Community Food Growing in Cumberland

Community food growing brings people together, transforms underused spaces and puts fresh, local produce on dinner tables across Cumberland. Through allotments, communal gardens and edible public spaces, neighbours share skills, reduce food miles and deepen connections to the land.

Carlisle Green Hub vegetables for others 2

Food Growing Groups in Cumberland

Community food growing in Cumberland flourishes through a diverse network of groups - everything from formal allotment societies to grassroots veg-plot collectives. Explore who’s growing where, and use the map to find a project near you.

*Coming soon* Find a Food Growing Group Near You

The Right to Grow in Cumberland (Licence to Grow)

Cumberland Council is supporting the national Right to Grow campaign through its community growing licence called "Licence to Grow", which allows communities to use pieces of Council-owned land for food growing. The process is designed to be simple, cost-free and open to all local growing initiatives.

Who Can Apply

Community organisations of any size
Schools, faith groups, care homes or resident associations
Neighbourhood growing collectives

What the Licence Covers

Permission to cultivate specified Council land at no charge
Advice and support from Food Cumberland’s Community Food Growing Sub-Group, including where to apply for funding, composting advice and links to other local groups.

How to Get Started

If you’ve identified a piece of Council-owned land in your area and your group or organisation would like to grow food on it, we’d love to hear from you.

Email us at: foodpartnership@cumberland.gov.uk

Please include:

A brief description of your group
The location of the land you’re interested in
Your vision for the growing space

We’ll guide you through the next steps and help bring your growing project to life.