SAGE (Sow And Grow Everywhere)

Glasgow

May 2009 - ongoing

SAGE: PUTTING FOOD PRODUCTION INTO THE HEART OF URBAN LIFE

www.sowandgroweverywhere.org.uk

SAGE (Sow And Grow Everywhere) is a visionary initiative to generate a massive change in community food growing in the Glasgow and Clyde Vallery area. A joint venture by NVA and ERZ landscape architects, SAGE is transforming derelict and vacant land into vibrant, stimulating, visually attractive spaces for people to grow their own food. It has been designed as a mobile initiative – when land is required for development, the infrastructure can move to a new site.

SAGE is allowing people with no previous experience of growing their own food and herbs to both provide for their families, friends and potentially offer surplus to a wider area. It is complementing, supporting and extending the existing network of community food initiatives. SAGE also offers the potential for the larger initiatives to be developed into vibrant social enterprises.

Progress So Far

A major scoping study has been completed on behalf of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley (GCV) Green Network Partnership. This study is guiding the development of a range of demonstration sites across Metropolitan Glasgow and within participating local authorities in the Clyde Valley. A copy of the study is available HERE.

Central to SAGE is the “growing toolkit”, which includes a high quality, durable, specially designed “modular system” of grow boxes/bags made from recycled materials. The first of these modular systems are currently in use at our first demonstration site, the Award winning The Concrete Garden at St Matthews Church in Possilpark Glasgow. For further information on the awards click HERE and HERE

In addition to its existing funding from Culture and Sport Glasgow, NVA has received three years funding from The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Robertson Trust to develop SAGE demonstrations sites across the city and to deliver Glasgow Harvest, an annual celebration of urban growing.

Glasgow Harvest 2010 was a great success, visit the project page for more information on the event HERE

Get Involved

SAGE is looking to meet with anyone interested in hosting a demonstration project. Do you have a site within your community which you would like to transform, and a group wanting to grow their own food? If so, get in touch with SAGE on 0141 552 8388 or send an email to kathryn@sowandgroweverywhere.org

Sponsors