Top chef Corrigan sets up inner city farm in a bid to grow your own veg
Monday April 13 2009
TOP chef Richard Corrigan is hosting a new TV series in a bid to show families that it is possible to grow vegetables on a plot in the midst of the inner city.
Corrigan's City Farm will see the chef tackle an enormous challenge by setting up a farm on wasteland in a city location and training an army of volunteers to run it.
To prove his point Richard is off to Cork where he's found 24 willing volunteers and given them a plot of land in the heart of the city.
The novice gardeners will be getting back to basics, growing fresh, seasonal food while fighting everything from drought to greenflies.
Cork City Council has agreed to provide a brown-belt site f and Richard is convinced he's found a viable and economic blueprint for any community.
Exercise
The benefits could be considerable -- fresh air, exercise and seasonal food, not to mention the savings that can be made in the weekly shopping.
Corrigan's latest programme comes as allotment gardens are enjoying a revival as cash-strapped families start to cultivate their vegetables and fruit.
Since last July, the man behind the website Irishallotments.net is reporting a steady rise in traffic from people looking for allotments in their area.
Others are seeking information on how to set one up, said Cork-based Thomas Cowderoy.
"There is huge interest and it is getting bigger all the time. Four or five years ago, allotments had virtually disappeared in Ireland, compared to the 1940s when there were up to 40,000 around the country.
"But it is definitely a growing trend. A lot of people are thinking about it again because of the current financial situation."
Last month, green-fingered Dubliners were boosted as the city council revealed plans behind the establishment of their first batch of allotments.
Go-ahead
Councillors in the city's north central area have given the go-ahead to officials to start laying the all-important ground work for the project.
Corrigan's City Farm begins on RTE One on Tuesday, April 21 , at 8.30pm.
jlast@herald.ie
- Jane Last
