Grow West Fife

A visit to Grow West Fife, a relatively new community greenspace just outside of Culross. From thistles, waist-high grass and rubble, they’ve grown enormously over the past four years, offering the wider West Fife community the opportunity to connect with the natural world in a unique setting. 

What a lovely visit with the folks at Grow West Fife. It’s always a good sign when you turn up on a Monday morning in November to a community greenspace still filled with people. A dozen or so volunteers were helping to look after the site – working on the compost piles and the new toilet block, planting up seedlings and most importantly, having a cup of tea and enjoying each others’ company. There was a cheerful buzz about the place, certainly spurred on by our fair-weather friend, the autumn sunshine!

Grow West Fife, for all its size and import, is a relative newbie to the scene, establishing itself alongside Covid in 2020. The keen community group took over the old walled garden overlooking the River Forth at Blair Castle, the home of the Scottish Mining Trust for many dozens of years. From famine to feast, they turned a derelict plot of land into a thriving community hub for growing, cooking and enhancing wellbeing. Grow West Fife is run by a dedicated team of volunteers, a few part time staff, and a handful of keen and invested board members looking to build on the success of the last four years. 

They run a range of programming, from garden volunteering to community meals, have recently opened their new workshop, host a climate-friendly display garden, and provide growing opportunities for partner community groups like Andy’s Man Club and others. I spoke at length with trustees Pam and Dean, who graciously welcomed me to the garden. They are so passionate about this project, and well connected with the local green/climate/foodie community. Equally, they are to be admired for shouting ‘We’re here!’ from the rooftops of West Fife, bringing into the area well-deserved and oft forgotten funding and attention. 

I look forward to chatting more with Grow West Fife as they move into their fifth year of growing and sharing food from their site outside of Culross. West Fife is lucky to have them, and I expect their success to continue in the years to come. Again, many thanks for a splendid visit and good chat with likeminded folk!