Fresh local seasonal healthy tasty affordable
Lush Greens is a young and flourishing community market garden (small vegetable farm) in Hengrove, Bristol. We are a not-for-profit social enterprise, who collaborate with volunteers from our local community to collectively help tackle food insecurity in our local area. The veg we grow together goes to local food poverty charities, such as InHope's Foodbanks, other community groups including Redcatch Community Garden and Batch Cook Club, a few local shops and restaurants, and to members of our Community Veg Box Scheme.We run regular volunteer days, open days and seasonal festivals. This year we are delivering an Introduction to Horticulture training for people in recovery, which is part of our work to deliver Green Social Prescribing to help improve peoples' physical, mental annd emotional wellbeing.
BECOME A LUSH GREENS VOLUNTEER
Lush Greens is dependent upon its wonderful team of volunteers who give their time to help tackle food insecurity in Bristol. There is always a large range of tasks that need doing at Lush Greens, from sowing seeds, to weeding, to harvesting and delivery veg. We hold occasional events that we'd love volunteer help with. We'll always find tasks that suit your capabilities and ambitions: all contributions are welcome.If you'd like to get involved then please fill in the form below and we'll be in touch.
BECOME A CSA MEMBER
To buy veg direct from us, you'll need to sign up to our Community Supported Agriculture scheme.WHAT IS COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTRE (CSA)?A CSA is a partnership between farmer-producers and customer-members in which the responsibilities, rewards and risks of farming are shared. This means that when we have gluts of produce, you'll get more veg, but if the weather or pests mean that the harvest is damaged, then their might be a bit less of something in the veg bags.We're looking for new CSA members to commit to buying a veg box from us each week during the growing season (from June through to November/December). We offer a trial period, a range of pricing options and varying levels of commitment; so don't worry, there is an option to suit all budgets and needs.We also encourage our members to be involved in the farm through seasonal festivals, open days, plus regular learning and volunteer opportunities. You can also choose to get involved in decisions about how the veg is produced, packaged and delivered.WHO BENEFITS?- YOU BENEFIT from getting to eat a range of fresh, tasty, nutritious, local and seasonal vegetables grown without chemical pesticides or fertilisers. There's also the amazing feeling of connecting with the land where your food is grown and with the people who grow it.- WE BENEFIT from a stable and secure income and closer connection to our community.- OUR ENVIRONMENT benefits from some of the lowest food miles possible and from the soil-regenerating approach we farm with to ensure plants and animals flourish.- THE COMMUNITY benefits with opportunities for local people to come onto the land to connect with each other and with nature, to benefit physical, mental and emotional weallbeing and tackle social isolation. We deliver our fresh and nutritous veg to local food charities, such as foodbanks. As a customer and member of our CSA, you will be supporting this work in your community.WHAT'S IN A VEG BAG AND WHAT WILL I PAY?The Lush Greens CSA bag will be a bit different from a standard veg box. Our focus is on the fresh, green veg that a local market garden is so well-suited to growing. Each week there will always be a bag of our amazing mixed salad leaves, plus 3 - 4 other items. Below are some examples.
The bags will be competitively priced with options for low, middle and higher income earners. As a social enterprise our goal is to benefit the community and the environment as well as helping to sustain meaningful livelihoods. In keeping with these principles, those able to pay more will be contributing towards our ongoing distribution of healthy, tasty, fresh veg to those on lower incomes.
Meet the Staff Team
Lush Greens employs two part-time growers to manage the site, and facilitate our volunteers in their work growing delicious veg and getting it to people who need it.
Olly on the left and Jimmy on the right.
Governance
Lush Greens is currently set up as an Unincorporated Association Small Group with a Constitution (a type of community group. The majority of day-to-day decisions about managing the site and growing the veg are made by our two growers.We also have a management committee who have legal responsibility for the organisation, and its management.The Management Committee is made of up of:
- Chair: Steph Wetherell (also of Bristol Food Producers)
- Secretary, and Grower: Jimmy Thomson
- Treasurer, and Grower: Oliver Jamieson
- Committee Member: Dan Nettelsmith (Lush Greens Founder, now Head Grower The Fold Market Garden, Worcestershire)
- Committee Member: Graham Sims (also of InHope and The Bristol Noise)We will soon be converting to a Community Interest Company (CIC), to better serve our aspirations as an organisation.
