News from the Federation

Hyphen 73 News from the Federation

Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux association sans but lucratif | June 2021 Hyphen 73 | 2021 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of contents:

Leading Article Pride as unifying element 3

The “Why” Finland: We are proud of our annual gardening course 4

Sweden: We are proud of our programme for sustainable gardening 6

France: We are proud of our design office 8

France: We are proud of our scientific commission 10

Luxembourg: We are proud of the allotment garden movement during the Corona pandemic and its numerous functions 12

Austria: We are proud of the contribution of women’s expert groups to the development of the allotment movement 14

Diplomas The allotment association “Älvtomta” in Örebro (SE) received the diploma for innovative projects 17

The allotment association “Orten odlar” in Stockholm (SE) received the diploma for innovative projects 18

The allotment association “Amis de la Fleur Belvaux”(L) received the diploma for innovative projects 21

Addresses 23

Impressum 24

Hyphen 73 | 2021 2 LEADING ARTICLE

Pride as unifying element Mag.a Sylvia Wohatschek Central Federation of Allotment Gardeners of Austria

allotment gardens. For one thing is isation? I wonder if the idea of goats certainly true: the international allot- for landscape maintenance could also ment gardens are as diverse as the be implemented in Vienna? nations in which they are located. The International Federation, as an um- But let me also take up another aspect brella organisation, unites allotment that cannot be ignored at the moment. gardens ranging from pure vegetable The Corona pandemic has decisively gardens to gardens with weekend cot- changed all our lives in the past year tages to main residences; from purely and beyond. We have faced unprec- recreational places to places of con- edented challenges, deprivation and scious, healthy eating; from sparse uncertainty. planting to the highest biodiversity. For many of us, the allotment garden However, no matter how the allotment was even more than usual a precious gardens are designed, we all carry our refuge, a place of balance and a space idea of the allotment garden move- for activity in the fresh air. Mag.a Sylvia Wohatschek ment into society and we do this with a great deal of dedication and pride. In these times it is not always easy to We do this not only on a national level, look at the positives. Dear allotment gardeners! but also in the international context of our International Federation. During That is precisely why it is so nice to You are now virtually holding the third our meetings we exchange experienc- have given the positives so much issue of the „Hyphen“ in your hands, es, collect ideas and take them home space to present themselves in these which is dedicated to the theme of with us and work out joint strategies three issues of the „Hyphen“. „pride“. You could and can learn a lot to make the allotment garden move- about the colourful, diverse world of ment even more visible and to let And one thing must not be forgotten - European and Japanese allotment many people participate in our pride. dear allotment gardeners - we are all gardens in these three issues. part of this community and, therefore, And we have every right to be proud! we can all be proud of what our com- The fact that the theme „We are proud As you have read in the last three is- munity is able to achieve. of...“ could fill three issues shows the sues, there is a seemingly inexhaust- dedication with which the allotment ible variety of ideas, concepts and In that sense, enjoy reading and stay gardens are worked on. activities to be discovered in the allot- healthy! ment garden organisations. Perhaps It is not a given that you have the op- you too would like to take up one or Mag.a Sylvia Wohatschek portunity to read about such different two interesting ideas for your organ-

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Finland: We are proud of our annual gardening course Text: Maylis Karjalainen, Anne Mattsson Photos: Anne Mattsson

The schoolhouse at the campus. The attendants of the course 2019 in front of the schoolhouse.

In 1949 the Finnish Federation of Al- course in taking care of an allotment The range of topics is wide, ranging lotment Gardens held its first garden- garden. The course is tailored to al- from growing fruit, berries and veg- ing course for members. The 72nd lotment gardeners with an emphasis etables to perennials and annuals. It course took place again early spring on basic gardening methods as well covers plant diseases, garden pests, 2020 in co-operation with Häme Uni- as ecological practices and recycling. garden design and maintenance. Stu- versity of Applied Sciences, previously dents spend a day out in the orchard Lepaa Gardening School, which has Over the years there have been two learning to cut apple trees and berry been the service provider since the courses; one for beginners, another bushes – they even learn grafting. beginning. for more advanced gardeners. Nowa- days the course takes five weekdays The feedback from the course has Over the years more than 1000 mem- and twenty-five students can take always been enthusiastic. Students bers from across Finland have en- part. Thanks to its excellent reputa- continue to praise the teachers for joyed the fresh country air of Lepaa tion, it fills up quickly and often has their professionalism, the Lepaa cam- campus grounds while getting a crash a long waiting line. The price, a mere pus for its surroundings as well as the 130 € including room and board, is a room and board. A highlight they al- strong inducement, too. The Federa- ways point out is getting to meet other tion subsidises the course by more allotment gardeners. than 50 %. Students receive three study points for the course, its title in What I gained from the the University curriculum being ‘Ad- course at Lepaa vice to Hobby Gardeners’. I was energised and felt more assured after the tightly scheduled five-day course. The teachers are very professional both regarding their field of “Lepaan Mamselli” – the Mam’sell of expertise as well as pedagogically. Lepaa, a landmark at the campus Conversations with other allotment

