Hundreds of Angus families have started growing their own food during lockdown.
One scheme alone, the Nourish Kirriemuir project, had delivered more than 60,000 vegetable and herb seeds to 150 families and given away 100 raised bed kits so they could plant gardens at home.
Now the hunt is on for more green-fingered volunteers to join the Grow Angus movement, set up to encourage even more families in the county to get involved.
Kate Munro, of Grow Angus, said: “Covid-19 ripped up normal for all of us, disrupting almost every aspect of our daily lives overnight.
“For some this time has been heartbreaking and difficult, but for many of us, the changes brought about by the pandemic has brought unexpected joy.”
She said lockdown had made her role to promote community gardening more difficult.
“The only thing I could do was send out these packets of seeds. I thought that most of them would die – but they didn’t.
“So many people have been getting back in touch to say how much they have enjoyed growing their own vegetables.
“With climate change, Brexit and coronavirus, there has never been a better time to become more sustainable.”
Kate said being forced to stay at home had led to many people growing their own food for the first time.
“Slowing down has led many of us to get our hands dirty and discover the joy of growing food at home.
“This is good for your planet, your pocket and your health. Science and governments may have said so for decades, our grandparents knew it instinctively, but it took a global pandemic for us to make the change.”
Volunteers in community gardens in Carnoustie, Brechin and Hope Organic Garden in Arbroath have raised and shared tonnes of veg and produced thousands of veg plants for families to grow at home, she added.
Local allotment associations across the county have also helped hundreds of families feed themselves.
Kate said GRow Angus was looking for people with spare tools, knowledge or time to help get their communities growing.
She can be contacted at growangus@gmail.com .
