MarKate Gardens CIC
Join us as we embark on a new venture in the world of food growing!
WHY
The direction of travel of the food industry over the past 70 years has been anything but beautiful! Industrial farming, monoculture and excessive use of petrochemicals have dominated the story the world has told in relation to food production and distribution. Any sane reading of the data relating to declining human health (both physical and mental) and environmental degradation over this period cannot ignore the correlation with this underlying story.
As a response to the aforementioned distortion, momentum is building the world over for telling of a different story. A story where small and medium-scale regenerative growing approaches serve local needs within an increasingly decentralised food economy, within which all have access to fresh, clean, nutrient rich produce at affordable prices.
This is the story which we want to tell!
WHAT
We will be setting up our Market Garden, in aims to provide food for our local community.
We are starting small with growing on a 650 square metre plot, to allow space to learn from our mistakes and see the needs of the local, so we can adapt to the demands.
We have 3 key areas of focus:
1. Salads, Herbs and Edible Flowers - 50% of our revenue will be generated from salad bags, this crop will be available weekly throughout most of the year.
2. Veg - 30% of our revenue will be generated from other crops such as; tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergine, spring onions, peppers and more.
3. Pots, Trays and Other Stuff - 20% of our revenue will look at providing more innovative products, which will support our aims of encouraging others to step into the growing game, educating others in companion planting and nutrition, and experimenting with different growing techniques.
WHERE
Our Market Garden is based in the lovely village of Sarrat, Hertfordshire. We will be renting land from Tim and Gill, at The Mulberry Bush Farm.
One of our key aims of this project is to provide high-quality local food, the area in which we are calling local stretches 20 miles either side of The Grand Union Canal from Tring to Watford. This will encompass the region of West Herts and parts of Bucks.
WHEN
Mark and I have spent the past 4 years building a network of local growing enthusiast, organic food wholesalers, restaurateurs, social enterprises and other stakeholders. We initiated a community growing project, now with 38 members. I have spent the past year enrolled on an experiential course in practical sustainability and now enrolled in a diploma in permaculture.
MarKate Gardens CIC is the latest expression of our commitment to the realisation of local food security for our community.
In terms of where we are, following our launch event; we will be preparing the land, building infrastructure and continuing with our business development. We will start our first growing season in late January of 2025.
All your support given through this Crowdfunder will go towards our startup costs (£11k). This will go towards tools, infrastructure, seeds, compost, admin and business development costs.
WHO
We will hit the market by;
1. Selling wholesale salads, veg, herbs and edible flowers to local cafés and restaurants.
2. Providing crops, to a local veg box scheme.
3. Selling directly to farmers markets and farm shops.
Alongside our goal to provide food to our local community, we also hope that by taking action it will encourage others to do the same.
The future is of collaboration, not competition! Supporting eachother to co-create a food story that will underpin our lived experience.
Looking forward for you to join us on our journey!