An Inspiring Village - Todmorden, England

Todmorden resident, Estelle Brown, displays a basket of town-grown veggies.

Imagine if the "Sharing Gardens" grew beyond the two established plots to include the whole towns of Alpine and Monroe they are nestled in? Imagine walking down Commercial street and grazing on some fresh-picked peas as you pass City Hall, or later in the summer picking a bouquet of flowers from the curb-side plots in front of people's houses you pass to give to a friend you're visiting in the hills near the water tower? If you live in a larger city, imagine whole neighborhoods growing food and flowers in publicly accessible plots in order to build a sense of community, and create greater food-security as well. This could be possible if we adopted a way of life like the group, Incredible Edibles has done in Todmorden, England.

They began modestly enough: just a few small gardens in public spaces around town, using their own tools, seeds and physical effort. Gradually more and more people became involved and things, well, really "blossomed"! The gardens are on public and private land: in people's yards, in front of the police station, at a bus stop... Though in recent times they have begun to receive recognition for their efforts and some monetary awards as well, the project has been primarily an all-volunteer effort.

Here are links to three articles I found about Incredible Edibles in Todmorden, England - a real inspiration!

Britain's "Greenest" Town

Improved Civic Life through Growing Vegetables

Carrots in the Carpark; Radishes in the Roundabouts