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gardeners were a bonus. As one of the teachers said: “true learning means that once you learn something new, you cannot revert to old ways of thinking”. For instance, when you understand how a berry bush grows, you make sure to plant it deep enough.

Anne Mattsson, Lepaa 2019 Representatives of the Finnish Federation of Allotment Gardens tra- A video filmed during the course 2019 ditionally visit the course on the first Eija Rekola - the head teacher of the (credit to Anne Mattsson) is availa- day and serve the students some course for the last 10 years. ble on the Finnish Federation’s You- delicious cakes. Tube-channel – ‘Suomen Siirtolapuu- tarhaliitto’. Unfortunately the video is in Finnish and without subtitles.

The accommodation facilities are modest.

In the beginning of April 2019 the weather was a bit harsh for training cutting apple trees in the orchard.

Teamwork at the course.

The students found a familiar magazine in the campus library.

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Sweden: We are proud of our programme for sustainable gardening The Swedish Allotment Society’s Certificate of sustainability Ingrid Rogblad Swedish Allotment Federation

Twenty years ago, the Swedish Allot- sation, as well as in collaboration with points through a number of steps with ment Federation started a programme Studiefrämjandet, one of Sweden’s different criteria. for raising and spreading knowledge largest associations for adult educa- about sustainable and environmental- tion. We want to put an emphasis on For example: ly friendly gardening. The goal is to the learning process in the field of sus- Avoid artificial fertilizers and pesti- inspire to ecological knowledge and tainable gardening. Learning together, cides. Use natural manure and gar- change. Up to now some 40 associa- on a free basis, is a wonderful way to den waste to produce your own tions, among our 230 member asso- make positive changes and while hav- perfect soil. Cover open soil with ma- ciations, have obtained the certificate. ing a good time. The aim is to double terials such as cut grass, straw, wood But we aim for more. the amount of certified member asso- chips, keeping humidity and prevent- ciations until 2024. ing weeds. The programme has now been updat- ed to match today’s reality. We have We stress the links to the Agenda Weeds, diseases and pests can be made the material more accessible 2030 by raising knowledge about how prevented with planting resistant spe- and we are more actively communi- the global goals can be interpreted in cies, mixing greens and flowers in the cating it to all our members. The ma- garden life. The work towards obtain- land and creating a crop rotation. terial is distributed within our organi- ing the certificate is made byachieving

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Promote biodiversity, the base of all ering soil with organic mulch doing Sustainability has always been cru- life, with flowering plants throughout smart irrigation and water harvesting. cial during times of crisis and hun- the season, from early spring until Solar panels can cut energy costs in ger. These last months we have ex- late autumn, nests for pollinators and the long run. Sharing services can re- perienced that our society has proven birds, a pond, dead wood and stones. duce consumption. to be quite vulnerable. To take care of Let part of the lawn become a flower- a piece of land and be able to grow ing meadow. Of course, all this is not done in one your own food is again becoming im- season. In fact, it is an advantage if portant, economically, but also as a Materials and products shall not con- it takes time to obtain the certificate, social fundament. Knowledge about tain chemicals. Promote reuse and to make sure all members of the al- this resilience promotes engagement recycling, sharing of goods and tools lotment community participate in the in the todays’ society with obvious and common solutions for mobility learning and change. A period of at links to the tradition of allotment gar- and transportation. least three years is advisable for ob- dening throughout the ages. taining the first level of the certificate. Sustainability is also economically Obtaining gold level can take 10 years smart. Water can be saved by cov- or more.

