A volunteer’s perspective by Rosie

I've been helping to harvest and pack your beautiful veggies but sadly (and happily) I'm off to New Zealand next week for a wee while, and I wanted to write a little something about another aspect of this amazing project before I go.  

As lockdown was lifting in 2021 I began volunteering at the Ecopark as I was new to Cornwall and wanted to get involved in something outdoors whilst recovering from concussions. Matty told me about this exciting project he was starting, and so one Tuesday I wandered into a field with a half constructed shed and ventured into the one and only polytunnel with some tiny tomato plants. I was soon welcomed into the fold with a cuppa tea, and cake, and spent most of the day tying knots with Giles whilst the shed slowly took shape. Another Tuesday I turned up early and was welcomed to join the 'Directors' meeting with the obligatory jobs list and, of course, tea. From the outset I felt welcomed and part of something special.  No matter how I was feeling I knew I could come and join in: to be offered a job that would suit my abilities (and needs), to engage with people as little or as much as was possible, and to feel valued. I am sure all of you who come and join our volunteer days will know that feeling - it is what Community Roots does so well.

From those early days Community Roots has grown enormously: both in terms of the vegetables that it yields and the number of volunteers it attracts. Each week I hear a new tale of Tuesday's volunteer day: the beautiful cake someone baked, the singalong session with an accordian, the hundreds of moths identified and counted, and many great inventions from Eric. It seems, just like plants, people who are given the right conditions such as time in the outdoors, acceptance and meaningful connection; really thrive. At Roots there has been an emphasis on creating a diverse natural ecosystem: using different varieties of vegetables, sowing wildflowers, planting the bund with shrubs and trees, and taking care of the soil with all its little critters. And through the amazingly welcoming and loving Directors, a diverse community of volunteers has also co-evolved: supporting people who love to dig, to dream, to learn, to sing and to share from age 3 to nearly 90.

With the new polytunnel being planted up with salad, the packing shed will be adapted to shelter the communal breaks and those lovely chats over winter as Roots continues to grow community alongside the plants. There are so many plans (for world domination!) afoot which all sound amazing and I'm gutted I can't be in two places at once! Each decision the Directors make have people, plants and planet at their heart, and it really does show when you look around the site and see how they have transformed a blank monoculture field into a beautiful polyculture of people and plants over the past 18 months. 

I know that the four amazing, and humble, Directors who have dreamt this project into being wouldn't be able to write the full story about what a special community that they have curated...But I feel it, and I wanted to convey some of the magic that you as customers help support. Without each and every person involved, in whatever capacity, it wouldn't be the same. Thank you! I'm going to miss all the lovely people I have met and shared time with at Roots (as well as my weekly stepladder sesh picking beans from the tunnel's trusses!) But I also know that if, and when, I come back there will be a welcoming community here to give me a smile, a hug, and tea (& cake - of course!!!).

I look forward to it.