Every year, the prison creates a plan of which produce will be cultivated and consumed on-site, sustainability while saving the taxpayer an estimated £10-15,000 annually. This year, each prisoner chose from a limited list of vegetables to grow in their allotments based on plans made with the kitchen.
The allotments have been a huge success, with friendly rivalry developing over who has the best crops – and ‘top secret’ recipes of feed, especially for their giant pumpkins, which will also be entered for the North Show. Although most of the produce goes straight into the prison kitchens, any excess is sold on our ‘hedge veg’ cart in the prison car park, with all profits going back to CLIP. The site also has a ‘formal’ garden that prisoners tend as part of their City & Guilds qualification in practical horticulture skills.
The final element of the site is the wild garden which provides pollen and nectar for the bees in our beehives. These were established two years ago after members from the local beekeeping association came in to teach officers and prisoners how to collect their own honey. We now have a regular supply of honey, which is also sold to provide funds for CLIP.
