HORSHADER GROWING PROJECT

CCF-3020 - FINAL REPORT - MARCH 2016

HORSHADER GROWING PROJECT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

HEADLINE FIGURES 4

BACKGROUND 6

CO2E OUTCOMES 8

COMMUNITY OUTCOMES 13

LEARNING AND REFLECTION 13

CONCLUSION 14

APPENDIX 1: CO2E CALCULATIONS 15

CONTENTS

In December 2013 Horshader Community Development (HCD) was awarded £270,354.88 by the Climate Challenge Fund to work in partnership with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) to develop the Horshader Community Growing Project. The Project was proposed to reduce local carbon emissions and meet both community and Local Authority objectives. The Horshader Community Growing Project was the first project to be funded through the innovative CCF ‘Ideas Bank’ developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful as part of its management of the CCF. The Ideas Bank contains eligible CCF project templates submitted by organisations such as Local Authorities that require a local community group partner.

The project was successful in being awarded the prestigious 2014 SURF Award for Best Practice in Community Led Regeneration. Furthermore the project team were invited to participate in the 2014 Sustainable Scotland Network conference under the strand of “Tactical benefits of working with your community: exploring how to deliver change in Partnership” which focussed on motivation and innovation on climate change in the public sector.

The idea for the Growing Project grew out of a community survey and consultation day held by Horshader Community Development Trust in 2013. The project merged the community’s desire for polytunnels; making better use of underused common grazing land; development of a farmers market or vegetable box initiative; and provide opportunities for a healthier lifestyle.

The aim of the project was to save 126.6 tonnes of CO2 as a result of the develop-ment of the Food Growing Project which encompassed the development of 6 polycrubs, 4 of which grow produce for resale to the community and 2 which are available as community allotments, with a solar dome to encourage propagation of seeds. Through the provision and availability of locally grown food there is a reduction in the community’s carbon footprint from less food miles and pack-aging.

The outcomes were:

• Cutting carbon emissions by increased opportunities for purchasing locally grown produce through the develop-ment of polycrubs which would result in a reduction of CO2 emissions by at least 25.35 tonnes CO2E

• Encouraging composting will result in a lifetime saving of 2.37 tonnes CO2E.

• Reduce food waste in the community through a targeted programme of activities and information thereby decreasing emissions by 59.9 tonnes

• Increasing awareness through provision of a monthly information newsletter which will reduce emissions by 19.98 tonnes

• Reducing car usage by members of the community through a programme of activities and through the availability of fresh local produce reducing the

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

frequency of trips to the shops. The target is to make a lifetime saving of 19.02 tonnes.

• Additional community benefits were increased opportunities to socialise through the outreach events, farmers markets and volunteering, rain water harvesting, environmental improve-ments and the creation of two posts.

Given the local climate which is predominantly wet and windy, the community allotments were very popular and successful in providing a covered space for the community to grow in; additionally they provided security against rabbits. However, recording and weighing the yield and wastage was tiresome and it took time to bring about this new way of thinking.

Farmers markets were also very successful and highlighted the volume of demand for fresh local produce. Initially the project tried to supply too much of a variety some of which did not sell and ended up as wastage. Quickly the team understood the buying nature of the local market and began to grow as demand dictated, by decreasing the range and increasing the volume. There continues to be demand throughout the whole year.

In some cases adults who had not considered climate change issues demonstrated a reluctance to embrace change. Although supportive of attending Farmers Markets and buying local, there was a particular reluctance to reduce car usage which could, on

evaluation, be as a result of the geographical location and harsh climate that we live in. Additionally, some of the senior members of the community reported that by using the car they were maintaining their independence.

The promotion of good practice in volunteer management was important to the Project and we were supported by the Volunteer Centre Western Isles who assisted us with securing dedicated volunteer support.

Some reprofiling from budget headings was necessary as there was no contingency element in the budget therefore when our gardener sustained a period of ill health and we had to provide sessional cover, there was a need to reprofile funds from one budget heading to another. However this did not affect the overall spend of the project. Additional funds were secured from CnES and HCD.