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France: We are proud of our design office Sandra Bele manager of communication

Let’s start at the beginning: Zoom on our design office From design to garden creation What is an allotment? For nearly 30 years, the federation’s An individual person, a lessor, a com- Allotments are private grounds which design office has been designing and pany or a local authority owns grounds regroup individual vegetable plots. creating allotment gardens and is and might be hesitating between sev- These allotment gardens are man- adapting to the demand by providing eral projects. The federation’s design aged by an association and made a specific answer to each association, office is able to help them by a phase available to the inhabitants, so that local authority or H. L. M. landlord who of exchange of ideas and general they can enjoy them for their leisure requests it. questions on the opportunity to set and cultivate them to cover the food up allotment gardens on it. needs of their family; any commercial Since its creation, the design office use is excluded. has developed its main asset: the Once the project has been decided, knowledge of what is going on. where to start? Nowadays, the allotment gardens are a real place of social mixing and ex- This basic knowledge is essential, The feasibility study answers all the changes. because no study or creation of allot- questions that may arise by providing ment gardens is similar to another. a technical and landscaping diagno- The local authorities, companies for The design office has to listen and to sis, detailed specification of the pro- social housing or the landlords, who adapt to the site. ject, one or more development sketch- finance them, use them as elements es, an estimated cost of the works, of integration and as planning tools. It carries out on average two or three a provisional calendar and even a list projects per year creating, renovating of the financial support that can be Some of these allotment gardens or relocating allotment garden sites. requested. have existed for a long time, others From the first contact to the opening are more recent or are still to be cre- of the new site, it takes between one If the project is validated, the federa- ated. This is where the federation’s de- and one and a half years for the pro- tion offers support to the project own- sign office comes into play. ject to get off the ground and to be er until the delivery of the final project. ready for the client.

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In order to illustrate the work of our extend the green and blue grid (eco- A piece of land on the banks of the design office, you find here an allot- logical devise developed by the State river Hers was made available. This ment garden project, which was cre- to maintain natural habitats and eco- new land is situated in a larger area ated on Mée-sur-Seine. logical corridors). A strip, left in its along the banks of the Hers, which natural state on the banks of the the city wished to cover in vegetation. The local authorities of Mée-sur-Seine Seine, has been designed to maintain Some remarkable trees, old buildings had made available to their inhabit- ecological continuity. and other technical constraints were ants grounds on the borders of the used by our design office to adapt and Seine to host allotment gardens. The Flooding: The design office had to -in show ingenuity. authorities called the federation’s de- novate and create semi-open individu- sign office to build and develop this al shelters in the form of pergolas with After a lot of work, the project will ground situated in a sensitive natural benches to store the equipment, in or- soon be finished, and the garden- area. The heart of the project was to der to avoid the risk of being washed ers will finally be able to find their adapt to certain constraints: the land- away by flooding. long-awaited plot! scape, the protection of the unique eco-system existing on these grounds A collective shelter, where the garden- The creation of allotment gardens is and the floods. ers normally gather, is not allowed in a real know-how. Indeed, it is impor- the local urban plan. The design office tant to take into account economic, How did the design office deal with therefore proposed to create a collec- sociological, geographical, historical these constraints? tive space along the central walkway and environmental parameters. This is where tables, playgrounds and dry toi- how our design office has specialised The landscape: By creating its two lets would be set up. for almost 30 years in the conception “mirror sites” which respond to each and realization of these ambitious other thanks to a central path which To create gardens, projects that are allotment gardens leads to all the plots on the site via yes, but not only! with only one watchword: to serve branches. Allotment gardens are already exist- the interest of the gardeners. ing, but they need to be rethought? The gardens have been planned and Our design office can draw up a -di Would you like to get designed in “Fish scales”(semi-circu- agnosis to provide a detailed vision more information? lar shape) to encourage strolls (the of the state of the site and define the In order to contact our design office path) to the plots that are not squared. opportunities for redevelopment. you can write to Mr. Justin Collard These fish scales were made for aes- thetic and organic reasons as well as Some time ago a redevelopment pro- [email protected] for the satellite view. ject was initiated in Toulouse. The allotment gardens were to be relocated He will be happy to answer any of the The protection of the eco-system: an due to the construction of a school. questions or requests you may have. educational pond has been set up to

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France: We are proud of our scientific commission Sandra Bele manager of communication

