The garden share scheme was set up in 2009 and has been running for the last 3 years. The aim was to encourage more people in the Crediton area to be able to grow their own fruit and veg and match gardeners with little or no garden with those garden owners who wanted to see their garden used more productively. The scheme has attracted a steady stream of enquiries from both garden owners and growers, although excess garden space in the Crediton area has generally prevailed.

Altogether 39 people registered, and in total 25 suitable gardeners and growers were visited and completed a short questionnaire to find out their requirements. Five growers were successfully matched up with appropriate gardens and some other garden owners even found their own match. A number of growers have also been offered their own allotment since joining, so it seems that the allotments in Crediton satisfy most of the demand for people wanting to grow their own. The Crediton garden share scheme has now finished but there still exists the National Landshare scheme website connecting growers to people with land to share. There are several entries locally and Sustainable Crediton encourages anyone with a pot or plot to grow their own fresh food. The continued rise in food prices will make this an even more attractive option for many people in the future.

To see the background to the scheme go to the Garden Share page.