Scaling up the Kitchen Garden Enterprise with a new poly tunnel and packing shed to increase production, sales and services to the community
by Kristjan Bigland in Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Any extra funds raised will be used to implement a composting, water storage and irrigation system.
This would be in the form of a multi-module compost unit with a corrugated roof for collecting rain water, several large water buts for water storage linked up to soak hoses to irrigate the beds. Thanks to the sloping gradient of the site there would be enough pressure for the water to feed down without requiring a pump system
The KGE is a new social enterprise, part of the larger organization that is Heart of BS13. We have been working in the community of Hartcliffe and Withywood for over 25yrs and we are committed to reducing health inequalities in this area. Through the sale of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, the Kitchen Garden Enterprise creates vocational training and horticulture activities for the community of BS13.
What we need:
We want to scale up our enterprise so that we have a greater positive impact on the community of BS13. We can do this by increasing our production of vegetables and cut flowers, doubling the number of families we feed through our veg box subscriptions and increase the amount of veg we provide for our community kitchen to make nutritious and affordable ready meals for the community. By increasing our revenue we can support more Hartcliffe and Withywood residents through our trainee and volunteer programmes.
In order to achieve our goal, we need two fundamental improvements to our site.
1. A packing shed
A covered area for packing veg-boxes, storing produce, running educational workshops and outdoor cookery classes, and a place for our team of volunteers and trainees to safely congregate outside, protected from all weathers. This extra packing and storage space would enable us to not only double our veg box production but dramatically increase our efficiency, saving time and resources.
2. A new poly-tunnel
Our current poly tunnels are no longer fit for purpose and will not last the winter.
We want to replace these 3 old structures with one large poly which will allow us to increase our yields by up to 50%. Not only will a larger poly give us more growing space but by having all of our indoor growing under one roof we will be able to water, harvest and plant more efficiently.
Our Volunteers, Trainees and Participants
We welcome everyone at the KGE and we have a team of dedicated volunteers from the BS13 area and beyond. Volunteers gain employability-skills training as well as specific horticultural knowledge. Volunteers tell us that getting involved with the garden helps to develop personal skills and confidence, improves emotional and physical health and helps them to feel part of a bigger community.
Trainee Horticulturist
We have a part time trainee post which supports and trains an individual from the BS13 area to complete a year long course in horticulture. As well as a City and Guilds qualification, learning outcomes for this programme include everything from soil management and pruning to crop planning and scaling up a social enterprise.
Participants
Participants are usually referred to us via social prescribing routes and/or other social services.The KGE has the capacity to take between 40 - 50 individual participants per year and each participant can attend the project for up to 2.5 days per week. They may also be from local schools or elderly community groups and our aim is for everyone to enjoy and participate in the horticultural environment, reduce social isolation, develop skills and confidence and improve emotional and physical health.
Our Produce
The vegetables, herbs, fruit and cut flowers we grow are sold in our veg box subscription scheme and via our online shop to people in the local area and wider Bristol.
Our produce is also grown for use in our Real Meal Store, a community kitchen which provides healthy, affordable ready meals for the people of BS13.
Our programmes
Money raised through this crowd funder will enable us to deliver more of our specialised therapeutic programmes around nutrition and health. Participants are able to cook food straight from the field and learn about the benefits of fresh, chemical free, home grown food.
Zero waste
As an organisation, we are committed to making BS13 part of the conversation, and the solution to the climate emergency - our garden is chemical free, no-dig and zero waste.
As we are a zero-waste garden, we process all our seasonal gluts and turn them into preserves, chutneys, ferments and sauces. We use these to fill our veg boxes during the winter months, to make sustainable Christmas Hampers and to sell from our Real Meals Store at The Gatehouse in Hartcliffe.
How we will spend the money raised:
30ft x 90ft Poly tunnel (including installation) £9470
Compost for making new no-dig beds in the new poly £500
Timber framed packing shed inc preparatory ground works estimate £10,000
Total spend :£19,970
This project offers rewards in return for your donation