To grow we must learn to embrace technology
One hundred years of The Scottish Allotments and Gardens Society (SAGS) is being celebrated with an informal gathering at the Victoria Halls in Dunblane on Saturday 16 June. While allotments had been around for 60 years or more, the Society, originally known as the Scottish National Union of Allotment Holders, was formed at the end of the First World War. At that time thousands of new allotments were created and there was a need for an organisation to represent the new plotholders’ interests.
The gathering will begin by looking back at the history of Scottish allotments using material from archives only recently catalogued and launching the new SAGS Centenary Booklet, before moving on to see how First World War cultivars differ from those of today.
Moving forward to the present day, there’s a presentation based on The Big Picnic Project at the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, exploring how digital storytelling creates opportunities for allotment groups to get involved with The Big Picnic while recording their own stories.
The programme continues with presentations about some impressive projects addressing issues around food security for those in care homes and how tens of thousands of “citizen scientists” are helping with global environmental monitoring to improve sustainable practices. There will be some welcome advice on combating late potato blight.
Some allotment site committees have already created websites but there are many others for whom the technology seems a bit daunting. However, with so many people using emails, websites and social media to keep in touch, it makes sense to use these methods of communication as well as the more traditional notice board. Spreading the word quickly about anything affecting your site can become so much easier than in the days of pen and paper. Reminders about bulk deliveries, impending spread of blight, or forthcoming events can all be disseminated through a newsletter or website.
Within the space of his half hour presentation, Stuart Mckenzie of Inverleith Allotments in Edinburgh is going to show gathering delegates how to create a website that they’re fully in control of, and generate a newsletter. I have already acted as his guinea pig and can confirm that even though my computer skills are minimal, I was able to follow what he is proposing to do.
The gathering is open to anyone with an allotment, on a waiting list for an allotment, or with an interest in allotments. n
Digital storytelling creates opportunities for allotment groups