Indeed, we also have people interest- finally to provide the federation with but often exceed 1,000 €/year (Jau- ed in research in our federation! For arguments based on scientific meth- bert, 2018). nearly three years now, the national ods and results (often obtained in re- allotment and collective garden fed- search projects in which members are Since 2018, in depth work has been eration has initiated the creation of a involved) to defend the gardens with carried out to support local commu- scientific commission. the authorities. nities and the federation in the char- acterisation and management of con- What is a scientific Several subjects of interest are ongo- taminated soils. This work is carried commission? What role does ing, and have on several occasions out alongside an action-research it play within the federation? lead to internship for young academ- study between AgroParisTech and the What subjects are addressed? ics at the federation’s headquarters. scientific commission. The character- The scientific commission is a com- isation and management of contami- mittee of nine people: members of In 2018 a study on the economic in- nated soils contribute to the increase the board of directors of the allot- terests of the vegetable garden, car- in competence of the federation’s de- ment federation, scientists linked ried out together with the national sign office and in the creation of new to the federation and people invited horticultural society, has shown that roof gardens. for their expertise. This commission, allotment gardens often constitute a which meets every quarter, discuss- source of savings for families in their In 2019, an internship in political sci- es, evaluates and analyses research food supply. This source of food is ence on the ways in which local com- topics concerning gardens. objectively variable according to the munities include gardens in their size and care given to the plots and urban planning documents and devel- The objective is threefold: to make the according to the cultivated species opment policy was started, and had gardeners aware of research results (particularly clear for small red fruits). just been brought to an end before that may be of interest to them; to the confinement due to the Corona-Vi- question researchers and the federa- By estimating crop values on the basis rus (Temple, 2020). A wide variety of tion’s board of directors on aspects or of average organic prices and taking community practices in garden zoning questions that emanate from the ba- into account the expenses for the gar- and a growing interest in considering sis regardless from which region; and den, the savings are highly variable, gardens as a planning tool have been

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demonstrated, and the recent health are for cultivated (and spontaneous!) to the vegetable garden and, there- crisis is likely to further increase this biodiversity, but also how much many fore, to our gardeners and our faith- interest. gardeners are attached to protecting ful readers. and promoting it through their practic- A study on biodiversity in the gar- es and the arrangements they make. The Scientific commission, a real as- dens, carried out in partnership with set for the federation, has not finished the Nicolas Hulot Foundation, is still Several of these results have promot- working for the best of the family gar- ongoing. For this study the garden- ed debates and exchanges during the dens and their gardeners! ers, who are members of the allot- general assemblies, and articles are ment garden federation, had been currently being written for the feder- The members of the commission are: approached for participation. This ation’s magazine, Jardin Familial de Christine Aubry, Anne Barbillon, Daniel study should give rise to important France! These texts aim at informing Cazanove, Jean-Noël Consalès, Mar- arguments for the gardens: it con- and providing an expertise related to cel Marloie, Gil Melin, Badis Mérad, firms what incredible places gardens all that is closely or remotely related Fanny Provent, Jean Wohrer

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Luxembourg: We are proud of the allotment garden movement during the Corona pandemic and its numerous functions Léon Wietor Vice-president of the Luxembourgish allotment federation

Exhibition stand at the occassion of the Ambiance jardins Samen event

D - Abschnitt 2

01_Kochen von Zwetschgenmus

D - Abschnitt 4

02_Stand bei der Ausstellung Jardin-Rêve

In these difficult times of the Coro- and is co-founder of the “Office -In and meetings, and have thus become E - Abschnitt 2 na crisis, we are proud of our Ligue ternational”. Individual associations, an important factor of social integra- du Coin de Terre et du Foyer “Garden which carried out their activities local- tion in our multicultural society. This Making plumb marmalade and Home league”, which has existed ly, founded the league. At that time, is how lived solidarity is created, not in Luxembourg for almost 100 years the allotment garden movement also only in the gardening sector, but also Abschnitt 4 played an important role among the in other social and economic sectors. working class, because the yield of This now also needs to be proven true Exhibition stand at the occassion of the “Jardin-Rêve” event the garden had a vital function for sur- in times of crisis, such as the current vival. It was also at that time, when pandemic and the possible conse- F - Abschnitt 2 the first allotment garden settlements quent economic and financial crisis, were founded, which are still being in order to maintain social coherence Faire de la confiture aux prunes looked after and accompanied by the in society. respective sections today. Little by F - Abschnitt 4 little, the scope of offered activities We are proud of our association’s increased such as exchanging expe- newspaper, which provides members Stand d’exposition à la foire Jardin-Rêve riences in gardening, developing reci- with valuable information and inter- pes preserving jams and canned food. esting professional articles and so represents an important exchange We are proud of our associations, platform for the allotment gardeners which combine these activities at a lo- and can be further developed with the Making plumb marmalade cal level with appropriate celebrations help of modern media. Herewith we

