What is an Urban Hub?

In a very uncertain world, it is our believe that the people must begin to reclaim their own responsibility for some of the food that they eat. In human history it is only in the last couple of generations that have moved away from providing themselves with elements of their food needs.

To grow some of your own food is a liberating and fulfilling experience that we think should be shared by as many people as possible.

Organoponico systems in the urban landscape evolve from a local "Hub" and come in many and varied forms.Each individual hub has it's prime function chosen to best suit the needs of the area it is in.

The Lenton Abbey hub is a plot of land that has been designated to provide the support structure for local home and garden growers in the neighbourhood. The Lenton Abbey estate was a model council estate when it was built. Most of the houses have good sized gardens that can easily accommodate an area for vegetable growing, the Lenton Abbey Hub will encourage those that wish to grow a little of their own produce at home.

Hubs can also be stand alone growing systems utilising redundant brown field or on sites that have building projects placed on hold. We are happy to offer guidance to others wishing to set up Hubs anywhere in the United Kingdom.

The Lenton Abbey hub will contain good composting facilities, seedbank, plant raising facilities (greenhouses or polytunnels), secure storage sheds for tools and equipment and containers plus the formers and timber supplies for making the raised structures. The hub also has an area set out with beds that are growing and producing food as a working example and to encourage locals as to what is possible. Training and guidance workshops can be held at the hub for locals to further enhance their knowledge and skills in urban farming. Hubs are at the heart of a successful local food production system. From the support hub small garden growing systems spring forth in the local area.

Organoponico Urban Hubs employ purely organic growing methods coupled with elements of Biodynamics and promote the use of carefully prepared herbal and compost tea's.

See a basic introduction to biodynamic and lunar planting.

We have a zero tolerance for chemical fertilisers and weed killers in our projects.

Once a Hub is established local people are encouraged to join up to have an area within their own garden set up. The hub organisers would then help to set up the bed(s) within the new garden area alongside the new member who would join in and learn the set up process. The new person would then undertake to be part of the next team to locate the second home set up and so forth. The principle is a simple one that facilitates in the rapid spreading of the organoponico's within a neighbourhood.

Each new member would choose the type of vegetables that they wish to grow and would be supplied with either seed or young plants from the hub along with growing medium and be given access to all printed and video guides. Where possible the new participant would return a proportion of gathered seed to the hub so that future new members could benefit.

All seeds and plants supplied by the hub are of heirloom or heritage types, chosen for flavour and taste and ease of growth in local conditions.

New participants may wish to concentrate on growing certain varieties or types of vegetable, in which case they would be encouraged to exchange excess with others who have grown other types within their local area.

Each new member would undertake to provide support for an agreed number of further new set ups.

The Hub is at the heart of the organoponico system, most individual home growing that fails, does so because of lack of knowledge and the disappointment that follows failure of a crop.The Hub provides the support that will overcome this. Founder organisers of the Hub will be contactable and will visit participants to offer guidance and help when required. Once a new member has tasted success from their own crops they usually gain interest and their involvement itself grows, the community then begins to tighten and improve as more participants become involved.

If You would like to get involved and get growing some of your own food at home please fill out the contact form and we'll be in touch.