For readers who may not have seen the recent newsletter from the Arran Pioneer Project:
The shortest day has passed, and as Spring approaches once again, we are underway planning for the 2024 season. As well as supporting the network of community gardens that we have helped to set up around Arran, in the coming year the Pioneer Project will be focussing on starting even more seedlings as well as holding skills workshops around growing food, land management and natural crafts.
We are also planning to run more seasonal events, including on the first weekend of February for Imbolc (keep an eye on our social media for further details – we may also send out an email early in the year).
In November we attended the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament which was held in Fort William, a great opportunity to see the good work that is being done up and down our region, and also reaffirming of the work that is happening on Arran. We continue to work on the Arran Island Plan having held six meetings over the last six months with other organisations and individuals in the Environment Strand, and working together with the Community and Economy Strands to build a sustainable future for our community.
There is plenty to look forward to in 2024: every year sees more food being grown by the variety of groups and individuals in our villages, and as the fruit trees and soft fruit we have planted over the last few years begin to reach maturity. If you want to get involved, please send us an email on arran@pioneerproject.scot
Happy Winter Solstice and ….. Arainn gu brath x
The APP Team
APP Team Update
We are delighted that Zabdi (pictured left) has joined us in the role of APP Island Ranger. Zabdi will job share this role with Simon as we look to further expand our capacity going forward. We would like to thank Nic for everything that she brought to this role through 2022 and 2023. This role is funded until September 2025 by the The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland.
We also welcome no-dig garden enthusiast and software developer Chris (pictured right) to our Board of Directors.
Seed Nursery in Lamlash
As a step towards growing even more food this year, we are planning to run a seed nursery in a beautiful glass greenhouse in Lamlash to which we have kindly been given access. This will be run by our team in order to benefit not only the community gardens that we are working with, but potentially any food gardener on Arran, as we will be giving surplus seeds away in return for an open donation.
Our particular focus will be towards growing heritage and heirloom varieties, and determining which varieties are best suited to Arran’s microclimates and this resource will compliment the work going on around the island.
Arran Community Garden Update
The Corrie Community Garden has now been constituted as a new CIC by the team looking after the garden, and we are excited to follow their progress. Since Summer 2021 the Arran Pioneer Project has helped to establish the garden, working with volunteers to put up a polytunnel and deer fencing, planting fruit trees and a living willow dome, and growing food among other work. If you want to get involved going forward, you can join the Facebook group here.
The Pirnmill Community Garden have held an exhibition at the Arran Library about the history of the garden and transformation over 3 years since work started towards the end of 2020. The display includes details of the diverse plants and wildflowers that have regenerated on the site since it was cleared of thick bracken (by pigs), beautiful hand drawn diagrams of the garden (pictured below) and plenty of photos.
A windfall of seaweed has been blown on to the beach next to the Cordon Community Garden and this has been a boon for building compost. We’ve been bringing it in by the barrowload to top up the no dig beds and make new ones ahead of next season. We had to dismantle the polytunnel plastic and are planning a more resilient option for indoor growing.
At the Cladach Community Garden the group has been making use of sheepswool from a local farmer to cover beds as a natural alternative to plastic covers, as the annual beds are prepared for next season. We also recently pruned back the (award winning) grapevine in the polytunnel.
At the Kilpatrick Community Garden and the Small Orchard at Shiskine NHS Surgery, we are keeping an eye on the fruit trees and soft fruit that have been planted as these spaces will become more productive in the coming years.
At Clauchlands we are also keeping an eye on the apple trees as we hope to further develop this space with the local community and the Arran Outdoor Education Centre.