Lauren Anderson
Garden Manager, herbs and natural crafts
Hi,I am Lauren… I have been part of the Abundant Earth workers co-op since 2019 and I run the vegetable garden here. Since 2021 I have expanded into growing & foraging herbal/medicinal plants and turning those into remedies - look out for these at our craft fayres and the opportunity to take part in workshops throughout the year.
I have always been a creative, crafty person from being very small and over the last 7 years have consciously gone down the path of using only natural, recycled or upcycled materials. Find my creations at the craft fayres we host here.
This year I am experimentally expanding further into natural dye and plants to make fabric out of.
Lauren’s Offerings
Veg Box Scheme
My role is garden manager and volunteer coordinator here in our 1 acre vegetable garden. I plan, maintain and harvest the crops for the year with the help of local volunteers which feeds 60 households in the local area per week!
The veg box scheme feels important to me as it offers the option of low impact, organic vegetables to local people. The organic methods of growing mean a chemical free vegetable option to put in our bodies and in turn has low impact to the soil and ecosystem. I also feel strongly that many more local, small scale farms could be part of the solution to the complex food system problems we’re facing today as a planet. Pushing back against the mass monoculture and soil degradation/compaction of large scale farming with heavy machinery and chemicals.
I choose to grow a combination of what I know grows well, what I like to eat and cook with (and veg box customers too!) and what excites me when I’m doing the seed order in late winter. I often experiment with different varieties of the staple plants we grow (like tomatoes, squashes, leafy greens etc).
Garden Volunteering
Spend time outside moving your body, touching soil, fresh air, vitamin D & birdsong while meeting new people with similar interests. Anyone who has a keen interest in growing food organically will enjoy this volunteering. There are jobs of all kinds of intensities to suit different bodies & abilities. It is helpful to contact me first if you do have any physical considerations so that we can figure out together what jobs might be appropriate.
Children are also welcome to come with their parents/guardians. I love sharing the creative playful energy with children in the garden… inviting them to be curious, following their interests and fanning that flame of curiosity. Answering their interested questions as they get familiar with the environment and finding suitable jobs for them to put their energy into. If you are thinking about coming with your child contact me so we can decide the most appropriate day/time. I’d love to have some days focused on parents and children through the year.
Since the garden work changes in intensity throughout the seasons as does the amount of volunteer days per week. Year round each wednesday is a volunteer day (between 10-4). Then as the season gets busier we add in Thursdays from about May-September… in the height of it all there are other days added too.
Please contact me via laurenanderson1994@live.co.uk to find out more details like our current volunteer days or with any other questions you have.
