The Growing Project: Food Abundance community space - North London

Our community garden project is about bringing people together and empowering them to keep the growing going themselves.

With this in mind I'm always looking for ways to get the residents engaged in activities which connect them. I promised to make an apple pie from the apples in the garden as a way to bring people down into the garden. I made a bet that if I do it other people will need to make one too. Two residents agreed to the challenge, probably thinking that I wouldn't do it.

Having never made a pie before I did enlist advice from one of The Growing Project team members but I'm pretty chuffed with what I've managed to do.

Hopefully this will give a bit of fun to and get engagement from more residents. We'll be bringing it to them later today.

Sonia

http://instagram.com/TheGrowingProjectUK

t.me/TheGrowingProject

#growyourownfood #exitthesystem #keepcashalive #shoplocally #independentbusinesses

All team members of The Growing Project are aiming to exit the system. I'm probably doing it in a more focused way so I'm documenting my journey hoping to inspire others. Mentally & spiritually I'm free but now I'm working on the physical.

---My stock-take of exiting the system up to Jul 22---

* Stopped watching TV (2020) cancelled TV licence (2021)
* Had spiritual awakening - agnostic/atheist previously (21)
* Looking after my health again to avoid the NHS as much as poss
* Using cash & independent businesses appx 80% of the time
* Basic foraging (May 22)
* learnt to grow from seeds (May 22)
* Basic survival skills (Jun 22)

---Next up---

* Advanced growing, foraging & survival skills
* Get skills to move from PAYE to self employed
* visit intentional/off grid communities

--TGP stock-take May to Jul 22--

* Created leaflet to explain food shortages & solutions
* Started outreach
* Helping a community grow food

What have you been doing to exit the system?

Sonia

t.me/TheGrowingProject

I managed to put the tent up by myself with occasional prompts from Jen. The campsite is amazing. Really looking forward to my first proper camping experience. Have a lovely couple of days. Comments will be back on Tues 9th 5pm.

Sonia

I wanted to try camping alone because it felt crazy learning survival skills https://t.me/TheGrowingProject/37?single and owning a bug out bag & not even having camped before. I did not expect to enjoy it so much.

*Cooking is one of life's tedious necessities for me but cooking outdoors - what a treat!

*I could do everything alone apart from take out the tent poles. I'm definitely going to start strength training again.

*Scrunch your sleeping bag back in the bag, foot end first. So much easier than rolling it up.

*I love people but I often crave alone time. Camping & the potential to wild camp has opened up another avenue for solitude. In these crazy times solitude to quieten the mind is essential.

*It's very likely I won't enjoy camping as much in the cold & rain but while it's hot I'm going to get a few more trips in.

What tips do you have for a beginner?

Sonia

http://instagram.com/TheGrowingProjectUK

http://t.me/TheGrowingProject

What we've been up to: Balcony growing musings from first-time grower Sonia

A quick update on my growing progress since I started in May. I'm not the most organised grower so I'm behind on repotting. The courgettes that I started from seed likely need a garden home as they're not doing too well.

One of my tomato plants is happy and producing fruit. I've given away a lot of plants (ones I started from seed) and I've had reports that they're thriving too.

I'll be trying growing potatoes in a bag soon.

In the food pic the tomato and all the greens are from my balcony.

As a complete novice who had no skills before May, had a lot of house plants die on her and has a tendency to be quite lazy, I'd say if I can do this anyone can.

Sonia

http://instagram.com/TheGrowingProjectUK

http://t.me/TheGrowingProject

#growyourownfood #exitthesystem #keepcashalive #shoplocally #independentbusinesses

What you've been up to: clever use of space

My relationship with plants and nature has definitely changed since starting growing. Now while I'm out and about and see a plant one of my first thoughts is can I eat it 😁

I'm also often looking out for inventive ways of finding space to grow. These pics are some good uses of space I've seen around London.

Are you using space really creatively?

Sonia

http://instagram.com/TheGrowingProjectUK

http://t.me/TheGrowingProject

#growyourownfood #exitthesystem #keepcashalive #shoplocally #independentbusinesses