Ireland: A farm in the north of the city is going back to basics
“Every street should have its own market garden.”
DÚLRA:
Belfast Media
June 6, 2023
Excerpt:
Conor, from Armagh, did a horticultural course when they came back and instead of pesticides they use methods like complimentary planting, so they have marigolds beside the vegetables that greenfly and other predatory insects will favour. They rented a small plot of land in Crumlin to start their new project. They still have it as well as the produce from their garden.
“This is our third year of growing and our second year of offering vegetable boxes. In Crumlin we can plant vegetables that don’t need as much attention like carrots and cabbages, and in the garden we grow the things that need cut every couple of days, like peas and tomatoes,” Roisin said.
Last year they managed to offer 30 boxes in a subscription scheme, where customers get a box of veg every week from around June to October for an average price of around £15 per box. There’s still space for subscribers – anyone interested can find them by searching for Fresh Picks on Facebook and Instagram.
They just got a polytunnel for the garden where they grow spinach, lettuce, rocket and even pak choi. “We’ve never overwintered stuff before so it’s a bit of a trial,” said Roisin.
