A campaign to encourage people to grow their own food in their back garden and for the establishment of community organic gardens, allotment schemes, and school gardens, was launched this week.
The Green Party in Galway launched Get Ireland Growing at Irelands first Campus Organic Garden in NUI, Galway on Monday. The campaign also seeks to encourage the production of high quality local food and seeks to encourage local people to buy Galway and buy Irish.
Green Cllr Niall Ó Brolcháin, who is also the national campaigns manager for the Greens, is delighted with the upsurge in interest of people growing their own food.
“Sales of vegetable seeds have increased by around 300 per cent this year,” he said. “I am astounded by the enormous interest in allotments in particular and the waiting list has surged to over 140 applicants in recent times.”
He is also encouraging the Galway City Council and private landowners to set up allotment schemes in and around Galway city. Typically an allotment would be leased out for around €100 a year for five years.
“With the slowdown in housing development this may prove to be a good use of land that would otherwise lie idle,” said Cllr Ó Brolcháin.
The Greens will be manning a stand on Shop Street on Saturdays to encourage people to get involved in the campaign.
