Highbridge Community Farm had an open day last weekend, and we went there to find out a little about the project.
Last year the group shared with us their work and fresh vegetables at the Hiltingbury Extrav 2015.
Henry Russell, Highbridge Farm, offered a 1.7 acre field for this worthwhile project. The farm is located just north of Eastleigh and is near the River Itchen.
Highbridge Community Farm is a group within Eastleigh Transition Network. Each stakeholder pays £10 per year and commits to 10 hours’ work per month (I guess it’s cheaper than a golf club membership for the benefits of exercise, health, and friendship.)
This video by Robin Waldman of Robin Creative Media shows you the spirit of Highbridge Community Farm.
The community farm was established in Feb 2010, a ‘not for profit’ group working cooperatively to grow food in teams. According to the Highbridge Community Farm website, there are 180 stakeholders from all districts of Eastleigh and its surrounding areas.
Here are some photos of the Open Day. It’s wonderful to see some young children helping their parents or grandparents doing a bit of digging. Lots of friendly people were working on their plots and also sharing with us the vegetables that they grow.
I’m very pleased to hear from this friendly group that you don’t actually need to have green fingers to join the farm (It means that I may easily qualify). Everyone works in a small team to look after a plot of two, while some more experienced people plan and guide others.
I’m quite inspired by this friendly group and I love its positive vibes. Fresh fruits and vegetables, locally grown using your own hands, inexpensive and nutritious food, and carbon footprint reduction (i.e. save the world). What’s not to love about this community farm just around the corner of Chandler’s Ford?
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It is a great experience for children. My grandson knew all about potatoes, chips and crisps but I will never forget the amazement on his face when I dug up a potato plant from the garden. He had never known where potatoes came from. He got down on his knees to scrabble around and find every last one and could not wait to get cooking and eating them.
Then he began to ask where other foods came from.
Children learn the most important things outside the classroom. Places like gardens and farms.