Partnering for Change: Roots Allotments X Generation Soil

Partnering for Change: Roots Allotments X Generation Soil

Roots Allotments has teamed up with CiC, Generation Soil, to create a thriving market garden at Bristol’s Leigh Woods allotment site. Their mission? To bring fresh, chemical-free produce to local communities and businesses while tackling the UK’s fractured food system.

The challenges are immense – Brexit, a global pandemic, and the cost of living crisis have created a perfect storm for food insecurity. But initiatives like this market garden aim to restore balance by addressing the root causes of the problem: unreliable supply chains, soaring food prices, and lack of access to agricultural land.

Why the UK’s Food System Is Failing

The UK food system has hit some massive hurdles in recent years. According to The Food Foundation, fresh produce prices have skyrocketed, with staples like carrots costing up to 150% more over the past two years. Access to a nutritious diet has become a privilege, not a guarantee.

The numbers are stark: between 2023 and 2024, over 3.12 million people relied on food banks – a shocking rise from just 26,000 in 2008/09 (Statista). And it’s not just affordability. Supply chain disruptions have compromised the safety and standards of food on supermarket shelves (Food Standards Agency).

The issue goes beyond the consumer level – land access is a significant barrier. Aspiring growers and community food projects struggle to secure affordable agricultural spaces, particularly in urban and suburban areas. This is where market gardens, like the one at Leigh Woods, come in.

How Market Gardens Provide Solutions

Market gardens reclaim under-utilised land for sustainable food production. By focusing on soil health and biodiversity, they empower communities to grow and access affordable, fresh produce.

Alex, founder of Generation Soil and PhD researcher in UK Food System, explains:

“We’re facing interconnected crises in climate, nature, and public health, and soil health lies at the heart of them all. This initiative is an incredible opportunity to transform under-utilised agricultural land into thriving, productive spaces. By doing so, we can feed Bristol with real, nutritious food while boosting biodiversity both above and below ground.”

Generation Soil is doing more than growing food – they’re creating a circular agricultural system. From providing fresh vegetable boxes to offering food waste collection and educational resources, they’re actively building a resilient local food network.

Paying It Forward: Making Fresh Food Accessible for All

Through their Pay-it-Forward Scheme, Generation Soil allows community members to purchase veg boxes for those in need. This initiative ensures that even those without access to fresh produce can enjoy nutritious, seasonal vegetables – relieving the pressure on food banks and families alike.

This innovative model combines community support with sustainable agriculture, proving that fresh, local food isn’t just a luxury – it’s a right.

Meet the Team Behind the Garden

The market garden project is driven by a passionate team: Alex, Sam, and Jordi. Each brings unique expertise to the table:

• Alex is a dedicated researcher currently pursuing a PhD in Food Systems. With a passion for education and community engagement, he has spent the past few years running workshops for children and youth centers, inspiring the next generation to connect with sustainable food practices.
• Sam previously managed a 1.5-acre community garden in Nottingham but struggled to find land in Bristol. Now, he’s excited to nurture young growers and build an ecologically conscious community. “Access to land is the biggest obstacle to resisting the transition to a viable and sustainable food system. Projects like this nurture aspiring growers and connect them to like-minded communities,” says Sam.
• Jordi, who works with Defra and has a background in permaculture, is eager to take his theoretical studies into the physical realm. He has a keen interest in the ecological benefits of agroforestry and is passionate about exploring how integrating trees with crops and livestock can enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and create more sustainable agricultural systems.

A Future Rooted in Resilience

The Leigh Woods market garden is more than just a growing space – it’s a solution to the systemic issues plaguing our food system. By empowering local growers, reclaiming land, and fostering biodiversity, this project demonstrates how market gardens can combat food insecurity and create sustainable, reliable food networks.

As this garden flourishes, it provides a blueprint for communities across the UK to reclaim control of their food and future.

Did this get you thinking?

• 🖤 Read about our other Market Garden partnership here
• 🤓 Learn about the history (and importance!) of allotments
• 💌 Have a market garden success story? Send it to us

Hey friend! We’re Roots Allotments.

We create shared spaces for local food production and nature. We provide members with everything they need to get started, from seeds, tools, and plants, to growing advice, whilst fostering community with in-person workshops and events. The spaces consist of a mixture of biodiversity-boosting habitats like native woodland and hedgerows, fruit orchards, insect habitats, ponds, and wildflower meadows. Together we can show that food can be grown with nature and not against it.