Community Growing Project

Community growing is a becoming a popular way to volunteer and feed your family.

PCAP has secured funding to provide Community Growing spaces across the Pewsey Community Area.

Are you are interested in growing your own veg but don’t know where to start?

Have thought about taking on an allotment but are worried about how much work it will be and whether it would be too much for you?

Do you want to know a bit more about how to grow your own veg but lack the time or want a shared experience?

We can now offer you a chance to work with us on a site with a competent Gardener to show you how to go about it in an organic way.

As of June 2026, PCAP can now announce that we have successfully acquired two small sites for our community growing project and we would like to thank all those who have assisted in this process for helping us get this far.

We are currently in the middle of beginning to plant up these sites.

Those who volunteer with us regularly will have the opportunity to take home produce from the sites We invite anyone who is curious to contact us for a short introductory session

This is all new, so we are working out schedules as we go. Any surplus veg that we have, will be made up into veg boxes and provided to those in our community who are most in need.

So if you want to find out if you have a green thumb, please contact us by text on 07467 391 809 using 'Comm Grow' so we know the context. All visits to the growing locations will be by appointment only as we need to manage numbers. The sites in place at the time of writing are in Pewsey and Rushall, but we are keen to work right across the Vale and with other similar existing projects.

We are working on acquiring another larger site for next year - the more volunteers we have the less onerous the task for everyone. In this case many hands can make light work and benefit everyone.

Dawn Wilson

Chair PCAP

August Update 2026

The hot days have ended thank goodness. Now with some rain we are hoping to extend the growing season. To date we have supplied 45 veg boxes to people who would have struggled to afford it or grow their own. Each box arrives with a leaflet and some ideas on what to do with the contents.

Your Food Box News — This Month

Everything in your box this was grown right here in the Vale, by hand, without chemicals, by a community of volunteers who believe good food should reach everyone — not just those who can afford it. Thank you for being part of that. Here's what we've been up to.

IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK

Potatoes · carrots · courgettes · beetroot · apples · patty pan white squash · dwarf French beans · runner beans · green peppers · a sprig of rosemary · Welsh onions — plus whatever surprised us by ripening early!

WHAT WE'RE SOWING THIS WEEK

Swiss chard, spinach, Welsh onions, beetroot, curly kale, amaranth, turnip, pak choi and Lollo Rosso lettuce are all going into the ground now — so keep an eye out for these in your box in the weeks to come.

QUICK, CHEAP & EASY THIS WEEK

One-Pan Rosemary Roast

Chop potatoes, carrots, beetroot and squash into even chunks. Toss with a splash of oil, the rosemary (leaves stripped and chopped) and a sliced Welsh onion. Roast at 200°C for 35–40 minutes, turning once. A filling meal on its own, or a base for whatever else is in the cupboard.

Five-Minute Courgette & Bean Fry

Slice courgette, green pepper, and both types of beans thinly. Fry hard and fast in a splash of oil for 4–5 minutes until just tender — still with some bite. Season well. Good on toast, with rice, or stirred through pasta.

Raw Apple & Beetroot Slaw

Grate a raw beetroot and an apple together, add a squeeze of anything sharp you have (vinegar, lemon, even orange juice) and a pinch of salt. No cooking needed — ready in minutes, and keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge.

HELP US GROW

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped get this project off the ground — none of this happens without you. Our funding runs out at the end of October, and we need your help to keep these boxes coming. Whether you're receiving a box or just want to get involved, please join us: spread the word to friends, neighbours, even random people at the bus stop! Donations are always welcome, but so is a spot of watering, weeding or seed sowing. You can Sponsor a Bed, or Sponsor a Vegetable — including some lovely heirloom varieties — for a small fee, or whatever you can afford. Every contribution, large or small, keeps this project going.

A better future starts here.

Ask a volunteer, or find us at the growing site, email us at PCAP@hotmail.co.uk to get involved.

September Update 2026

COMPASSIONATE GROWING

Compassion starts with a seed

So far we have supplied 45 veg boxes to people who would have struggled to access to fresh organically grown veg due to a lack of a growing space, mobility issues, illness or lack of funds.

YOUR FOOD BOX NEWS
This Week — 3rd September 2026

Everything in your box this week was grown with care — most of it on our own allotment, using organic and permaculture
principles and without chemicals, with the rest coming to us as surplus from other kind, local growers. However it got here,
thank you for being part of a community that believes good food should reach everyone — not just those who can afford it.
Here's what we've been up to.

IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK
Apples · sweetcorn · carrots · Lollo Rosso lettuce · potatoes · courgette · green peppers · a mix of beans (several varieties)
· and a small squash — plus whatever surprised us by ripening early!

