Windsor Grassroots, Greenshoots (since April 2010 – on-going)

A creative Urban growing collaboration between Squash, Windsor primary school, Toxteth TV, Toxteth library and local green-fingered activists, to ‘green-up’, get growing and cooking lovely food in the Windsor Street area, Toxteth.

We are delighted to announce that 'Windsor Grassroots, Greenshoots' was short-listed for Best Environmental+Health Project in the Merseyside Environment Awards 2011!

We've been cooking up a local food storm at Squash HQ with the wonderful Windsor Grassroots chefs - Windsor Primary School pupils, parents and other local residents.

In 2012 we're working on:

• making a mobile allotment
• planting up a mini-orchard/forest garden
• making films
• 2 community bee-hives
• building and growing food in raised beds
• running growing and cooking sessions

We've so enjoyed this years seasonal community celebrations - the 'Go Green Spring Eco-market' in March and the Midsummer Squash outdoor cooking bonanza in June - great green fun in the sun, for everyone! Look out for the next one on June 30th 2012 at John Archer Hall!

In 2010+11 we:

Worked with groovy gardening artist Alice Kuchemann in the incredible Windsor school garden to grow food to cook - strawberries, leeks and crab-apples galore! And outdoor cooking!

Were visited by wonderful chef Grace Adegoke who specialises in African and Caribbean cooking - we made a delicious chicken stew and jollof rice.

Made jam with clever conserver Clippy aka Michelle McKenna - with fruit picked from the garden and gathered at Claremont Farm in the Wirral.

Foraged for wild food in Princes Park and made vibrant vitamin-C rich rose-hip syrup with canny cook Kate Brennan.

Created incredible South Indian curries with the lovely Sunny and Harris - chefs at the marvelllous Maharaja restuarant.

Made the best scouse in Liverpool courtesy of Everyman Bistro's super chef Tom Gill.

"....That juicing was really good...didn't think I'd like that..." - participant