As part of our series exploring how different communities and social entrepreneurs are accessing land in RCT, to support sustainability and help improve all our well-being, Tir Pontypridd Chair, Ken Moon, visited Garth View Organics in Taffs Well.
The sun was shining brightly one April morning when I cycled down to Taffs Well to visit Phil & Dai from Garth View Organics. I was curious to learn about this no dig organic growing initiative south of Pontypridd.
Phils micro-social enterprise grew out of a desire to address food poverty in his local community. As a painter and decorator Phil knows his local community well and had seen first-hand the challenges that people in his local community were struggling with.
Phil secured himself an allotment plot and started growing.
For most of us, running a small business and managing to grow some food on the side would be more than enough. Phil soon discovered he was something of a dab hand at market-scale growing and his plot was soon bursting with produce, most of which he started to donate to his local food hub.
In need of additional growing space Phil made enquiries to Tafs Well and Nantgarw Community Council, who had an area of land next door to the allotments. With support from Social Farms & Gardens and the Community Land Advisory Service Cymru Phil signed up to a 10-year lease.
The site had previously been occupied by Taffs Well Community Garden project who had accessed the site to grow food for the community over a decade previously. But the group had fallen by the wayside and the community garden had become overgrown. Phil would need a lot of help to clear the site.
Griffiths Civil Engineering, one of several firms working on the South Wales Metro were able to help through their Social Corporate Responsibility programme. They came over with a team of staff and contractors and spent several days clearing the site ready for growing and donated a poly tunnel. Amey Trackside and Siemens have also helped.
This allowed Phil to gain a head start on the growing season and using organic no-dig growing techniques Phil has been able to establish a thriving market garden selling directly to the public through a reasonably priced local box scheme and a market stall in Radyr and earn a trading income.
Sticking to the original social aims of the project Garth View Organics continues to supply several community food hubs in the area, runs volunteering and mentoring sessions, and helps to train others in no dig growing methods through workshops and courses. Phil also regularly posts tips on no dig organic growing on line. .
Garth View Organics also works closely with other community growing projects in the area such as Meadow Street Community Garden. Phil would love to see more people accessing land in and around RCT so that they too can start their own small-scale market gardens and supply fresh fruit and veg to the local community.
Phil is keen to stress that this social enterprise is only able to support their local community with affordable produce with the help of local volunteers and businesses stepping in to help them. If you’d like to know more about Garth View Organics please visit: https://www.facebook.com/garthview or email garthvieworganics@gmail.com
