Between us, the Green Steps team has over 50 year’s experience of growing their own food. Starting in our twenties we have learnt organic techniques to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs in a variety of climates and conditions. Through WOOFing and land based communities we have learnt from both inspiring growers and by getting our hands in the soil. Over the years we have created gardens and orchards in local schools and towns.
Peni was filmed by Hugh Richards on Swn y Coed in the summer - here's the link to give you a glimpse of the abundance of the land:
Green Steps ran a twelve week 'Introduction to organic growing' programme setting up a garden from scratch at Cilraeth Acre farm for Tir Coed charity. Working with local people we created raised beds, made inoculated compost, grew a variety of crops on no dig system, taught about soil health and permaculture principles. We celebrated the program with a feast made from vegetables harvested from the garden.
Green Steps offers Horticulture courses at Swn y Coed. This is currently through the ‘Building Resilience’ weekends where we will teach design ideas, seed sowing, compost making, land ferments – inspired by the work of Juanfran Lopez, harvesting nutrient dense crops and preserving vegetables through fermentation to retain and increase their nutritional value.
Both Melissa and Peni are passionate to assist and inspire people to reclaim their connection to their own food, whether it is a window box of micro greens or a field.
Building up the bio diversity and the soil health with active microbes, gives your crops super powers deflecting disease and illness. Growing vegetables in this way nourishes the land and ourselves, allowing us to harvest vegetables that are rich in minerals and vitamins that you won’t find in supermarket vegetables.
‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’
- Hippocrates
