Join us this Spring in preparation for the new growing season.
As Spring begins we are starting to ramp up our trips out to local organic farms. Upcoming dates inclue:
Monday 24th April – to Abbey Leys in Cheshire.
Thursday 27th April – to Woodbank in Stockport.
Wednesday 3rd May – to Abbey Leys in Cheshire.
Saturday 20th May – to Abbey Leys in Cheshire.
A day out with The Land Army is quite a physical day’s work (though we’ll look after you and make sure you get proper breaks!), but it’s really satisfying and a great way to get your hands dirty, learn a bit about commercial scale food growing, and meet like-minded and interesting people like you!
Make sure you come prepared. You’ll need waterproofs, sturdy footwear such as wellies or boots, and drinking water. And it’s a good idea to wear clothes you don’t mind getting a bit mucky in! In return for your hard work we provide a healthy, home-made lunch and plenty of tea and biscuits – two things we find go hand in hand with working on the land!
Inspired by the women’s land armies of the First and Second World Wars, The Land Army was set up to help small organic growers in Greater Manchester increase their yields and strengthen their businesses. We currently work mainly with new organic growers, supporting them at the beginning of their journey towards establishing viable and productive farms.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life and enjoy being part of The Land Army for many different reasons. You might be thinking about growing your own food at home or on an allotment, want to meet like-minded people, or simply have some spare time on your hands and fancy doing something totally different – either way, we’d love to hear from you! Becoming a Land Army volunteer is simple. You can join our mailing list by completing the form below to receive regular updates about Land Army trips. Or, you can keep an eye on the top of this page for upcoming dates. And if you want to come along, send us an email or give us a ring – and that’s it!
Land Army trips usually take place on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays and run from 9.30am until 5.00pm. We provide transport to and form the farms from Hulme (spaces are limited). In addition to lunch, drinks and snacks, all tools and gloves are also provided.
2016 Land Army volunteer and ‘city kid’ Luiza shared her perspective after getting stuck in at FarmStart Woodbank.
“Working as a Land Army volunteer was not only exciting because I could eat a lot of freshly picked tomatoes (!), but because it got my creative juices flowing. The new generation of urban farmers is young, motivated and idealistic. They are bringing the countryside closer to the city in what appears to me to be a new stage of the urbanization process that first set these two worlds apart in the 18th century. How exciting is that? Whether you want to be a grower or not, visiting new farms is a way of putting the food system into perspective and watching this process happening at first hand.” Read her full blog post here.
And here’s a lovely post by Sokhema Nara (Development Studies student and Project Officer at Transparency International Cambodia) on her experience with the Land Army in Autumn 2014. Thanks to Sokhema for letting us share it.
“Volunteering as Land Army for the FarmStart project with The Kindling Trust was an awesome experience! We’ve got to learn about the sustainable food and organic farm in UK. I like the concept of FarmStart as the opportunity for people to pilot their farming work while reducing the risk, which can help young entrepreneurs kick start their farming incubator! It was a one day worth spending. Surprisingly, all volunteers were girls! We had an exhausting, but educational and fun time figuring out how to build the saw table from scratch, cutting woods, putting fence for water barrel, making the sign boards for veggie selling and getting to know new friends! Looking forward to the next exciting volunteer journey!”
For more information and to book email corrina@kindling.org.uk or call us on 0161 818 8384
manchester climate monthly 