One of the positive effects of the 2020 craziness is the number of new gardens and farms created to help people access fresh food. The land that became the Food Works Farm was donated to the project by the urban park Green Estate in Sheffield to grow and share food within the local community.
Fran Halsall designed the space and has been running it ever since with the support of a constantly expanding team of volunteers. 2021 brought their first harvests, an impressive 850 kilograms harvested from only 200 square metres of growing space. All the food is used in Food Works’ community kitchens, where nutritious meals are prepared and sold on a pay-as-you-feel basis. Throughout the last two years, their kitchen has supported NHS staff, key workers, and those affected by Covid-19 who couldn’t access healthy meals.
The farm uses intensive cropping and interplanting methods, growing taller and lower plants together. The organisation is highly resourceful, reaching out to local networks to source materials and plants for free where possible. All collected surplus food is destined for use, and anything past the point of human consumption is composted, feeding the soil, the crops, and then the bellies.