News / local growing
Community growers fundraising following vandalism
A market garden that supplies more than 180 households with local organic vegetables is fundraising following a series of break-ins.
Sims Hill Shared Harvest operates their site in Frenchay on sustainable and regenerative principles, meaning an emphasis is placed on nature-friendly growing methods that build soil health and support biodiversity.
During one of a number of break-ins, the project’s delivery van which is used to distribute the vegetables to eight sites across Bristol was severely damaged including smashed windows, slashed tyres and broken locks. The van was written off as a result.
Sims Hill has a temporary vehicle on loan and is currently crowdfunding to buy a green electric hybrid van as a permanent replacement. Funds raised will also support improvements to site security.
Sims Hill market garden is planning to replace their delivery van with an electric hybrid model and improve security for their toolsheds following a series of break-ins – photo: Sims Hill
Sims Hill keeps prices as low as as possible as well as donating to food banks and community projects in order to fulfil its aim of making locally grown, nutritious food accessible.
It has also set up social impact initiatives including the Soil Connections programme which invites people affected by the asylum system on to the land for communal growing and food sharing.
Receiving its main income from memberships, and where small-scale agriculture is not subsidised by the government in the same way industrial scale farms are, the project operates on tight margins and with only a small insurance payout cannot afford to buy a van to continue weekly deliveries beyond January.
The £6,000 they hope to raise through the crowdfunder will also go towards a new secure storage container to protect its tools ‘to minimise risk of economic loss in the future’.
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Contribute to the fundraiser at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/get-sims-hill-back-on-the-road
Find out more about becoming a member of Sims Hill and receiving a weekly veg box at simshill.co.uk/membership-information
All images: Sims Hill Shared Harvest
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