For Lucy Hollis and GROW, an agroecological farm at The Totteridge Academy in Barnet and a community garden in Grahame Park, healthy soil, thriving plants and local people are all connected and all contribute to a fairer food future. The farm grows fruit, veg, herbs, fungi and flowers, which supply the academy’s kitchen as well as other state schools. The produce is also sold to the public at the farm’s weekly stall, where a solidarity pricing model is in place to help keep sustainable food accessible. Through programmes like growing clubs and mushroom workshops (which prioritise children, young people, and families facing barriers to education, wellbeing and employment) GROW helps increase food growing knowledge; improve mental and physical health; strengthen the local community; and inspire further action in other spaces. In 2024, 30,000 school lunches featured GROW Farm produce, 472 children visited the farm on a school trip, 28 at risk young people gained an AQA Certification in Mushroom Cultivation or Floristry, and seven low income families were given a raised bed on the farm to grow their own food in.
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