“Green Community Garden in Blunaki” is a grassroots initiative of the Nadwiślańska Fundacja Rozwoju (Nadwiślańska Development Foundation) taking place in the small urban-rural municipality of Dzierzgoń in the county of Sztum.
The aim of the project is to involve the residents of the Family Support Center (disabled, elderly, people with special needs) in the creation of a community garden in the surroundings of the Center (available unused green land around the manor house – as much as 3.6 hectares! )
The residents, with the help of volunteers, will grow natural vegetables and fruits, which will be processed and will supply other social entities and educational institutions.
Plans for the green garden are ambitious: growing plants from self-harvested seeds and seedlings without chemicals or artificial fertilizers. The primary activity in the garden will be weeding and preparing eco-fertilizers. The garden and processing plant will be built to serve vocational rehabilitation. All participants are residents of the center and excluded residents of the municipality who live in the neighborhood.
We will work in the areas:
- conducting natural agricultural cultivation as part of socio-professional activation of excluded people
- Production and sale of natural preserves.
The entire activity will be based on horticulture therapy (hortiterapy) and environmental education. Joint small actions taken so far such as sowing grass, planting flowers have shown that the land, which has been lying fallow for years, will make excellent ground for growing flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruits
Ultimately, we plan to create a social economy enterprise to provide some of the wards with an opportunity to work almost “in their slippers.” The partnership will lead to the establishment of a social cooperative, which will continue the operation of the garden and develop the business – there will be a hen farm and egg production, its own brand of preserves. The development of the cooperative means additional jobs it will be able to offer.
Increase the quality of life of the residents of the Support Center through access to garden infrastructure, recreation area, acquisition of knowledge, gardening skills and acquisition of skills of growing, processing and distribution of the products obtained, which will ensure the establishment of a cooperative social enterprise – the creation of a social cooperative and taking up employment.
We are using the full potential of the project and our experience, co-creating the idea of social economy, promoting a healthy eating style and the use of local products – which ultimately will also benefit us, our children and our loved ones.