Overall, the project was successful in raising awareness and provided a catalyst for changing behaviours and creating innovative partnerships. All of the project outcomes have been achieved; however the savings attained were much lower at CO2E than the target originally set. 18

outreach eventswere held

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Climate change funding enabled us

to engage with

1,896 people

714 visitors to the

Polycrubs

19.5 tonnes CO2E saved from

producing local produce

18 Outreach events

were held

HEADLINE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PROJECT

0.24 tonnes CO2E saved from composting

18.7tonnes CO2E

saved from reducing food waste

16families utilised the community

allotments

13.5tonnes CO2E saved

from reducing car usage

4

380 monthly newsletters

circulated to raise awareness of the

project and its aims

193 members of the

community attended 9 community

farmers markets

816.9kg of food was grown

locally in 288m2 covered area

25 year lease of

common grazing land

35,100 litres of rain water

harvested

158 vegetable boxes delivered to our

community

823hours of

volunteering

5

partnership with the local authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The Project’s aim was to reduce local carbon emissions and meet both community and Local Authority objectives. In December 2013 the Horshader Growing Project was awarded Climate Challenge Fund from Keep Scotland Beautiful, and £50,000 from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in addition to further investment form Horshader Community Development.

The unique partnership was provided through the Comhairle’s Economic Development Regeneration Service and was extremely effective in liaising between Departments within the Council offices, in particular the Planning Service, and being available to offer advice and sign-posting. This has been a fine example of public and private partnership at its best as they truly understood the significant benefit of delivering this project to enable the community to understand the significance of reducing emissions.

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Award winning Horshader Community Development (HCD) was established in December 2004 and grew out of com-munity surveys, public meetings and a wish to address energy issues within the community. HCD are based in the rural crofting township of Shawbost, on the island of Lewis in the North of Scotland and comprises of three villages – South Shawbost, Dalbeag, and Dalmore.

A £2 million community turbine was built to produce an income stream for the villages of South Shawbost, Dalbeag and Dalmore. The turbine produces an income for the community and enables community regeneration projects to be developed and delivered, while empowering the community through the decision making process, together bringing about grass root developments.

The Development Trust is governed by a Board of six voluntary directors and employs a Development Manager to oversee the day to day running of the Trust’s business and to deliver on projects which will improve the quality of life within the Horshader community. Additional staff are recruited as necessary to support the work of the trust.

In 2013, following a door to door survey and community consultation, the Horshader Growing Project was created. Through the CCF ‘Ideas Bank’ developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful as part of its management of the CCF, the Horshader Growing Project entered into an innovative and unique

25 year lease of

common grazing land

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BACKGROUND

The Project was the result of the community’s desire for polytunnels and to make better use of underused common grazing land, there was also a wish for the development of a farmers’ market or vegetable box initiative, all of which would provide opportunities for a healthier lifestyle. A Community Growing interest group was formed and they worked with the Trust to develop this project. A 25 year lease of the land was granted by the Common Grazings Group, who receives an annual rental in return.

The project created jobs with an opportunity for a full time gardener and a part time outreach officer. The project has 4 community growing tunnels and 2 community allotment tunnels. The availability of affordable fruit and vegetables, with opportunities for families in the area to grow their own in the 2 community allotment tunnels, was seen as important. The project also brings social benefits through volunteering, working in the community allotments,

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and through the various outreach events. Although the project is located in the Horshader area the benefits of the project extend to the whole community of the Western Isles. The Polycrubs are manufactured by North Mavine in Shetland and are designed to withstand force 12 gales, they are made from polycarbonate sheeting which is extremely robust and use recycled fish feed tubes. They are the first of their kind on the Island and have attracted much interest from the community and wider public. We provided an opportunity for one person to be trained in erecting the polycrubs and since then they have gone onto form their own business erecting Polycrubs.

Additionally, given the climate, the group felt it was necessary to have an area for propagation, and having carried out research visits to various community gardens, decided on a Geodesic Dome with toughened glass from Solardome, which had proved successful in a neighbouring community.

816.9kg of food was grown

locally in 288m2 covered area

714 visitors to the

Polycrubs

7

as if the pack has improved our health, wealth and household waste over the last couple of months and would urge others to take on the challenge of changing your habits!” the individual benefits of the kits is an example of the difference they can make to family life, through highlighting the levels of waste, and then providing simple solution to help reduce waste, reducing household food waste helps reduce community CO2e.

A good marketing plan ensured that the project, events and opportunities was well promoted. This was achieved through monthly newsletter to all households, libraries and public places, promotional leaflets and fliers. Additionally the project had excellent media and social media coverage.

Climate change funding enabled us to engage with 1896 people throughout the lifetime of the project.

