Sow A Row Xtra

One happy ‘green shoot’ emerging from the stress and sadness of last summer’s restrictions was a big increase in people growing their own food.

The Royal Horticultural Society reported an unprecedented surge in interest during the past year, with an estimated 3 million new gardeners picking up their spades.

But not everyone can afford to buy seeds or successfully grow them into
plants ready for the veg plot and the lockdown’s made times even tougher for many.

Sow a Row Xtra is a campaign to encourage people to grow a few extra seedlings, and then donate these to people who are keen to grow veg but unable to start from seed for one reason or another.

The project has two targets; one supplying specific in-need groups and the other applying to anyone with a keen interest in growing, but no way to get started.

Many of the seedlings will be added to ‘Friendship Boxes’ containing donated tools, compost and advice on how and where to grow.

These are then given to asylum-seekers, refugees and others with a keen interest in growing, but no way to get started.

Becky Mears from Feed Leeds and Season Well said, ‘We know that there are plenty of people in Leeds desperate to grow their own food but who lack the funds or a suitable place to plant.

So as well as providing seedlings and tools, we’re running food-growing workshops with and also finding, or even creating, new veg plots close to where people live’.

For more information on how you can help visit the Feed Leeds website

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