The Community Food Project

From Spring to Summer 2004, the Health Promotion Department of the HSE – North West Area (formerly the North West Health Board), in conjunction with the Organic Centre in Co. Leitrim, ran an innovative and timely project aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of local people.

The initiative was a Community Food Project, and it was funded through the National Strategy for Cardiovascular health. The project was a response to evidence that in Ireland, as in many other western societies, those on a limited income have more limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables. Yet dietitians and other health professionals know that inclusion of such foods as part of the daily diet can provide significant protection against ill health and can enhance wellbeing. Community gardening projects – usually in cities – have been a response across the world to the challenges of what has been identified as a poverty of food choice for certain groups in society, including those on limited incomes.

This project sought to improve the access of people on a tight budget to fresh fruit and vegetables, by encouraging and helping them to become involved in growing their own organically. In cooperation with local agencies and community groups, participants were recruited in Sligo town and in rural Leitrim, and were given the opportunity to meet regularly with professional and experienced gardeners from The Organic Centre. The project consisted of weekly or fortnightly organic gardening sessions, on plots provided by the centre and by the St Michael’s Family Life Centre in Sligo. This was backed up by some classroom instruction in gardening techniques and knowledge, and by cooking demonstrations by HSE – North West Area ‘Eat Well, Be Well’ tutors. The project as a whole was evaluated independently by a small team from the Institute of Technology, Sligo.

Participants who stayed with the programme expressed strong positive feelings about the camaraderie and community spirit that it engendered. They expressed enjoyment about spending time in the ‘fresh air’’, and in particular liked the physical nature of the gardening work. All participants felt that the project had been worthwhile, a sentiment echoed by the staff involved in delivering the programme. The involvement of expert gardeners was of key importance, as participants felt they had increased their knowledge of practical gardening techniques, such as sowing seeds.

The participants enjoyed the cooking tuition and there was a strong interest expressed in learning about organic and wholefoods.

The great majority of participants felt that they would ‘possibly’ or ‘probably increase their consumption of fruit and vegetables in the next year. The single most important way to help achieve this was to find fruit and vegetables that easily fitted into their eating habits. More variety, availability and cheaper fruit and vegetables were also considered important.

The project is now in its second year and participants have started work in the gardens in St. Michaels Family Life Centre and also in the Organic Centre in Rossinver

For further information on the project contact Dr Prannie Rhatigan Health Promotion Department 087 419 2185 or Hans Wieland The Organic Centre 071 98 54338