We held a launch event and an open day which were extremely well attended with over 100 present at each event from all over the island. Monthly Farmers Markets were extremely popular, with a box delivery option for those unable to attend. A calendar of monthly outreach events ensured that we were constantly engaging and delivering our message. The most popular being the cookery demonstrations where a visiting chef/cook shared with the public creative ways of cooking with fresh produce and to reduce waste. Overall we had 8 themed cookery demonstrations ranging from local fare to Indian cuisine to Polish and culminating in a big Cook Off between 2 chefs. All of the events focussed on cooking with local produce. Talks from visiting Dietician from NHS Western Isles to promote the benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables, taster exercise sessions, quizzes and question and answer sessions were not as popular. Kitchen Canny delivered a workshop to help us reduce household waste, reduce CO2 emissions and save money. This was well attended and everyone present received a Kitchen Canny Kit with the remainder of the community receiving their kit from the Outreach officer. One of our young mums kept a blog which clearly showed the benefit to her family “I really feel

Climate change funding enabled us

to engage with

1,896 people

8

CO2 OUTCOMES

The polycrubs attracted an amazing 714 visitors. Over the life of the project the polycrub site has been a destination for many interested groups and individuals including; school classes, nursery class, college class, other development groups, local gardening groups and daily visitors, touring the site and learning about the project. To have such high levels of engagement from the local community as well as across the island provided fantastic opportunities to share the aims of the project with a wider audience and to encourage others who desire to replicate a similar project in their community.

16 allotment users – over the two years of the project we have been able to offer allotment space to 16 people, providing a space to grow in but also a social space to relax and meet new people. This social aspect has been very important for particular individuals who have faced struggles in their personal lives. The relaxing environment has been of particular help to them. We are proud to be able to offer these allotment spaces as a means of reducing social isolation and demand for allotment space has exceeded our current capacity, with a waiting list of people interested in snapping up an available plot for themselves. Cutting carbon emissions by increased opportunities for purchasing locally grown organic fruit and vegetables at the polycrubs resulted in a lifetime saving of CO2 emissions by 19.5 tonnes.

A community survey informed the Gardeners growing plan. Suggestions for potatoes, root vegetables, strawberries, tomatoes and salads, peppers were among some of the suggestions. 816.8kg of food was grown locally and distributed locally which resulted in a lifetime carbon saving of 19.5 tonnes.

The lengthened growing season offered by the polycrubs ensured that we were able to provide produce for a longer period of time. Unfortunately the Local Authority would not permit us to sell from the polytunnel site, therefore the community requested we sold through a Farmers Market event. They were usually held once a month from April onwards and were very well attended however, nature didn’t always comply with the dates forecasted for yield, which was disappointing regarding the availability of stock, and sometimes resulted in a glut of tomatoes or strawberries having to be sold out with the planned market times.

In the first year of the project we found that some vegetables and fruits were more popular than others, we took this into consideration when making our growing plan for the second year, growing more of what the community purchased rather than what they requested. We have seen a rise in the number of people that now buy more local produce than before.

16families utilised the community

allotments

158 vegetable boxes delivered to our

community

9

The project team trialled a vegetable box scheme and found it to be popular with the community, however, due to the growing space available it was impossible to meet expectations. Another problem which the team encountered while trialling this option was that due to lack of refrigeration, fresh produce wilted more quickly than shop bought produce and staff quickly realised that the time from harvesting to delivery had to be shortened.

The team quickly discovered that it was also necessary to have an outlet for any unsold produce which would ensure that there was maximum community benefit and this was achieved through a working relationship with a local hotelier and restaurant.

The project also had an interesting request from a local crofter to ask whether we were able to supply additional vegetables for his cattle.

The aim was to encourage composting which would bring about a lifetime saving of 2.37tonnes CO2E however, only 0.053tCO2e was recorded from project growth.

Through the growing and harvesting of produce, we had large volumes of natural waste plants which we composted to add nutrients back into the soil. A composting workshop was held in October 2014 with representatives from Zero Waste Western Isles. Unfortunately the weather was exceptionally poor and attendance was very low, however it was valuable for the team in order to share the information with any interested members of the community.

A community survey showed that although members of the community do not compost directly, they do indirectly by means of the composting bins provided by the local authority, which is uplifted for composting at the recycling centre in Stornoway. Therefore it would have shown an untrue value if we had included this in our calculations.

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0.24 tonnes CO2E saved from composting

380 monthly newsletters

circulated to raise awareness of the

project and its aims

10

This project saved 18.7 tonnes CO2E from reducing food waste. The baseline figure for an average household was taken as 330kg food waste, with an estimated 25% reduction reported by our sample group who represented a cross section of our community.

There are two main reasons why we throw away good food: we cook or prepare too much or we don’t use it in time. Therefore throughout this project we have increased awareness about portion control and meal planning which has been delivered through cookery workshops and Kitchen Canny workshops in addition to talks from a nutritionist.

