Stamford Climate Action Group suggests growing your own food to become more sustainable

The Stamford Climate Action Group is always looking for ways to support the climate in our town and this month we focus not on reduction and cutting back; but on growth, excess and abundance, writes Jenny Hall.

Our subject is growing your own food, creating food steps rather than food miles and ditching the plastic packaging along the way.

For absolute beginners start with the basics. Plants need water, warmth, light and nutrients, and if you’ve mastered that, success is almost guaranteed. Remember peat free compost, no chemicals (it’s good to share!) and grow what you like to eat. Seeds are amazing and the magic of growing starts as soon as you plant them.

My biggest ‘hack’ is to buy potted basil from the supermarket, remove the plastic sleeve to prevent your plant from rotting, and place on a saucer in a sunny place. Keep it watered, harvest by pinching out the top leaves and you will be treated to delicious basil for weeks on end.

For those short on time or outdoor space, try sowing mixed lettuce seeds, spinach or Asian greens into pots, they grow quickly and are ‘cut and come again’, giving you a second or even a third harvest.

If you are looking for abundance, runner beans, courgettes, cucumbers and tomatoes are top of the list. Celebrate gluts of produce, share them, freeze them or turn them into chutney; our ancestors relied on this abundance to get them through the winter.

If you are serious about growing your own food, you’ll need a bit more space than the average garden. In Stamford we are hugely fortunate to have four allotment sites within the town, located at Water Furlong, Queens Walk, Priory Road and Uffington Road. The council currently has vacancies at Priory Road and Uffington Road, with plots varying in size from 52m2 for £10 per year. You can apply at www.stamfordtowncouncil.gov.uk,

Stay calm and get growing!

The next Climate Action Group meeting is on Wednesday, March 9, at 6pm.

This virtual meeting can be joined by emailing townclerk@stamfordtowncouncil.gov.uk for the link. Everyone is welcome.

• Share your ideas for how to become more sustainable by emailing: smeditor@stamfordmercury.co.uk