Food Growing

Growing food can be a cheap way to eat healthily as well as a great way to get some exercise and also relax. Growing herbs, fruit and vegetables can also help to support wildlife, such as hoverflies, butterflies and bees. And gardening can be a very social activity too. 

There are currently six active allotment sites in West Lothian (many privately-run) and six community gardens. There are also other, less formal community growing initiatives throughout the area and many schools grow food in their grounds as well.

Contacts

If you would like to help grow in your community, view the lists below for contact details of the known community growing initiatives in West Lothian. You can also view a map of these and other initiatives by clicking - Google Map - Food growing sites in West Lothian

Community Food Outlets

For community food-growing groups looking to donate any excess produce, you can contact your local community food outlet. Click on this link to find your nearest outlet and their contact details: Access to Food

Allotments

Community Gardens

Orchards and Forest Gardens

General Community Growing

Food Growing Strategy

We are currently in the process of creating a new Food Growing Strategy for 2020-25, as part of our new duties under Part 9 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015;

• Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act: summary

Food Growing Report

The strategy is based on information collected in 2018, from interviews with existing food growing initiatives, and events and surveys organised by greenspace Scotland. The results of the events and surveys can be viewed here:

• Report on Food Growing Strategy Stakeholder events - October 2018 [1.94MB]
• Appendix 1 Stakeholders List [55.38KB]
• Appendix 2 West Lothian Food Growing Community Workshop note [496.54KB]
• Appendix 3 West Lothian Food Growing Stakeholder Workshop [349.25KB]
• Appendix 4 West Lothian Food Growing Online Survey report [489.28KB]
• Appendix 6 Our Growing Community Poster [2.06MB]
• Appendix 7 Community Growing Matrix [180.58KB]
• Appendix 8 Community Food Growing Sites in West Lothian [47.11KB]

Privacy Notice

• Operational Services - 2021 NETs and Countryside, Community Growing Group [79.85KB]