DOWN AT THE ALLOTMENT
The change in weather has given our world a whole new lease of life. Several days of rain have brought a fresh vibrancy to
our sparsely watered crops — we've a new flush of beans, and more flowers coming through, which is great news. Our
lettuce, turnips, radish and Swiss chard have all emerged and are looking healthy and happy. The sweetcorn will soon be
ready to harvest, and the peppers have put on real weight compared to previous weeks. Our brassicas are seeing less attack
from cabbage white butterflies, though the courgette leaves are looking a little tired. Our sunflowers and calendula are
flowering nicely, even though they went in so late — we only took on the allotment in mid-June, and within four weeks we
were already producing food.
Our one casualty has been the heirloom tomatoes, which are struggling with all the rain — the flesh is swelling faster than
the skin can keep up, so they're splitting. Because of this, we may sometimes put out tomatoes that are still green for you to
ripen at home: just pop them in a paper bag with a ripe apple or banana to speed things along.
Other news: we've also had a muntjac deer and a hedgehog visit the plot this week!

WHAT WE'VE PLANTED THIS WEEK
Charlotte potatoes and vetch (a green manure) are going in this week — the vetch will help feed and protect the soil ready
for next year.

THIS WEEK'S SOW & HARVEST SPOTLIGHT
Sow: Charlotte Potatoes
A British salad variety bred in the 1980s, prized for its firm, waxy flesh. Plant seed potatoes about 12cm deep and 30cm
apart, and earth up the soil around the shoots as they appear to protect them from frost and light.
Harvest: Sweetcorn
Originally domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mexico over 9,000 years ago. It's ready to harvest when the tassels turn
brown and a squeezed kernel releases a milky liquid — twist the cob downward to snap it cleanly off the stalk.

WHY WE GROW HEIRLOOM & HERITAGE VARIETIES
Wherever we can, we choose to grow heirloom and heritage varieties — the old, open-pollinated types passed down
through generations, rather than the modern hybrids bred for supermarket shelves. They tend to have more character: richer
flavours, curious shapes, and colours you won't find in the shops. Because we can save their seed year on year, we're not
reliant on buying in new seed each season, and growing them helps keep that diversity alive for the future, rather than
letting it disappear in favour of a handful of commercial varieties.
We tend to avoid F1 hybrid varieties for practical reasons rather than anything else. F1 seed comes from crossing two
particular parent plants, and while the resulting crop can be excellent, the seed it produces won't grow true to type — so
you can't save it and expect the same vegetable next year. Some modern varieties are also protected by plant breeders'
rights or licensing agreements, which can restrict who is allowed to save, share or sell their seed. Heirloom seed carries
none of those restrictions — it's free to be saved, shared, gifted and passed on, which fits nicely with what this project is all
about. Since one of our aims is to help people learn to grow, save seed, and become more self-sufficient, we prefer
varieties that let us do exactly that, season after season.

QUICK, CHEAP & EASY RECIPE THIS WEEK
Sweetcorn & Courgette Fritters
Grate the courgette and squeeze out any excess water. Mix with sweetcorn kernels (cut straight off the cob), a couple of
spoonfuls of flour, a handful of grated cheese (cheddar, vegan, or whatever you have), and an egg if you have one to bind it
— season well. Fry spoonfuls in a little oil for 2–3 minutes each side until golden. Good with a dollop of yoghurt, or
alongside jacket potatoes.

TWITCHERS' CORNER — BIRDS SPOTTED THIS WEEK

Keep your eyes and ears open at the allotment — this week our volunteers spotted:
Rook · Rock pigeon · Tree sparrow · Robin · Red kite · Buzzard · Goldfinch · Long-tailed tit · Pied wagtail · Blackbird · Song
thrush · Chaffinch · Magpie · Jay · House martin · Greenfinch · Barn owl

HELP US GROW
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped get this project off the ground — none of this happens
without you. As we move further into autumn, we'd very much welcome any support you can offer. Passing on our
message helps others find their way to a box too, so please spread the word — and if you're able, do think about donating
your time, spare produce, tools, or sponsorship.
Examples:
• £1 contributes to a packet of seeds that could grow a hundred plants!
• £2 could buy a packet of chilli powder to help protect our brassicas
• £5 could contribute to a packet of printing paper for these and other much needed leaflets
• £10 could buy us 2 bags of compost.
...or more if you can afford it. It could be a one-off donation, or a weekly, monthly, or annual donation. Contact us to find out how.
This makes a real difference to real people's lives.
Thank you for caring and sharing.

A BETTER FUTURE STARTS HERE

LEARN TO GROW YOUR OWN
“You can give a person a fish, and feed them for a day, or you can teach them to fish and feed them for a lifetime!” Well,
the same goes for fruit and vegetables — and we can help teach you to grow your own!

If you're interested in learning about growing food, why not come along to one of our Masterclasses and get hot tips on
growing for a sustainable future? We'll be running regular courses to help you support yourselves and your loved ones.
Watch this GROWING space for upcoming events!
Contact us by email at: pcap@hotmail.co.uk