Last year, Maarten from our hardworking warehouse team started to volunteer at a CIC just round the corner from Greencity HQ called the Wash House Garden.
He told us about some of the cool things that are going on there, and their mission to reconnect people of Glasgow to the land on which they live.
We could hardly refuse when he requested to be considered for our monthly donation!
Maarten and the team have answered our 6 questions so we can all learn a bit more about what goes on round there...
1. Tell us how it all got started at the Wash House Garden?
The Wash House Garden CIC was born out of desire to grow food in a sustainable and community orientated way. Since founding in 2021, we have cultivated and transformed a wee half-acre in Parkhead, in Glasgow’s East End, into a thriving market and community garden. We grow crops, run workshops, and most importantly - connect people through the growing (and consuming!) of quality food.
2. Can you tell us a little more about what will be done with the food donation provided by Greencity?
This donation will be used to help us cater our monthly Community Banquets. Following our Saturday morning volunteer session, we’ll host a feast for our community, bringing in existing volunteers and new faces to enjoy the bounty of the garden. In partnership with Kin Kitchen, we’ll harvest from the garden and utilise ingredients from Greencity, to prepare a nutritious, and hopefully delicious, meal for the people of Glasgow.
3. What other interesting things are going on at Wash House Community Garden CIC?
We run a weekly LGBTQ+ gardening session every Thursday, and are delighted to have just secured another two years of funding to run our popular Friday Community Sessions. This year we’ll be focusing on running themed clubs in Herbalism, Aquaculture and Beekeeping! We also launched our monthly Saturday volunteering sessions this month, running every second Saturday of the month, these provide people who can’t make it during the week, an opportunity to enjoy the garden.
4. Tell us a bit more about any other things you do to support the people of Glasgow
As well as our volunteering opportunities and workshops, we also donate produce to local organisations, such as food pantrys, nurseries and community organisations.
5. Is there anything members of the public can do to help support your organization
We have a variety of volunteering opportunities that can hopefully suit a variety of interests. We also welcome donations. And we have spots available on our Veg-Box scheme.
6. If you could invite 6 people, living or dead, to one of your community meals, who would you invite and why?
Miguel Altieri. A scientist in agroecology who played part in Cuba's ‘organic revolution’.
Uncle Abdulla Ocalan. A revolutionary from Kurdistan, the birthplace of Eurasian farming.
Emma Goldman Leah Panniman, from Soulfire Farm, one of the Raasay Raiders.
Vivian Sansour, a Palestinian seed saver.
We could also do with some translators, to get some chat going about organic cropping systems, food, land access and how agricultural systems and social struggle relate.
And to get some chat about how we could better do things withinin our communities from week to week.
Thanks so much to Maarten and the team at Wash House CIC for taking the time to answer our questions. All the best for the future community banquets!
