Going the ‘Greenway’ from Scotland to Austria

Furthermore, there are increasing concerns over the quality of fresh produce, with degraded nutrient values and the use of pesticides and growth hormones being identified as the culprits.

It is these issues that Greenway Consulting, a not-for-profit community investment organisation in North Ayrshire, aims to address, with its unique and original approach to community food production. With its ‘transition town’ philosophy, Greenway works to promote sustainable food production, by teaching and equipping communities to grow their own food, creating a local economy.

In a bid to join forces with similar organisations in Europe, Greenway has now entered into an exciting new partnership with an Austrian organisation, Natur im Garten, to bring Greenway’s teachings to their national education garden, Die Garten Tulln, near Vienna.

The two organisations have pooled their collective know-how to establish a School for Soil Regeneration and Community Food Production. Using Greenway’s unique method, Grow Food Nature’s Way (GFNW), the school will train individuals, project leaders, educators and entrepreneurs to grow nutritious, tasty produce.

Ronald Gilchrist, Head of Greenway, said, “The Greenway GFNW Method recognises that the world food crisis will best be addressed when food is produced in the community by the community for the community.

“Communities can ensure food supply and protect themselves against rising food prices by developing a strong local economy and adopting localised food production,” he added.

Although Greenway is based primarily in North Ayrshire, the culture of transition towns and community food gardens promoted by the organisation has spread rapidly throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK.

The GFNW method also addresses issues that frequently prevent individuals from attempting to grow their own food, with the main concerns being a lack of time, space and expertise. The Greenway Team have designed their low cost method to resolve these problems, whilst steering clear of plastics, chemicals and harmful additives.

Mr Gilchrist explained, “The Greenway Method is ideal, even for folks in the city. You don’t necessarily need to find a green space; a raised bed community garden can be built in the corner of a car park, in a gap site or on derelict industrial land. All spaces can be used, including planters on balconies or even in driveways.”

The official Grow Food Nature’s Way handbook explains how to design your garden, maximise soil fertility and grow nutritious vegetables for yourself and your community. The book is available at: http://www.green-way.org.uk/shop