Your green promises:
Walk to school twice a week, Katie Doben, Winchester  >>  Buy food locally to cut down on carbon emissions, Ali Baylis  >>  Walk home from school, Rachel Carver, Winchester  >>  Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, Georgie Cave  >>  Turn lights off when I leave a room, Poppy De Groot  >>  Recycle everything that should go in the recycle bin, Catriona Brown, Hampshire  >>  Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, Alice C  >>  Cycle to work once a week, Jessie Baker  >>  Turn lights off when I leave a room, Mona Freidin, New York  >>  Recycle my household waste, Madeleine, Winchester  >>  Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, Johnny  >>  Take showers instead of baths. Nevet Basker, Bellevue, WA, USA  >>  Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Sharon Goldstein, Northwood  >>  Signed up to a renewable energy provider (Good Energy) and encouraging our visitors and members to do likewise, Moishe House London  >>  Reject opportunities to see the world, when that means taking a plane, Jeremy, London  >>  Dedicated to leading the way in environmental efforts through local & vegetarian catering, zero waste & reducing carbon emissions by 10% in 2010, Tzedek, London  >>  Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Lisa, London  >>  Find something to make with every item in my organic vegetable box, Penny Kustow, Rickmansworth  >>  Not use the car for short journeys, Jon, Damascus  >>  I will not leave the tap running while brushing my teeth, Lucy Freeman, 7  >>  I will buy more vegetables from the farmers market, Ben, Stanmore  >>  I will join the 10:10 Campaign, Naomi, 28  >>  I will turn off my laptop when I am not using it, Dave, 25, Golders Green  >>  I will recycle my paper and plastics, Jo, 46  >>  I will reduce the temperature of my washing machine cycles, Evelyn, 35  >>  
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Alexei Charkham

My name is Alexei Charkham. I am 36 years’ old and live in north-west London with my wife Gaby and our two daughters Vita and Bea. Gaby and I both work part time as teachers; I try to spend as much of my spare time as possible on my allotment, round the corner from our house. 

I have had an allotment since 2006 and now have three half plots, totalling about a third of an acre. I grow lots of fruit and veg, have several greenhouses (some freecycled ‘proper’ ones, and others which I’ve thrown together using old window frames and salvaged timber) and am constantly undertaking somewhat unnecessary, exhausting and relationship-straining projects either on the allotment or in our garden.

 

Growing your own

Throughout the Jewish community there are a multitude of ‘green spaces’ that are currently being underutilised. These spaces are in synagogues, schools, and the premises of communal organisations. The Big Green Jewish Website is working with communal organisations to develop these green spaces, turning them into ‘allotments’ that can be used to educate members of the community on the importance of sustainable living, in addition to giving people the practical skills needed to live more sustainably in their daily lives. 
 
There are already several pilot projects at the London School of Jewish Studies, the Union of Jewish Students and Northwest London Jewish Day School which are reaching several hundred people in the community. 
 
The Big Green Jewish Website is encouraging schools, youth movements, synagogues, communal organisation and individuals to set up their own allotment/green space as part of the UK Jewish Environment campaign. 
 
There is funding out there for these types of projects. If you are interested in this project please email: info@biggreenjewish.org

Getting started

What you need 

• A Green Team – someone or a few people committed to the project.  
• Unused or reclaimed land (can be any size)
• A shed/storage space for tools and shelter
• Willingness to contribute time to setting this up and attending to the garden i.e. growing vegetables.

Advice for setting up your plot 

When you're thinking about where to grow fruit and vegetables, bear in mind the following:
• Try to find a sunny spot with good drainage. A south-facing aspect is ideal. 
• Provide shelter from wind
• Avoid overhanging tree branches and shade cast by buildings or hedges. (Use shaded areas to store pots or materials, for your compost heap, and so on, and keep your sunny areas for your plants)
• Make sure there is plenty of water and access to water.  

Where, When, Why and How

So you have your plot of land – well done! It may not be in a very good condition, it may take a good few months before you can start growing. Basic starting steps:
• Autumn is the best time to break up the soil
• Remove all the large chunks of brick or broken concrete and large stones, 
• Remove all the weeds, including digging out their roots
• Fork it and add some fresh manure or compost
 
If you don’t have land which you can use you can get advice and guidance on getting an allotment or other growing space in your area here: 
 
National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners www.nsalg.org.uk
National Allotment Gardens Trust www.nagtrust.org
Allotments Regeneration Initiative www.farmgarden.org.uk/ari 

Seeds

Growing from seeds is the cheapest option by far. Some of the more generous seed suppliers may offer you samples as an incentive to buy more and you can always look into joining your local Seed Exchange. Here are a few seed swap links: 

Materials

Skips and builders merchants cast offs can provide some good materials such as wood, pallets, planks and stakes from which to make your beds and compost bins. It will also be helpful to get some drainage pipes, old tarpaulins and old containers. For free materials see www.freecycle.org 

Funding

There are lots of websites and funding opportunities for setting up a garden. An investment of £100 in vegetable seeds will produce more vegetables than a person can eat during the normal growing season. This will be an enjoyable hobby that can help you save money, keep you fed and give you a real sense of accomplishment.

Resources for Teachers

Here are some excellent websites providing free information to schools, teachers and children around the country:
 
 
Useful links

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