Minister Trevor Sargent praises Organic Centre Community Gardens

The Annual Harvest Celebration of the Community Garden Projects across the North West took place on Thursday last at the Organic Centre, Rossinver, County Leitrim, attended by Mr. Trevor Sargent T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food.

More than one hundred twenty organic gardeners from across the North West came together to celebrate their achievements in 2007. Many are first time organic gardeners and have benefited from weekly guidance from trained horticultural staff from the Organic Centre.

The gardens can be found in all manner of weird and wonderful settings across the North West including counties Donegal, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Sligo. In Bundoran, Co. Donegal, the garden has breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and is found in the grounds of hte Sisters of Mercy Convent, Glor Na Mara. Across the border at Lisnaskea Wildfowl Centre in Co. Fermanagh a striking circular vegetable garden flanks the waters of Upper Lough Erne and is gardened by learning disabled clients from the nearby Share Centre and school children from the local Bunscoil and Naiscoil an Traonaigh. Other gardens can be found in Kiltyclogher and Rossinver, Co. Leitrim; Sligo Folk Park, Northside, Rathcormac, and Ballintrillick in Co. Sligo; Donegal Town; and Mullycovet Mill near Belcoo in Co. Fermanagh. There are eleven community gardens in total, the site usually provided by local church and community groups.

The gardens have been created and developed by the Organic Centre with financial suppport from the Department of Agriculture and Food, Health Service Executive West and European Union monies (Peace and Reconciliation Programme.) The HSE in particular is keen to support the gardens through its Community Food Project, which is now celebrating its fourth year of operation. Further HSE funding is committed for 2008. Project participants, as well as developing gardening skills, also receive cookery tuition to help them make tasty and nutritious meals from the produce they have grown. Working together in small groups in the gardens, participants often make new friends, in addition to getting some gentle physical exercise. The cross border aspect of the gardening has brought together people and communities that might otherwise not have been in contact.

Speaking at the presentation of certificates, Mr Trevor Sargent, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, praised the role of the Centre in developing the organic sector in the North West region and congratulated the project participants for their committment to producing local organic food.

The Minister said, "I am impressed by the range and number of educational course that are avaialbe here in Rossinver where the Organic Centre continues to play a significant role in growing the organic sector in the region. Nationally, the Organic Centre is an important player in helping to realise the target of 5% of agricultural land to be farmed organically by 2012."

The Organic Centre is committed to contributing to this planned growth in the sector through a variety of training opportunities in organic horticultrue. Further details may be obtained at the Organic Centre's first Training and Education Open Day on 24th October from 2pm -6pm in Rossinver or at the organisation's website www.theorganiccentre.ie. The Open Day is targeted at members of the public, existing and potential growers, school teachers, community groups and development associations.