Feedback suggests that the Kitchen Canny kits provided valuable information however few fully utilised the bags as a tool for recording waste. Anecdotal evidence suggests certain sections of the community already made conscious efforts to reduce food waste especially families and older people.

Although the average household may throw away surplus food from the dinner table, there is evidence to suggest that some is diverted from landfill due to being fed to the family dog, cat, hens, sheep etc.

The project team ensured that the message was constantly at the forefront of people’s minds through a monthly information newsletter which further reduced emissions by 19.98 tonnes. 380 were distributed over the lifetime of the project

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4.50tCO2e has been saved as a reduction in car miles by providing fresh produce locally, thereby avoiding food miles and additional mileage to the shops. This gives an actual lifetime saving of 13.5tCO2e. This figure includes members of the community who attended our farmer’s markets, those who ordered from the veg box scheme, and those who opted to pick their own fruit and vegetables on ad hoc basis. In our remote setting we have found that changing attitudes to car use difficult to change. Car use is necessary for many to commute to work or attend appointments and is frequently equated with in-dependence. There was little interest in a car sharing scheme within our community.

We decided to tackle the CO2e reduction by improving fuel efficiency, by offering training to help individuals make small changes to driving behaviour, improving their millions per gallon and therefore reducing their

13.5 tonnes CO2E saved

from reducing car usage

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months we found that our water use often exceeded our collection capacity, with the alternative option of using mains water available to supplement the rain water system.

The project attracted 30 volunteers who gave a combined 823hrs hours to the project. The promotion of good practice in volunteer management was important to the Project and we were supported by the Volunteer Centre Western Isles who assisted us with securing dedicated volunteer support. We are hugely grateful for the help and support we had from volunteers. We had a mix of skills and knowledge from the novice to the expert and different levels of commitment from a few irregular hours to weekly commit-ments to the project work. Diligent volun-teers offering their time, efforts and advice to the project have been one of the contributors to the success of the project.

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CO2e. The training is offered free of charge by the Energy Saving Trust, and training is provided through DriveSense, a 50-minute practical driving session with an instructor who would advise drivers on small changes to driving techniques that result in big emission savings. The training focussed on fuel efficiency and, the trainer offers advice on how to change driving habits that would result in improved fuel efficiency. Over the three days of training 18 members of the community took part in fuel efficiency training, everyone making significant improvements on their miles per gallon readings during the sessions. The training resulted in an average miles per gallon increase of 9.3 miles, with one individual improving their MPG by 15 miles. Research has shown that by maintaining the increased MPG and fuel efficient driving style could result in a £200-a-year individual saving.

35100L – Litres of Rainwater harvested volume of rainwater harvested and used in polycrubs over the project lifetime. The benefits of using fresh rainwater over mains water for plant growth are well known, fresh rainwater contains minerals which are great for encouraging growth. Collecting rain water was an important part in the project growing cycle, we utilised the polycrubs themselves by collecting the rain water that ran off the tunnels and collecting it all in a tank. From which it could then be pumped either directly into the tunnels or into water butts for more intermittent use. During the warmer summer

19.5 tonnes CO2E saved from

producing local produce

12

Throughout this project it is clear that there have been increased opportunities for participation through physical activity and social interaction, which is beneficial to our wellbeing. The effect of working with nature, alongside others in an allotment has been reported as being both rewarding and a sanctuary to be enjoyed. It has enabled new relationships to be forged, and provided employment opportunities.

The community’s request to make better use of under used croft land or common grazing land has been met and the project pays an annual rental fee back to the shareholders of the land.

The Farmers Markets provide an opportunity to access fresh local produce at affordable prices, which is health enhancing, additionally though it provides opportunities to socialise and meet others. Through the regular monthly outreach activities and events there were opportunities for social interaction and community involvement. Sharing of skills and experience was encouraged.

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35,100 litres of rain water

harvested

COMMUNITY OUTCOMES LEARNING AND REFLECTION

We encountered difficulties when our Gardener went on sick leave throughout the growing season as we did not have a contingency budget on which to draw on. This was a situation that we could not have anticipated. Luckily, we had an under spend in another budget and were able to draw on these resources.

Ventilation in the polycrubs proved to be problematic and during the summer months and we relied heavily on volunteers over the weekends to water and ventilate the tunnels. A reliable team of volunteers is necessary to ensure the success of the project.

Vermin were also a problem and this resulted in additional expense for the project as we did not have a contingency budget on which to draw on and could not have foreseen this problem.

We also learnt that any changes in behaviour takes time to be adopted and therefore although our overall target was not met, we are greatly encouraged with the community’s engagement with the project and new thinking and behaviours that have resulted.

