Tens of thousands of members have joined GIY (Grow it Yourself), in Ireland and abroad, since its inception in 2009, and its development and spheres of influence seem to know no bounds.
Man on a mission Michael Kelly is the driving force behind the movement and it's hard to imagine anyone other than the charismatic former journalist being able to get it going at all, never mind achieve its phenomenal growth - and, most recently, the opening of the beautiful GIY headquarters and café in Ardkeen.
The story of its beginnings is often told, but well worth knowing. Michael's light bulb moment came in a supermarket, when he realised that the garlic he was about to buy, and which could be grown in any Irish garden, had come from China. The absurdity is obvious, but few would think too much about it, much less act on it. Yet it motivated him to grow food himself, and then to find a way engage others in the mission. So GIY was born and, with recession deepening, the timing was perfect, both for the sense of empowerment that achieving an element of food security brought to many people at that time and the social engagement that is fundamental to the movement.
Then, as the economic climate improved, the relevance of GIY became even more obvious in terms of health and welbeing. Enjoyable education is at the heart of everything they do. GROW, COOK, EAT is the mantra - it is the title of the hugely successful GIY book, and also theTV series, filmed over the four seasons on site at GROW HQ, 'an urban food centre where people come to learn to home-grow food.'
The site was donated by the local council and the location couldn't be better - the beautifully functional building is highly visible, easily accessible, and just across the road from University Hospital Waterford. The organic gardens on site are professionally run with assistance from volunteers, and they're not only designed to show visitors what can be done, and how, but also to provide fresh produce for the GROW HQ Café. Here, head chef JB Dubois and his talented kitchen team transform the seasonal harvest (and other organic, chemical free, free range ingredients sourced locally) into delicious plant-based, but not entirely vegetarian, meals.
'100% seasonal veg with no exceptions' is the rule here, and daily specials depend what is available in the garden. An 'HQ Hero' is the seasonal veg of the week from the garden - served 5 ways, mezze-style - and there are daily changes to the mezze plate, soup and hearty lunch. It's colourful, vibrant food, prepared with maximum flavour and nutrition in mind, and a great asset to the local community and people visiting the hospital.
The drinks list follows the same philosophy, offering an organic wine range, the local Metalman Brewery craft beers and seasonal cordials and organic elderflower/lemonades.
And, aside from the gardens and the café, there's a lot going on at GROW HQ - they have a demonstration kitchen and offer seminars and classes on nutrition, food and health, and teach people of all ages how to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs, how to harvest it and how to cook it. There's also a shop, selling garden / food related items and ofts, often with sustainabilty as the theme.
This is a fantastic place, and well worth visiting for a delicious bite to eat and a good browse.
