Changing seasons, growing ambitions

The evenings are drawing in, the tomatoes are giving their last, and there's a particular quality of light that arrives in Reading at this time of year, soft, slanted, generous. It's a good moment to look back at what we've grown, and forward to what we're gathering next.

We want to start with a thank you. The Re3 Grow compost donated by the Compost Community Scheme is being put to great use as we preapre for a few more events this year. Growing kits will be shared at community events around town (see below for details of an upcoming event in October) and the compost has been used to pot up some late veggies - mostly salad leaves and some hopeful mustard greens - to keep us going as the sunlight fades and the hint of winter starts to make itself known. This scheme is the sort of quiet infrastructure that makes our approach to community engagement possible — soil first, then everything else. And we're truly grateful to the Re3 folx for supporting us. 💚

We'll be at the Berkshire Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival on 11 October, Forbury Gardens — do come and find us. It's always a good chance to catch up with growers from across town, swap notes on what worked (and what really didn't), and think together about the season ahead. This year has been a hard one for growers across the UK, and we stand in solidarity with farmers of every kind trying to make a living from the land. But we draw much inspiration from growers in Wales (Powys) whose innovative approaches to land management are producing food for sharing with city children in Birmingham.

Incredible community connections and joyful sharing of our land's edible riches.

We've also been gathering more stories of our own during this period of changing seasons. Our zine is coming along, quietly and steadily, filled with voices from the people and places of Reading. Stay tuned in the run-up to the Regen event — and better still, come and help us co-edit and shape the first edition on the day. We will have some more seasonal gifts and activities to share with all.

There's something of Frederick the Mouse about all of this. While the other mice store grain for winter, Frederick gathers colours, words, sunlight — the things that sustain us when the harvest is in. A reflective time, then. A celebratory one, too. Enjoy.

In community, with incredible gratitude for all that this year's growing has provided. And to you all for support and love.

The Incredibles. 🥕