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Training materials (now available)

Urbanag assists in the development of urban agriculture in two ways.

We develop our own initiatives and we work in partnership with others in the development of their projects. The latter is a matter of giving support and advice with whatever ability we can muster until the project’s initiators can operate without that support.  Of course we want to, and generally do, stay in contact with any project we have association with as this is usually mutually beneficial. It is also the case, with a subject as new to many people as urban agriculture – and in a changing world – that new opportunities and challenges constantly influence what is done and how it is done. There’s no such thing as a completed scheme in urban agriculture.

At the moment we are developing two sets of training materials.

We are about to publish a training manual, with the support of lottery funding, which covers what we consider to be the main areas of urban agriculture.  The document will shortly be available and if you would like a copy please email us on sprouts@urbanag.org.uk

Training materials - Accessing local land assets

Training materials - Accessing local land assets

The second package deals specifically with how local groups access land, assuming they are not in a position to simply buy what they need. Both the manuals are aimed at community groups with an assumption that they have limited budgets. This second manual  is supported by Merseyside Community Foundation and is now available. It can also be obtained by emailing us at sprouts@urbanag.org.uk .

We are trialling these materials and can offer to run them for your group or community.  Again, please email us for further details: sprouts@urbanag.org.uk

Our partnership work currently includes discussion with Liverpool based Faiths 4 Change, The Muslim Enterprise Development Service and the international charity The Alliance of Religions and Conservation on issues relating to faith and cultural relationships with food issues and production.

We are also working with Registered Social Landlords and Regeneration bodies to develop projects targeting disadvantaged communities.

On the research side, which we feel is a neglected aspect of urban agriculture, we are working in partnership with research-based bodies to explore the issues of peri-urban farmers and land reform which would make community access more viable.