Blakeney Hill Growers is a community smallholding that began in 2010. We started working together as a group of neighbours wanting to bring derelict land back to life and produce some of our own food.
We rent a three-acre field where we keep goats and bees, and grow vegetables and fruit. We share the work, the costs, the harvest, and the risks.
How the project is structured
Anyone is welcome to join as a member for £12 a year, which gives access to the field and social events, as well as any surplus produce if we have it. From there, members can choose to join specific portions of the smallholding:
- The Garden Portion: Members work together for two hours a week, and share whatever there is to harvest that week.
- The Goat Portion: The goats provide milk as well as compost for the garden. Each household that joins the goat portion takes on one day a week to look after them, milk them, and keep the milk for their own use.
This is our basic structure, but it flexes around what people need and how they want to join in.
The difference the work has made
Working together has helped us build deep relationships and a strong sense of community. We currently have about 15 to 20 households involved, with fresh food to take home every single week.
We also hold a couple of social and fundraising events each year to bring people together, including:
- An Apple Day in the autumn
- A plant sale in the spring
- Small socials on the field around work days, AGMs, and naming the new kids
Plans for the future
We always have plans for the future, but it entirely depends on who wants to be involved and what they would like to bring to the project. Current ideas include:
- Expanding the garden a bit more
- Introducing no-fence collars for the goats
- Growing mushrooms in the dry lane
