The Growing Communities Model

The core concept behind the Growing Communities’ Model is the use of community-led trading as a practical mechanism for improving our food system: changing it from one which is damaging to one that is more sustainable.

The model is a flexible one that starts with a box scheme and enables other activities to be built on according to local circumstances and aspirations. The box scheme on its own, when working within the framework of the Growing Communities Key Principles can enable other communities to:

• Support small sustainable farmers and help them to thrive.
• Generate income with which to create jobs for them and their community and to be financially viable
• Increase/stimulate sustainable food production in and around urban areas
• Build community
• Provide their community with affordable, great food

Not only that, but it can generate further income with which to drive further change and set up more projects.

In our case, our box scheme currently subsidises the cost of producing the food grown on our sites (although we still plan to further increase productivity over the next few years). The box scheme also provided funds for the feasibility study which led to us setting up our farmers’ market; it paid for our Good Food Swap, it funds our Urban Apprentice Scheme and enabled us to get our Patchwork Farm going. In fact, it’s kick-started this whole Growing Communities Start-up Programme!

So, it’s not just a box scheme - it’s a seed, a driver, a mechanism for creating change. And we want to see if it can have a similar impact in other places.

>> Find out more about how to get involved