There is no hard and fast set of rules for setting up a Community Food Project (CFP). What you need to get going will depend on local circumstances – what suits one community may not suit another. Different groups have different resources they can draw on but most projects will share certain characteristics needed for success:

Step 1 – Land
The amount of land required will depend on the size of the group and other factors. In general no more than 100 square metres is needed. It is important to allow for access for delivery of compost material to the compost area. If the gardener and participants are only working in the garden once a week it will be necessary to make provision for watering/maintaining protected growing areas such as greenhouses, polytunnels and seed propagators if they are used. It is also important that participants have easy access to the garden; that toilet and hand washing facilities are available nearby; and that shelter from inclement weather is also available. Security may need consideration, particularly if the garden might be vulnerable to vandalism.

Step 2 – Starting the garden from scratch
An experienced organic gardener can advise you on how best to do this. A design should
be agreed upon by the relevant stakeholders. The following should be considered:

• Aspect – south facing is ideal, avoid north facing
• Slope – the site should not be too hilly
• Wind - is protection from the prevailing wind needed?
• Water run-off, drainage etc.
• What do you want in the garden e.g. open vegetable plots, protected growing (polytunnel, greenhouse, cloches, other types of cover), fruit trees (soft and top fruit), compost area, tool shed, wind breaks etc.
• Climate - Macro (the general climate of a large area e.g. the North West of Ireland) and Micro (the climate of a small area e.g. by the south facing wall of a garden etc.)
• Access - the best place for the garden in terms of availability of space, other activities, security, access by people and machinery
• Previous cropping history, weeds, fertility

Step 3 – How’s your soil?
A site with fertile, self-draining, weed-free soil with good structure is ideal but not always possible. Soil can be improved with regular weeding and addition of organic matter (e.g. well-rotted compost) but you should avoid:

• Ground on or near areas of industrial activity that may have dangerous toxins in the soil e.g. chemical wastes
• Areas that have been compacted by heavy machinery or used to dump building rubble (it may be possible to use these areas if imported soil is built up on top of the ground in raised beds)
• Bog, wetlands or any existing area of environmental importance
• Peaty soil: this can be very acidic and may need special treatment
  There are many types of soils and it can be difficult to know what you are looking at e.g. soil type and structure, Ph level etc. Usually soil condition and fertility can be improved through generous addition of organic matter and small amounts of lime and/or calcified seaweed powder. An experienced organic gardener will be able to advise further.

Step 4 - Insurance
The insurance required depends on the activities of the project. Your organisation or the place where the garden is located may already have insurance such as public liability. Talk to your existing insurers about the project to see if you are covered. Any insurance cover should take into account:

• Trainees taking part on the course
• Gardener (with responsibility for the group) and other staff
• Public liability
• Equipment
  

Insurance quotes are usually made on an individual case basis. Contact a reputable insurance company for further information.

Step 5 – Gardening Equipment
Different projects require different equipment. It may be decided that no protected growing is necessary (e.g. polytunnels - this will restrict the variety of crops that can be grown) or that a wind-break is not needed. There must be somewhere to wash tools and to store them. It is essential that a suitably large supply of organic matter (e.g. compost, well-rotted farmyard manure from a nearby organic farm) should be secured for the garden. A water supply is essential for watering plants/seeds, and for washing tools.

Step 6 – Project Participants
First decide who your target group is. This could depend on a number of factors including:

• The needs of people in your area
• The nature of your organisation e.g. you already work with a particular group of people, with particular needs
• Funding: you may be able to obtain particular funding for particular target groups. In 2004 the Organic Centre’s CFP agreed that, in order to meet the criteria in Building Healthier Hearts, participation would particularly be sought from people 'managing a tight budget'.

Step 7 – Find a Gardener
Identifying a suitable gardener to work with groups on CFPs is perhaps the single most important factor in determining the success of the project. CFP gardeners will ideally demonstrate a number of skills sets. While skill and experience in organic gardening is essential it should be complimented by:

• Ability to work with and empathise with diverse participants
• An understanding of group dynamics
• Excellent training and communication skills
• Understanding of participants’ specific needs e.g. in terms of disability, physical aptitude etc
• Awareness and understanding of legislative requirements e.g. health and safety in the workplace, insurance requirements, disability legislation

The gardener is a key person for the project as they have the main contact with participants from week to week.

Step 8 – Plan your gardening programme
Although each programme may differ the following table outlines the content of the training programme. Three sessions a month are accounted for in order to allow for flexibility. Learning points can involve some theory but the teaching should be mainly practical.

TIMESCALE:

• March - October
• Sessions 2-3 hours once a week
• Finish with a harvest meal, celebration, certificate presentation

Step 9 –Funding and Budgets
You may reduce the amount needed by finding alternative ways of providing the same quality of programme (e.g. donations of equipment, other voluntary contributions, using existing resources etc.). As a rule of thumb, projects can start from a few hundred Euros up to €15,000 - €20,000 if you employ a gardener and administrator. A full breakdown of costs is contained within ‘Growing in Confidence – How to Guide’ downloadable from the Organic Centre website or obtainable by phoning the centre.

There are a number of ways to approach funding:

• Get a copy of Café Publications/Clann Credo Irish Fundraising Handbook 5th Edition 2003-2004- I
• Publications, 10/11 Earl Street South, Dublin 8, Tel:01 4736600, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Private contributions: a network of individuals and/or supportive businesses committing to provide a certain amount each to raise the total amount.
• Grant Aid funding: applying to a grant-awarding body for the total, or a proportion of the costs
  
• Phone your local Health Promotion Office for funding advice. Organisations that might help include Local Development Companies, Local Partnerships.

Step 10 – Administrator/Steering Group
These are not essential in starting a CFP. In the case of the Organic Centre’s CFP, HSE funding and support made these facilities viable and have added huge value and benefit to the project outcomes.

Administrator
Manages the project. The job is part-time and can be carried out by existing personnel in an organisation where possible. The Administrator is mainly accountable to the Steering Group although staff procedures already in place may also apply.

Steering Group
This committee oversees the start of the project and subsequent development. Membership should include: participant representatives, gardener(s), administrator, representatives of connected/partnering organisations, appropriate funding representatives, other interested and appropriate individuals. The Steering group usually meets once a month. A chairperson is selected to set the agenda and direct meetings. Minutes should be kept and distributed by the administrator.

The Organic Centre’s CFP, ‘Growing in Confidence’ has produced a ‘‘How to Guide’ for people wishing to set up their own CFP. It is available by phoning the Centre or downloading it from the website www.theorganiccenntre.ie

In collating this article we are grateful to the work of Craig Sands and Donal Conaty in preparing the original ‘How to Guide’ from which this article is drawn.