The roots of change are taking hold in Redruth as two key community growing organisations gear up to move to the next stage of their development. Both the Incredible Edible Redruth project and the town’s Community Supported Agriculture scheme, Grassroots Garden, are preparing to expand and are appealing for volunteers and businesses to get involved.
Meet the Grower: Dan Sargison
Playing a key role in both schemes is grower Dan Sargison. He started Grassroots Garden at Radnor, just outside Redruth, in 2021 after the pandemic led him to put his long-held beliefs about the importance of local food production into action.
“I’d been working towards it for 10 years, but during Covid, things fell apart with work. I’d been dragging my heels about doing this, and I realised that people were emptying supermarket shelves because they were scared they would run out of things. My worries about food security suddenly became real, so I decided to do something about it rather than just getting angry,” he said.
Growing a Resilient Food System
Using ‘no-dig’ growing methods, he started producing chemical-free vegetables with the aim of creating a resilient food system for the community—one that would connect people with how their food is grown. Alongside Dan, Grassroots Garden consists of two other directors, two part-time growers, and volunteers who now supply 25 weekly shares using the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. While the scheme buys in vegetables during the “hungry gap,” it produces as much as possible on-site year-round.
Expanding Grassroots Garden
Currently, only two-thirds of an acre of the 2.5-acre site is used for growing, but Dan is keen to bring more land into production to cultivate perennials and establish a forest garden. Clearance work has already begun on overgrown areas, thanks to Grassroots’ newest arrivals—Doug and Bella, the Tamworth pigs. Initially, they will be used to clear brambles and other undergrowth, but they could also help Dan broaden the CSA’s offerings to include ethically reared meat.
This is just one way Dan envisions expanding Grassroots. He would also like to grow mushrooms and sell preserves. He hopes to install a dedicated kitchen area to process produce on-site and to launch innovative community initiatives, such as a meals-on-wheels-type project supplying nutritious, locally grown food to elderly residents. While these are aspirations rather than concrete plans, Dan is clearly on a mission and excited about the future. One definite goal is to increase the number of shares to 50 by the end of 2025, with hopes of further growth beyond that.
How to Get Involved with Grassroots Garden
To support these expansion plans, Dan is looking for more customers interested in receiving a weekly veg box filled with chemical-free, locally grown produce. He is also working to establish a co-operative of like-minded individuals who want to be involved in Grassroots Garden’s vision. Ideally, he hopes to co-create the working basis of this co-operative with its members and is eager to hear from anyone interested. This could operate on a revenue-share basis, and there may also be opportunities for growing space at the Grassroots site. In addition, helpers are always needed at the weekly volunteer day every Thursday.
Incredible Edible Redruth: Growing Food in Public Spaces
Dan is also involved with the Incredible Edible Redruth project, part of a nationwide grassroots movement encouraging communities to grow food in public spaces to promote sustainability, local food production, and community spirit. Alongside Grassroots Garden, the project brings together organisations such as Resilient Orchards Cornwall CIC, Food Troops CIC, Cormac, Redruth Town Council and various food activists.
Bringing Edible Planters to the High Street
After months of work on the scheme, the first of several wooden planters is about to be installed on the high street. With help from volunteers and local businesses, these planters will be filled with compost and seedlings—including salads, chard, kale, and mangetout peas—to create a vibrant display that will also provide free food for the local community.
“A lot of people think food only comes from supermarkets, but if we’re going to have a resilient food system, we need to get people switched on to projects like this—where they can see where and how food is grown. Hopefully, this will help make that change and connect us in the process,” said Dan.
Support Incredible Edible Redruth
Incredible Edible Redruth is now seeking members of the community to help realise its aim of installing planters throughout the town. Businesses interested in sponsoring a planter outside their premises, growers willing to donate plants, and artists, tradespeople, and volunteers keen to contribute are all encouraged to get involved.
Get Involved
To get involved with either Grassroots Garden or Incredible Edible Redruth, email Dan at [email protected].