The countdown is on for businesses to sign up to the GIY and Cully & Sully ‘al desko’ growing food at work initiative.
The food-growing challenge, dubbed Give Peas a Chance, enables businesses to grow food at work in teams and enter a competition to win vouchers worth €1,500 to visit Ballymaloe House & Cookery School, and they get to donate a community garden worth €3,000 to a local cause of their choice.
This initiative aims to help people understand where their food comes from and help to green Ireland’s workplaces. Interested parties can sign up to the Give Peas A Chance campaign online at www.cullyandsully.com/ourgarden
Registered teams will receive a free grow pack of sowing pots, seeds, and soil, plus expert growing tips and training advice from GIY.
Participants are asked to log their growing adventures on a dedicated online ‘growing wall’ and share their exploits on social media.
Last year’s challenge was won by Optimal Chiropractic in Cork; the team donated their community garden to the Cork Association for Autism in Mogeely. A spring gathering earlier this year saw the garden installed and built and it is now of huge therapeutic benefit to the service users.
Ben Martin, a chiropractor at Optimal Chiropractors in Cork, was a member of last year’s winning team. He was attracted to the competition for several reasons. “We often talk to our patients about the need for a healthy lifestyle and the idea of growing your own food ties in with that,” he said. “We had the plants growing on our desks in the office and patients would ask about them. It was a great way of starting a conversation.”
Founder of GIY Michael Kelly said: “Along with Cully & Sully, we are big believers in the power of small food growing experiences to transform people’s attitude to food and health and we’re delighted to give people that opportunity through the Give Peas A Chance challenge.”
To register for the desktop growing challenge, visit www.cullyandsully.com/ourgarden The winning team will be announced in September.
