Our Changeprint
Our Changeprint can be measured by the number of households and families enrolled; the number of new horticulturists and permaculturists trained; carbon savings resulting from each initiative; growth in community projects on food sustainability and biodiversity loss; adoption of a wider strategic food policy and a cultural change within the region and country.
Our story
The initial aim of the Acorn Farm Project was simply to mentor over 250 families and households to grow food at home, connecting their lives to climate action through the food they eat. This continued activity supports a wider and more strategic project aim of building a local food movement, helping to inform and change the food system led by community involvement, academic research and multiple agency collaboration.
Research into the local food system was also carried out during the project, with Derry City & Strabane District Council receiving £5.6 million from the UK Levelling Up Fund to support the development of Acorn Farm, an urban farm in St. Columb’s Park, Derry/ Londonderry.
This exciting regeneration project not only gives purpose to disused space, but also creates a high-quality, urban food growing hub, a green skills learning academy, a sustainable food event venue and an impressive visitor destination.
Other project elements, such as training 60 new horticulturists and 10 new permaculturists, and the design and build of an iconic climate and growing educational hub, support the families and households in taking ownership of a food movement that they have helped build.
In parallel, to ensure that the movement has a geographical reach across Northern Ireland, our sister project 'Growing Food, Growing Communities' is managed in partnership with Holywood Transition Towns. It aims to democratically engage communities in a bespoke decision-making process. This partnership aims to build thriving local food movements that cultivate community resilience and reduce the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Our advice
Do your research. This project idea emerged from previous research visits to community-led social enterprises within the UK, in particular in Bristol and Cornwall. There were similar synergies and collaborations between local authorities, community initiatives and local philanthropy, which we felt could help communities in our city and district connect with climate action in a meaningful way.
Identify the gaps. Conversations with stakeholders, collaborations with community groups, individuals and businesses, revealed a huge variance and gap in skills, knowledge and capacity for people not connected or aligned to a climate action campaigning organisation. Communities and individuals expressed that they felt overwhelmed by the scale of the issue and that the language associated with explaining it was complex and technical in nature, which alienated rather than enthused. Identifying these gaps was critical to a successful project implementation plan.
Connect through food. The connections between food, health and wellbeing, climate, sustainability and economics became the main focus, and the 'I Can Grow Project' was conceived. The 'I Can Grow Project' is one element within a larger strategic project which aligns individual action and change with a wider strategic food policy and a cultural change within the region and country.
