Sustainable Food Cornwall has recruited a community growing development worker to lead its Joining the Dots for Nature project.
Sophie Bailey is working with 15 different community growing schemes across Cornwall to help them improve the soil and enhance biodiversity on their plots.
All the earmarked sites are in or near the Cornwall National Landscape (formerly AONB – Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The three-month funding pot comes from DEFRA, via the Farming in Protected Landscapes’ (FiPL) programme that’s managed by the Cornwall National Landscape team.
Sophie is currently the community grower at Nourish Kernow CIC in Camelford, north Cornwall, and has a background in environmental project and programme coordination. She’s also a qualified mindfulness teacher.
In her new role she will be arranging soil and habitat surveys as well as introducing ‘habitat interventions’ to improve and preserve biological diversity on the 15 growing sites.
Symbiosis Soil Lab is leading on the soil surveys, using Dr Elaine Ingham’s Soil Food Web methods to help growers improve their soil microbiology. It will be working on chemical and carbon analysis in the Eden Project‘s cutting-edge new ecology laboratories set up in partnership with Cornwall College at the end of last year.
Cornwall Environmental Consultants, the consultancy arm of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, is conducting the habitat surveys alongside the trust’s farm advice team.
As the Joining the Dots for Nature project develops, Sophie will also be providing support for Cornwall’s rapidly-expanding community growing network.
Sustainable Food Cornwall wants to enable all community growers to get expert advice on integrated pest management, and soil and habitat improvement. This will help them share their learning with other growers, their own volunteers and their local communities.