Growing Together: Introducing the Community Growers Network  

Hear from Alice Peperell, Bristol Good Food 2030 Partnership Manager, about how the Community Growers Network (CGN) supports community growing in Bristol – and how you can sign up to connect with others growing across the city.

If you’re involved in community growing in Bristol, chances are you already know how rewarding – and occasionally overwhelming – it can be. Whether you’re managing a small allotment plot or running a full urban farm, there’s always something new to learn, a problem to solve, or a funding deadline looming. That’s exactly why we created the Community Growers Network (CGN). 

A bit of background 

The CGN was born out of a simple question we asked growers after the 2024 Get Growing Trail: how do you want to stay connected? The answer was clear – they wanted a space to share, learn and support one another beyond the open weekend. So we set one up. What started as an email group has quietly grown into something we’re really proud of: a vibrant community of nearly 65 growers, projects and community organisations from across the city. 

Run by Bristol Food Network (BFN) as part of the Bristol Good Food 2030 initiative, the CGN is a peer space where members share everything from funding opportunities and land availability to volunteer roles, events and climate-resilient growing advice. It’s a low-noise, low-faff space that’s mostly curated by us but shaped by what growers tell us they need. 

Peer learning that actually helps 

Alongside the everyday exchange of knowledge in the group, we’ve been running peer learning sessions on topics growers have told us they care about most. So far we’ve covered: 

• Writing successful funding bids, with expert insights from Voscur – a brilliant session unpacking the art (and occasional agony) of grant applications 

• Finding and retaining volunteers, in collaboration with Coexist Community Kitchen – an honest and practical conversation about one of the biggest challenges facing community projects 

• Capturing and demonstrating impact – our most recent workshop, held at Windmill Hill City Farm, exploring how to tell the story of the difference your project makes 

Each session has been shaped by the generosity of people willing to share what they know, what’s worked and what hasn’t. That kind of openness is what makes the CGN special. 

A personal note 

I came to my role at BFN partly because food growing is something I genuinely love. I’ve been trying to grow food for around ten years now, hugely inspired by my step-mum, and squeezing it into gardens and allotments between a fairly nomadic few years of moving around. There’s something about getting my hands in the soil that resets and recharges me in a way little else does. 

What I’ve come to appreciate just as much as the growing itself is learning from people who know more than me. Earlier this year I had the joy of attending a fruit tree pruning course at Horfield Organic Community Orchard, led by people with decades of knowledge between them. I came away with freezing fingers, aching arms and a notebook full of things I hadn’t known a few hours before. That kind of peer learning – practical, generous, grounded – is exactly what we’re trying to bottle in the CGN. 

Get involved 

If you’re part of a community growing project in Bristol, or just someone who grows food and wants to connect with others doing the same, we’d love to have you in the network. 

Join the Community Growers Network here 

Whether you come for the funding tips, the volunteer advice, or just to feel a little less alone in what you’re doing – you’ll be very welcome. 

Lead image: Dame Emily Park Project photographed at the Get Growing Trail 2025 by Robert Browne

To stay updated on future events, job opportunities and news, don’t forget to sign up for the Bristol Good Food Update at bristolgoodfood.org/newsletter.