In the beginning it there was the blank canvas, a massive 3 acre site to be converted into a community garden. HogCO helped organise a public meeting in October 2011 where Okehampton United Charity floated the idea of a community garden. The meeting was well attended and following a second public meeting a core ‘steering group’ of people took the idea forward. Okehampton Community Garden (OCG) officially took on the lease of the site on 1st April 2012 from Okehampton United Charity for a peppercorn lease of £25 per annum during the first term of site occupation.
A wide strip of land was ploughed in the first week of the lease by the North and East Dartmoor Vintage Working Society and recently rotovated by Mr Vallance in exchange for a contribution for his olympic award. The first lot of manure was donated and delivered from Andy Ewen at Okehampton Glass and the bore hole was dug by Follaton Plant confirming a good supply of water to the site.
Brigadier Rob Thomson visited the site prior to the arrival of 66 army officer cadets to assist with the construction of the community composting areas, raised beds and key growing areas. On 19th June Major General Tim Evans Commandant of the Royal Military Academy visited the site to look at the progress achieved by the cadets.
The community garden also benefited from the assistance of a group of volunteers from the Prince’s Trusts ‘Team Programe’
The sensory garden was created and the compost bins built
Okehampton Community Garden 