Thursday 11 February 2010

Post something on the Blog they said......so how about JOIN US?

So I'll start by saying hello, and this is me on the left (the bigger one of the two) I joined the Dig in team approximately a year ago, I love to get out and grow things, I'd heard about dig in community allotment, and decided I'd like to know more about it and possibly get involved, and so here I am.
Joining the team after becoming 'hooked' instantly on day one is with out a doubt one of the best moves I've made in quite some time, and urge any one with an ounce of curiosity to come and take a look for your self - and absolutely no pressure we promise!
It wasn't very long before I realised Dig In wasn't just about growing a few tomatoes, and runner beans, there are many other things Dig In has to offer, as well as the growing side there is the cooking side, we've had some fantastic cook sessions and there have also been numerous community events, the pumpkin day, apple day, even well dressing, and scarecrow days, local schools are also becoming involved along with a number of other groups also using the Dig In site.
Dig In is helping to spread the word about healthy eating, and how it benefits us showing us how we can grow, cook and eat very well for much less you don't need to be an expert (well, I'm living proof of that!) you can start out using almost anything you have lying around at home, a couple of seeds (you can pick some up at the annual seed swap or later seedlings at the seedling swap) and start growing on your windowsill on an old milk carton! cost: could be nothing! or maybe just a few pence.
The health benefits of becoming much more involved in growing your own food are seemingly endless, and many of these possibly explain why I keep coming back:

  • Physical exercise - A good session of digging is high on the list for burning calories and raising your heart rate. Or if you prefer to potter about, it's still a clear winner over the arm chair and the TV!
  • Emotional well being - reducing stress levels, and producing natural endorphins.
  • Social benefits - Meeting a diverse range of people from equally diverse backgrounds, all with a common interest.
  • Intellectual- Learn something new about gardening, bee keeping, cooking, to mention just a few, or bring something new to the site yourself!
  • General well being - Putting all of the above in to practice and following it through,seeing the results emerging in late spring, following on the harvest in the autumn, planning liaising and communicating on site and in the wider community is not only rewarding in terms of the abundance of produce and what we can do with it, but also in terms of what it produces for the soul, it has an overall 'healing' effect as so many aspects of our well being are being addressed, holistically, unwittingly?..........but certainly quite effortlessly!


Re the Blog, it's looking great! well done everyone, especially to Tracey for getting it up and running!

3 comments:

  1. Fantastic entry, Nicola! Puts into words all those things I value about Dig in. And your chutney is delicious. Thanks
    Mary

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  2. Great post Nic! Why "3" red wellies by the way? I'm nosey!

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  3. I've always owned red wellies, they used to be my pride and joy as a child - today there are 3 of us in our house! (However these days our red wellies are planted up, of course!)

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