Editor’s Note: These pieces are intended to offer a deeper look into each episode of surfer Fergal Smith‘s Line9 series, Growing, a new clip published every two weeks. The series is a year in the life of Smith and his brother With a new clip published every two weeks, the series follows them as they take a step back from the rat race while spending days tending to a sustainable garden and surfing the readily available Irish slab.
Author’s Note: My main reason for doing this series is for showing the what else I’m passionate about — aside from surfing — and to try to promote all the good, positive things that people are doing.
I have committed to three gardens: the first one is on Moy Hill, and the other two are at Moy House for growing the vegetables. It’s the same owner who owns the gardens; he is a legend of a man who sees the potential in his land but just does not have the time to do anything with them.
The land he owns is some of the best in the area and we are so lucky and grateful to be allowed to garden here. It’s win-win for everyone. We only found out that we could take on the garden in January so it has been hard work getting everything up and going, but we are getting there. It’s such a great learning experience starting something from scratch. For me, that is the whole point of the exercise, giving it a go and figuring it out as we go along. For me, this is the best way to learn. We planted this shelter belt for wind protection. Hopefully in a few years it will do its job. That was a great learning experience on how to plant tree against the wind and what are the best types of trees. This is practical learning, I feel.
The gardens have been started by the community and are for the community. A lot of people don’t have the space, time or knowledge to grow their own food but now if they are interested there is a place from them to learn. I invite anyone to come up hang out do a few hours helping out and learn a few basic things about growing food along the way. Anyone who helps out will have plenty of food out of it when it all comes. That’s the real fun part.
Its great to be documenting it and from the very beginning, hopefully it will help others go and start something.
People find it strange that we are using the land and it’s not ours. But if you have pure good intentions and your motives are only good, why can’t we used the land if it’s not being used? I think this has to be the way of the future, certainly in Ireland anyway. There is a lot of land doing very little here and a lot of people without a job. I hope people can see the value if working that land and not for money reasons but for health ones. Gardening will not make you a rich man but what does rich even mean? Which would you rather, a rich bank balance or a healthy happy life?
