BIGGAR COMMUNITY MARKET GARDEN

Growing food to create a valuable resource for our community to improve health & environment

• This talk will be presented by Chairman, John Riley. 

• A Community Interest Company was set up in October 2021 called “Biggar Food Growing Group”, trading as Biggar Community Market Garden, with all profits to be ploughed back into the project.

• The aim of the project is to provide highly nutritious food, grown on organic principles, without the use of toxic chemicals, to boost the wellbeing of our community. It will also provide a degree of food security, as climate change starts to bite and imported food gets more & more expensive. Plus, carbon emissions associated with producing and transporting the food around the World, from the farm to your plate will be reduced. 

• A “No dig” growing system has been adopted, growing food in compost beds and improving the quality of the soil, by not disturbing the soil biodiversity. 

• The veg can be bought online or by coming along to the garden on Friday mornings. A fair amount is also given to the Foodbank, the Gillespie Centre, Healthy Valleys and Biggar Youth Project.

BROUGHTONKNOWE WOOD

Shortly after the Covid lockdowns, the Friends of Broughtonknowe was created as an action group to 'improve amenity and increase biodiversity' of the Broughtonknowe woodland.

The group applied for, obtained and spent a sizeable wind farm grant. This was under the guiding control of the then private ownership of the woodland.

Since then, over a hectic short period of time, the ownership has been transferred to the community.

The illustrated talk will outline this story and discuss ongoing projects and ambitions.

BIGGAR GOLF CLUB

A member of Biggar Golf Club will do the third presentation of the afternoon and will tell us about their plans for the Golf Club over the coming years.