Page 52 - ALG Issue 2 2017

North West
Levenshulme Community Allotment Project
Welcome to our new members...
Ford Lane Allotments
Langley Allotment Holders Assoc Lister Drive Allotments
Moor Nook Allotment Society Stamford Street Allotments
Vale Allotment & Gardening
5 individual members
LCAP was set up in 2008 to manage a large community plot at Tonbridge Road Allotments in Levenshulme. Over the
years we have created a beautiful and productive growing space featuring a large greenhouse, a soft fruit garden, herb beds, a mini orchard, compost bays, an outdoor kitchen space with pizza oven, and a fully accessible composting toilet.
In the last few years we’ve hosted a number of events on the plot, including the annual Allotment Show, Open Gardens and the Levenshulme Food and Drink Festival. We’ve held courses on composting and woodwork with Growing Manchester, and have welcomed the Levenshulme Over 50s group and pupils from a nearby primary school on a number of occasions, including the of cial opening of our composting toilet. The children have enjoyed planting seeds, learning how plants grow, helping with watering (always a favourite activity!) and
tasting crops – peas and mangetout have been particular favourites.
The plot is also home to the SHED art gallery, owned and operated by Manchester charity Pool Arts. Autumn 2016 marked
the 10th anniversary of the SHED - we held a joint celebration on the community plot, serving parched peas and mulled cider to visitors.
The current group of LCAP volunteers operate the plot as a collective; we work together to design planting plans (following crop rotation principles) and keep records of what we plant and when. We are committed to organic principles and wildlife-friendly gardening, so you’ll never nd a bag of slug pellets or peat-based compost in our shed!
We’re excited to announce a new phase for LCAP – we have just taken on a new plot and are in the process of applying for funds for a large polytunnel. Our hope is to extend the growing season to keep our members
supplied with fresh foods, to expand the range of crops we are currently able to grow and reach out to other sectors of our local community to encourage new people to get involved, and to grow a range of peat-free vegetable and ower plug plants to supply plot holders and local community members.
We welcome everyone from the local community who would like to join us in growing food to share. The community plot is a great place to hone your gardening skills and develop an understanding of the work involved in having your own allotment. We all pitch in with seed sowing, planting, weeding and general tidying up, and, of course, we all get to share the harvests. So if you live in the area and would like to get involved please contact us – tonbridge.allotments@gmail. com.
Andrea Hallissey NWCAA Secretary
North West Counties Best
Allotment Site 2017
Once again, we will be looking for the Best North West Allotment Site in 2017.
We are sponsored by J Maher Ltd, who have kindly offered voucher prizes for our winners yet again. There will be a £100 voucher for the rst prize, a £50 voucher for the second prize and four runners-up prizes of £25 vouchers.
The Best Site also gets to be the proud owner of the Dave Cartner Memorial Shield for a year, which will be presented by MCPC Systems.
To enter, all we ask is that you send in four photographs of your site and a 200 word statement, “Why we love our site”.
Entries should be with our secretary no later than 31st August.
The presentation for the
rst prize will be held on the winning site, with vouchers and certi cates supplied to the runners-up.
This summer take a little time to photograph your site and events and tell us all about it. You could be a winner in 2017!
Andrea Hallissey NWCAA Secretary
52