Tumbledown project selected for national programme
The Tumbledown site has been selected as part of the first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Incubator programme, a national programme administered by CSA Network UK. It is the only Dorset-based project to be successful and is one of only 10 other projects nationwide which will benefit from the programme.
The project will bring the land back into use for community benefit in a sustainable way. Plans for the site are based on public consultations and include growing local food, with community access to our growing areas. This will offer a range of benefits for the community, including opportunities to develop sustainable food growing and processing skills, social interaction and income generation to sustain Tumbledown and reinvest in the site’s continued development.
CSA is defined as a partnership between farmers and consumers in which the responsibilities, risks and rewards of farming are shared. CSA aims to address concerns about the lack of transparency, sustainability and resilience of our food production systems.
The CSA Incubator programme will include tailored mentoring and peer-support to develop the food growing proposition at Tumbledown. It is a 2-year programme and will provide support as the project develops.
Clive Tuck, Project Manager for Tumbledown, commented:
“We’re delighted to be recognised and chosen for this programme, which will give us access to key advice, expertise and hopefully help us to cultivate the innovative ideas we have for Tumbledown and the local community.
“We look forward to sharing knowledge and receiving guidance to recruit a CSA Grower, develop our VegBox Scheme and create a fee-paying membership to support the supply of our produce to the public.”