Our Churchstanton Food Group:

Churchstanton Parish Council and the OSMG have kindly offered dedicated areas at the quarry and in the heart of the village to our Community Food Group who in 2024 grew a selection of fruit and vegetables to support the local community shop and the community food larder.  

All are welcome to come and spend time and contribute.  The growing areas will foster biodiversity and also support conservation through sustainable gardening methods.

Preparing for tree planting at the quarry involved clearing some undergrowth in and around the selected areas. Holes were dug, a touch of compost was added to aid the bare-rooted trees, location posts with supportive bands were installed and crafted cactus cages around each tree were constructed, bolstered by extra posts for added stability. Followed by a good watering!  The results speak for themselves – all the trees are thriving, with budding leaves and flowers in abundance.  18 different varieties of eating, dessert and cooking apples were planted across the 2 green spaces at the entrance of the quarry.  Nut trees have since been added creating a food forest.

The allotment area was covered in long grass, opting for a no-dig approach, we chose to cover the area first with cardboard and then with a sheet over Winter. This method enabled the grass, along with its nitrogen content, to decompose and enrich the soil. In 2024 we planted raspberry canes, strawberry plants and potatoes.