It’s ironic that for a market town surrounded by miles of rural farmland, much of Lewes is notoriously short on growing space. Naturally this doesn’t stop Lewesians from using every pot, colander and bucket they can scavenge to grow a few tomatoes or courgettes and even neglected public spaces aren’t immune – have you seen the drinking fountain outside St Thomas Church at the bottom of Cliffe High Street lately?
Sadly with the lengthy waiting list for allotments meaning that by the time you get some proper growing space you’re more likely to be needing that orthopaedic kneeler advertised in the Sunday supplements, Common Cause provide an inspired and welcome alternative.
Common Cause Co-operative was set up in Lewes in 1991, its aims are to ‘promote community development that is co-operative, supports the local economy, and is environmentally sustainable’. As part of this remit they’re working hard to support sustainable farming, facilitate wider access to local foods, and encourage more direct involvement in growing food. They’re an inventively prolific organisation and count among their success stories the Lewes Farmer’s Market, the Ashurst Organics veg-box delivery scheme, Sussex Organic Link, composting workshops, booklets, books, games … even a pedal-powered blender, built from bicycles on which children make fruit smoothies at fetes and healthy-eating events.
They’re also the organisers of Pickled, one of the great OctoberFeast events taking place on Sunday 10th October at The Market Tower, which will see the town’s first official crop swap, talks and workshops, stalls, and a King of Ketchup competition.
Those wanting some grow-your-own action will be interested in The Lewes Organic Allotment (set up in 2004) and the Community Orchard in Ringmer. The latter, started in 2006, grows varieties of apples, pears and plums for Lewesians to harvest and take home (membership is limited depending on the size of the harvest.)
Topsy Jewell, one of the Common Cause organisers, is enthusiastic about their most recent harvest: ‘I had a share of the first harvest of ‘Scrumptious’ apples from the Ringmer Community Orchard this week. Scrumptious is a beautiful, rosy red apple, very sweet and crisp – ideal for children. It is a new early ripening variety bred by an English apple enthusiast, Hugh Ermen, in the 1980s, but not commercially grown so not available in shops.’ You can join in harvesting later varieties on the 23rd and 30th Sept.
Their next project is a Growing Workshop on Saturday 25th September at the Highdown Allotments (near Nevill), described as an introduction to basic vegetable, fruit, herb and edible flower growing and covering Autumnal tasks: preparing the ground for winter, green manures, winter crops, new beds.
Lament the Lewes garden no longer, collaborate and join the common cause.
For more details and to book a place on the Growing Workshop, contact: 01273 476029/470900, email sarah[at]commoncause.org.uk, or go to www.commoncause.org.uk.