823hours of

volunteering

13

CONCLUSION

In summary the project has been beneficial to the local community by providing opportunities for employment and volunteering, availability of fresh produce and the regular outreach events, whilst reducing the carbon footprint. Allotment users and volunteers have reported the benefit of friendship, social support and information sharing as being equally important to the actual growing activity.

The report supports the involvement of the Local Authority in this community project through the innovate Ideas Bank and would encourage any future plans to ensure that similar developments are assisted in this way.

The recent partnership with the school has been encouraging and we hope the outdoor/indoor learning opportunity has been inspirational for the children.

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193 members of the

community attended 9 community

farmers markets

The project team will draw on lessons learnt regarding recording and monitoring of data and gathering of evidence and incorporate into future planning.

All proceeds from the sales of the produce is invested back into the project. However, without external funding and additional financial support from Horshader Community Development, this project would not be financially viable.

In conclusion it is fair to say that community growing projects reconnect people with nature and promote local action on global environmental issues through organic methods of food production, while social opportunities can strengthen communities, promote integration and inclusion. All of which support the delivery of government agendas relating to climate change, health, education and community re-generation.

18.7 tonnes CO2E

saved from reducing food waste

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APPENDIX 1 – CO2E CALCULATIONS

Food Production Total production 816.9kg

Baseline = 816.9kg food produced x 2.09 kgCO2e average emission factor for purchased fruit & vegetables = 1707.3kgCO2e

Scenario = 816.9kg food produced x 0.54kgCO2e average emission factor for allotment grown fruit and vegetables = 441.2kg CO2e

Emission saving = 1707.3kgCO2e baseline – 441.2kgCO2e scenario = 1266.1kgCO2e

Tonnes saving = 1266.1kgCO2e ÷1000= 1.3tCO2e Actual lifetime saving = 1.3tCO2e x 15 years = 19.5tCO2e

Reduction in car use – miles saved 11,970

Baseline = 13,004 miles to nearest supermarket x 0.376004kgCO2ee average car medium fuel unknown = 4,889.6kgCO2e

Scenario = 1034 miles travelled to buy from growing project x 0.376004kgCO2ee average car medium fuel unknown = 388.8kgCO2e Emission saving = 4,889.6kgCO2e baseline – 388.8kgCO2e scenario = 4500.8kgCO2e Tonnes saving = 4500.8kgCO2e ÷ 1000 = 4.5tCO2e

Actual lifetime saving = 4.5tCO2e x 3 years = 13.5tCO2e

Reduction in food waste

Baseline = 330kg food waste x 3.59kgCO2e embodied emissions for typical food waste + 0.45 kgCO2e emissions from landfilling food waste x 70 Households = 93324 kgCO2e

25% reduction due to project works

Scenario= 264kg food waste x 3.59kgCO2e embodied emissions for typical food waste + 0.45 kgCO2e

emissions from landfilling food waste x 70 Households = 74,659.2kgCO2e

Emission saving = 93,324kgCO2e baseline – 74,659.2kgCO2e scenario = 18,664.8kgCO2e

Tonnes saving = 18,664.8kg ÷ 1000 = 18.7tCO2e

Newsletter emission savings – food waste

Baseline = 330kg food waste x 3.59kgCO2e embodied emissions for typical food waste + 0.45 kgCO2e emissions from landfilling food waste x 70 Households = 93324 kgCO2e

5% reduction from newsletter

Scenario = 313.5 food waste x 3.59kgCO2e embodied emissions for typical food waste + 0.45 kgCO2e emissions from landfilling food waste x 70 Households = 88657.8 kgCO2e

Kg Saving = 93324 kgCO2e – 88657.8 kgCO2e = 4666.2 kgCO2e

Tonnes saving = 4666.2kgCO2e saving ÷ 1000= 4.7 tCO2e

Actual Lifetime saving = 4.7tCO2e x 2 years = 9.4tCO2e

Compost Baseline = 363kg waste composted x 0.45kgCO2e emissions from landfilling food waste = 163.4kgCO2e

Scenario= 363kg waste composted x 0.1kgCO2e emissions from composting food = 36.3kgCO2e

Kg saving = 163.4kgCO2e baseline – 36.3kgCO2e scenario = 127.1kgCO2e Tonnes saving = 127.1kgCO2e ÷ 1000 = 0.12tCO2e

Actual lifetime saving = 0.12tCO2e x 2 years = 0.24tCO2e

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HORSHADER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Raebhat House, Shawbost, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, HS2 9BD

Email: horshader@btinternet.comTel: 01851701225

www.horshader.com HorshaderGrowing

SCO41092