iLAND Goal: 1. Demonstration
“to demonstrate local sustainable food growing & permaculture in action on site, with appropriate signage available to aid understanding”
From the start of the project in july 2018, during the phase of clearing the wilderness of brambles, nettles and Japanese knotweed, we approached the task as harvesting food. Nettles were dried and saved for soups, teas and condiments. Blackberries were eaten of the bush, leaves dried for teas, Japanese knotweed was harvested for curries, bread, cakes and soups. Rest material was layed out along the main structural design to compost in place.
Food was prepared on site and served to volunteers during breaks and to guest at the opening and harvest gatherings.
In 2019 we started growing several species of annual vegetables as edible ground cover and green manure. Over the course of the year we harvested courgettes, swiss chard, mustard greens, rucola, cilantro, broccoli, onions, leek, jerusalem artichokes, cardoon, mint, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, etc.
The harvest was distributed amongst the volunteers, residents and guests of the estate and the wider community.
Some numbers (in kgs)…
We collaborated with chef Erling Rugsten and sister community garden projects: Proeftuin Meerhoven, Iris buurtmoestuin, Doorntuin, High Tech Campus and Technical University community gardens. In the course of 2019 the TUe community garden closed due to building activities at the campus.