Volunteers loving Wednesdays on the farm

This spring a record numbers of volunteers are getting involved in veg growing at SCA. The volunteer growers, sometimes as many as twenty, value several aspects of the Wednesday morning sessions: the outdoors, being part of a team, the friendship, working with the soil and doing something which is worthwhile and part of rural tradition. And they are growing delicious local veg!

There’s also coffee, sometimes yoga and the link to the twinning project in Bristol.

Volunteers don’t need to be members of the farm to join the team though some of them are. It’s a community farm so it’s non profit and members will be familiar with the events which range from a summer fayre and harvest festival to barn dances and bonfire night.

‘I really enjoy coming to SCA on a Wednesday morning.’ says Shel MacDonagh, who lives in Stroud. ‘It’s been a really lovely way to meet people in the area, having moved to Stroud last year. Taking a morning a week to get my hands in the soil connects me with nature and directly to food growing and tending to such nutritious and yummy veg locally. I find spending time in such a relaxing environment with so many other volunteers (and stunning views and great coffee!) an important regenerative activity in my life. It’s amazing to see how much we get done each week and I’m so grateful to the growers for overseeing such a beautiful community project.’

Another volunteer, Kate Shipp comes to the farm each Wednesday from Inchbrook. ‘I love volunteering at SCA. Everything’s sustainable, chemical free, recycled, natural, and there’s so many different things to do. It’s not just about sewing seeds, we fix structures, prune trees, plant out the vegetables and even made bird proof blinds for the polytunnel out of whatever we could find!’

She also enjoys the company. ‘Everyone I’ve met and worked with is interesting and friendly, it’s been a great way to meet people since I moved here 18 months ago. We have a lot of fun as well as getting our hands dirty and sharing our skills. Plus there’s yoga! Highly recommended!’

Mateo Lewis moved to the town three years ago and says, ‘On the first day I visited Stroud I happened to walk up the hill from the town centre and chanced upon the lovely setting the farm finds itself in. I kept coming back once I learnt I could volunteer here and soak in the scenery.’

‘It feels good to get my hands in the soil at least once a week, and drink tasty coffee among lovely people. I’ve since started a part time job organising events with SCA and it’s opened my world up to a whole new group of people.” (the farm is ‘twinned’ with an organisation supporting Somali migrants in Bristol).

Another volunteer, Mark de Cates, lives The Camp. ‘ It’s the sense of community and the grounded trust that comes along with it: knowing the people personally who grow our food, knowing their values and aspirations, and being in a position to help and be part of the process (even just a tiny bit!)’

He continues: ‘Volunteering is a rare activity that I both enjoy and I know is really good for me. It’s very down to earth (pun intended!) and includes many things that, I realise on reflection, make us humans come alive. Sharing and giving, using your body, being outdoors in the fresh air, growing what sustains and nourishes us, the company of others, a shared purpose, oh, and coffee! Such a wonderful opportunity.’

‘The farm is a fabulous organisation growing good quality organic vegetables providing jobs for local growers,’ says Anita Collins from Avening.. ‘I really enjoy volunteering because I get to spend time with the other volunteers who are all interesting people who share a love of growing. It’s great to work together as a team and stand back at the end of the morning to see how much work a collaborative approach can achieve. I love being outdoors at the farm enjoying the stunning views and watching the scenery change with the seasons, seeing the vegetables through from seed to picking.

Emma Faure comes to the farm on Wednesdays from Stonehouse. ‘As a family we feel passionate about making sustainable choices about how we live to reduce our carbon footprint and to live healthily. A big part of what’s in our control is the food we eat and eating locally grown seasonal organic fruit and vegetables is a big part of how we choose to live.’ Her family chose to join SCA five years ago and love being members, ‘From the kids learning about how food is grown when we collect our share each week, to joining in the community events, it’s added so much value as a family.’

Ruth Schamroth is the volunteer co-ordinator. She says, ‘We welcome volunteers of all ages, from all backgrounds and at all levels of experience. People who are interested can email info@stroudcommunityagriculture.org’