The folks at Eat Green UK (formerly Didsbury Dinners) have got some landshare plots…
Would you like a rent-free plot on which to grow your own food? Eat Green (South Manchester) is pleased to announce new landshare plots in Didsbury, Chorlton and Withington, with space for up to 15 growers.
Landshare plots
East Didsbury
Spacious plot available within walking distance of the Parrs Wood complex in East Didsbury. Growers will have access to the landowner’s tools and can leave items in an on-site shed (at their own risk). Weekend gardening times preferred by owners. Would suit up to 4 growers.
Didsbury Village
Up to 5 more growers wanted to share management of former community garden in Didsbury Village. Growers will benefit from access to established communal soft fruit and herb areas, an on-site water butt, and ready-weeded beds. Weekend gardening times preferred by fellow growers.
Chorlton
Landshare plot available in Chorlton. Located near the Christie Fields pub/hotel in Chorlton, the land benefits from a greenhouse, and currants, strawberries and raspberries that the owner is happy for the growers to pick!
Withington
Sunny plot for up to 4 growers to share near Minehead Community Resource Centre in Withington. Initial agreement for up to 2 years (rolling). Accessible 8am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday. Flexible landowner and access to outside water tap and shed (at own risk).
For more information about any of these plots, please email Eat Green. Rent is completely free of charge to paid-up supporters (84p per month/£10 per year) and there are no hidden costs.
Alternatively, if you have a gardening space going to waste – and fancy some free fruit and veg in return – drop the Eat Green team a line and they’ll see what they can do!
info[at]eatgreen.co.uk | https://twitter.com/eatgreenuk
We here at MCFly are proud of our grubby and paranoid mind. We cultivate it. So we sent the Eat Green people this –
“what’s in it for Eat Green, other than good reputation (!) and warm inner glow (!). i.e. did you guys win a contract to administer this?”
and got this –
“No contract, and we’re still all volunteers, doing it for the love of it (and obviously to help people lower their food-carbon footprints) :). All plots are a result of putting a shout-out for people who have land that they’re not using. Two of the plots are privately owned; one is a social housing property, obviously with the social landlord and tenant’s agreement; one is via a local estate agent.”
manchester climate monthly 
That’s the kind of thing needed to make Landshare work. Fearnley-Whittingstall may have supported a snazzy Landshare website, but at least for South Manchester it never worked. Community scale, enthusiasm driven.
I bet they will find what all allotment sites do though, a lot of people who sign up but know nothing about growing and don’t get the time commitment and the need for good planning, and then a whole growing season has gone before someone else takes their place. Getting people to put in some time on community plots first could help both.
Thanks very much for your comments, urbangardeningproject.
We launched our first landshares in South Manchester in 2011, and are pleased to report that they’re working well thus far.
We think that having a well drawn-up agreement over the use and maintenance of each plot, for a stated time-span, has played a large part in this success. We’re careful to manage both the landowner’s and the potential grower’s expectations before any agreements are entered into, and have detailed discussions with both.
And thankfully we usually have a nice mix of fairly new and more experienced growers sharing each site, taking collective responsibility for maintaining communal areas. Eat Green’s core team is quite happy to muck in and lend a hand with these, and we can lend our supporters tools, if needed.
A fairly intimate number of people (usually four) are named growers on any one site, communicating by email to arrange gardening sessions. Usually we’re copied in. We find that this ongoing communication creates team morale and reduces drop-out rates. Sharing produce and knowledge is an added bonus!
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