Sheffield is growing—literally! From back gardens to community allotments, food-growing projects are taking root across the city, and composting champions are making sure that nothing goes to waste. At the heart of this green revolution is the ShefFood Growing & Composting Working Group, a space where growers, composters, and anyone with an interest in sustainable food can come together to sow the seeds of change.
With an ambitious vision for 2025, this group is getting down and dirty—quite literally—to tackle some of the biggest challenges in urban food production. And if you’ve got a passion for plants or a soft spot for soil, there’s an open invitation to their next meeting on Thursday, 27th March 2025. Whether you’re a seasoned grower, a composting connoisseur, or just someone who loves food and wants to see Sheffield thrive, this is your chance to dig in and make a difference.
We all know that food waste is a huge problem, but what if Sheffield’s leftovers could help power a more resilient food system? The Growing & Composting Working Group is championing innovative composting solutions to transform kitchen scraps and green waste into nutrient-rich soil—fuel for the city’s future harvests.
Sheffield has a real appetite for composting, but challenges remain. Confusing regulations, limited infrastructure, and a lack of awareness make it difficult for households, businesses, and schools to compost effectively. The group is working to change that, making composting more accessible and widespread. Imagine a city where every neighbourhood has a thriving compost hub, where yesterday’s scraps become tomorrow’s strawberries.
Of course, composting is just one piece of the puzzle. For a truly resilient food system, Sheffield also needs more spaces to grow food. Yet, access to land remains a major barrier, with allotment waiting lists stretching for years. The working group is tackling this head-on, exploring ways to unlock underused spaces, secure community land, and push for policies that make urban food growing a priority.
Momentum is building behind the ‘Right to Grow’ movement, calling on landowners, councils, and businesses to open up more space for community food projects. Could your workplace, school, or neighbourhood get involved? The group’s March meeting is the perfect place to explore these ideas and find practical ways to help Sheffield bloom.
But food growing isn’t just about filling plates—it’s about strengthening the local economy. The working group is looking at ways to support small-scale growers and composters, helping them start up and scale up through training, funding, and business support. From market gardens to community-supported agriculture schemes, the goal is to ensure that sustainable food production is not just possible but also financially viable.
If there’s one thing that became clear from the group’s last meeting in January, it’s that Sheffield’s growers and composters have an incredible wealth of knowledge to share. Whether it’s permaculture techniques, bokashi composting, or fruit tree pruning, the city is full of people eager to pass on their skills. To help this knowledge flourish, the group is planning a series of workshops, training sessions, and networking events throughout 2025. Whether you’re interested in starting a composting system, learning to grow food, or turning your passion into a livelihood, these sessions will offer invaluable support.
The Growing & Composting Working Group isn’t just for experts—it’s for anyone who wants to be part of Sheffield’s food revolution. Sheffield has the ideas, the passion, and the people to build a more sustainable food future. Now, it’s about bringing them together to make it happen. If you care about fresh, local food, reducing waste, and making the city greener, this is the group for you.
So why not come along to the next meeting? It’s happening on Monday, 17th March 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with the location soon to be confirmed and everyone’s invited. Whether you bring a big idea, a small question, or just an open mind, your voice matters in shaping the future of Sheffield’s food system. Want to stay in the loop? The group is also working on setting up a WhatsApp community to help people stay connected, share tips, and coordinate projects. Keep an eye out for more details soon!
Sheffield’s food future is looking bright, but there’s still plenty of work to do. With the right mix of people, policies, and passion, we can build a city where food-growing is accessible to all, where composting is second nature, and where every community has the opportunity to thrive. If you’ve ever dreamed of growing your own food, making composting mainstream, or simply supporting a healthier, greener Sheffield, now’s the time to get involved. Let’s plant the seeds of change—together.