
Good to Grow
Good to Grow is a Sustain’s campaign and network aiming to get people growing food in their communities. It offers a lot of support and useful resources to start and run a growing project, and even more to its members. Membership is free. We found our insurance company through them for instance. We also use the Harvestometer, an easy tool to measure our garden’s harvest. Every year we take part in the Good to Grow Week to celebrate growing together with our community.
Incredible Edible Network
The Incredible Edible Network supports community food growing projects around the UK. By joining the network, you gain access to a variety of resources to develop and sustain a community growing space. The Network also aims to influence local and national policies regarding food and community. It leads the Right to Grow campaign to facilitate food growing on our public land.
Community Food Growers Network
It is a London-based network supporting community food growing project. Though based in London, it is possible to join from elsewhere and get to learn from all the growing initiativesin the capital.
Community Supported Agriculture
It is an organisation that aims to help “create a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture Project) within reach of every neighbourhood of the UK”. Though it is more aimed at larger growing/farming spaces, Zero Mile Gardens CIC is a member. We dream of creating a market garden in our neighbourhood and we are exploring a CSA model! The website is very useful to find a local CSA that you can join to get some local produce: see the map here.
Community Nature Network
This is a more recent collective of community green spaces supported by HUBBUB. Community groups and gardens can join and access a variety of resources such as webinar, training events, funding opportunities.
Community Composting
Devon Community Composting Network
That was a great project supported by local authorities before cuts. The website is still on and host a great variety of resources about community composting.
Dr Compost
This is the personal website of Nicky Scott, an acclaimed specialist on composting for community and home gardens and farms. He was the coordinator of the Devon Community Composting Network. We are lucky to have him close by in Devon! He had been visiting and led a workshop at St Thomas Community Garden. We’ve been luck to get the last 2 Scotty’s Hotboxes for our community composting scheme there!
Sustainable Growing and Farming
The Landworkers’ Alliance
This is the union of farmers, growers, foresters and land-based workers supporting social and environmental justice. Everyone supporting the Alliance’s vision can join as a supporter. The website offers a lot of resources to develop a farming project based on agroecological principles, and information on ongoing campaigns, and events.
Soil Association
The Soil Association is the UK’s largest certifying body for organic agriculture. It’s a charity working with everyone to transform the way we eat, farm and care for our natural world. It leads different campaigns for creating together a more sustainable future, and support good food in the community.
Organic Growers Alliance
The Organic Growers Alliance is a network of growers, farmers and horticulturalists. Everyone supporting the principles of the organisations can join as a supporter. The website is full of information on organic growing and farming including webinars, events, and podcasts.
Sustain
Sustain is a network of people and organisations campaigning for healthy and sustainable food and farming. It publishes many reports on its website. Sustain supports many projects including the Good to Grow network and campaign.
Wildlife Gardening
Devon Wildlife Trust
Devon Wildlife trust’s website is a mine of resources for wildlife gardening, including videos and webinars. It also supports community taking action for wildlife through its Wilder Communities programme. St Thomas Community Garden was awarded a Wilder Communities Award in 2023.
Royal Horticultural Society
The website offers great tips to support wildlife while gardening.
Lou’s Wild Garden
Lou’s Wild Garden is a St Thomas-based plant nursery specialised in wildflowers for garden wildlife. Lou’s website and instagram account is full of useful tips on gardening for and with wildlife. We are so lucky to be collaborating with her at various events and at Emmanuel Hall.
Learning
Gardeniser
Gardeniser is a European Programme that trains and connects Urban Community Garden Organiser
The Apricot Centre
The Apricot Centre is Devon-based and offers a variety of training opportunities from year-long apprenticeship to day-long courses.
The Agroecology Learning Collective
A great resource to find courses and other learning opportunities.
Growing Devon Schools
Growing Devon Schools supports food and environmental-related learning for teachers, pupils and community organisations. The website also offers great resources to be used in community or schools’ gardens.
Devon Rural Skills Trust
The Devon Rural Skills Trust was established in 1980 to safeguarding the future of traditional Devon Rural skills. It runs regular courses and a training scheme to promote a variety of rural skills including dry stone walling, hedge laying, coppicing, and cob building.
Community Growing Projects in West Exe Area
Flow: A River Orchard on the Exe
The Flow is a community orchard that runs along the River Exe through Riverside Valley Park. It follows a route of around 5km from Exwick Mill Field down to Double Locks. Events are organised throughout the year in the orchard.
St Thomas Community Garden
St Thomas Community Garden is located in St Thomas Pleasure Ground in Exeter. It is run by volunteers and grow chemical-free fruit and vegetables, in the respect of wildlife. Gardening sessions are run every Sunday 11 am - 1 pm. Committed to community involvement, the garden collaborates with local groups and has hosted events like Good To Grow Open Days, the Festival of St Thomas Stories, and community lunches. For more information or to join, contact them via Facebook or email.
Pinces’ Garden Community Wellbeing Garden and Cowick Barton Community
Cowick Root and Recreation has planted a community orchard in Cowick Barton Playing Field and is currently working to set up a community well being garden in Pinces’ Garden. You can connect with the group through their social media.
Exeter Growers Co-operative
Exeter Growers Co-operative is a community-led initiative that provides members with a shared space to grow organic vegetables, fruit, and flowers. Located on the outskirts of Exeter, the cooperative promotes sustainable agriculture, offering a supportive environment for people of all experience levels to learn about and participate in food growing. Members benefit from fresh produce, skill-sharing, and a strong sense of community.
Other Resource Organisations in Exeter
Transition Exeter
Transition Exeter is a community organisation focused on building resilience and sustainability in Exeter. Through projects and events, they promote local solutions to environmental challenges, including food security, energy reduction, and community wellbeing. Transition Exeter brings people together to create a more sustainable, connected, and resilient future for the city.
Exeter Seed Bank
Exeter Seed Bank shares knowledge about seed saving and creates a seed bank that works for our area’s soils and in consideration of other issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change. It runs several events throughout the year, including a popular Seed Swap!