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offer insights into gardening and the well-being. It can be experienced with various functions of our gardens not all our senses: listening to the bird- only to our members but also to broad song, looking at the flowers, tasting sections of the population. Owning a the fruit, feeling the earth, feeling the garden conveys a certain philosophy weather and experiencing the sea- and quality of life in contact with na- sons. ture. The garden provides relaxation and a meaningful balance to the often We are proud of our contributions to stressful everyday life. biodiversity, both in plant and animal life. From childhood to old age, peo- We are proud of the value of our gar- ple learn to appreciate nature and dening work and of the products of develop an understanding of com- our activities, whether it is growing plex interrelationships in biological fruit and vegetables, creating flower and nutritional processes. This way, beds, running a small greenhouse, people learn to appreciate food, bet- tending an herb garden or creating a ter understand the seasonal offerings garden pond. Gardening is a healthy of products and can thus counteract and sustainable leisure activity dur- food waste. One also learns to try out ing which all human senses are chal- new techniques of cultivation, both in lenged and developed. It is the sight allotments and home gardens, as well of the whole and the detail, the big and as in roof gardens and on balconies. the small things, the physical activity, Modern initiatives, under the keyword which is often also strenuous, but at “urban gardening” are also increasing- the same time serves our health and ly being propagated.

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Austria: We are proud of the contribution of women’s expert groups to the development of the allotment movement Thomas Gindl

Women’s expert group “Gaswerk XI” Women of the women’s expert group at the occasion of the celebration of Floridsdorf offer their delicious products at their 15th jubilee (2001) the allotment exhibition in 2019

The women‘s expert groups have a had to learn to deal with their small tations of the women‘s expert groups long tradition in Austria. Since the piece of land as effectively as possi- could be summarised today with the beginning of the 20th century, wom- ble. The procurement of useful plants modern term „knowledge manage- en allotment gardeners have played was just as much the focus of atten- ment“. The transfer of traditional a decisive role in the flourishing of tion as finding ideal recipes to make knowledge about the ideal use of the the allotment garden sector in social the best possible use of the harvested allotment garden was an important and economic terms. Their union into produce to feed the family. good in those days and was promot- women‘s expert groups was the logi- ed and supported by the associations. cal consequence of the challenges of Passing on recipes, knowledge about that time. preserving food and exchanging fruits Change to new structures and vegetables was essential for the The economic boom of the 50s and The exact origin cannot be deter- entire garden community. 60s, as well as the new structures in mined today, but the formation of the allotment gardens also changed the women‘s expert groups is close- After the Second World War, the lack the orientation of the women‘s expert ly linked to the social and economic of many products also led to creative groups from economic to social goals. developments of the inter-war and alternatives, which were passed on post-war period. At that time there to the younger members through the The expert groups that are active to- was great poverty, especially in the women‘s expert groups. day arose from the desire to meet with urban areas. The inhabitants of the like-minded people for joint activities. first allotment garden settlements These activities of the early manifes- Unfortunately, due to problems with

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among other things. This is how deli- Gaswerk XI”, founded in 1986, has its cious creations arise, like: fig, orange headquarters. and kumquat jam or elderflower li- queur. The idea for the foundation arose from the desire to better get to know At Christmas, baking together is also the neighbours. So, the suggestion a must. Their vanilla crescents, rum was taken up by the chairman of the truffles and “Marmeladeherzen (heart- association to found an own expert shaped cookies filled with jam) are in group. To be financially independent, great demand. Consequently the la- the women decided to pursue their dies produce about 40 kilos of bis- passion for handicrafts together. cuits per season, which can be pre-ordered from November on. Over the past 35 years the 20 to 25 The products from their own garden members have devoted themselves transformed for a good cause All this requires good organisation mainly to crafting Christmas deco- and so a plan is drawn up at the rations. A Christmas bazaar takes monthly meeting. Special emphasis place every year. Especially popu- is placed on organically grown prod- lar are the richly decorated Advent ucts from their own garden. wreaths, which are pre-ordered in large numbers. Furthermore, you can The products are sold at events like find everything from Christmas tree the allotment garden fair or Christ- decorations to pearl animals. mas markets. The proceeds are used for a good cause that is particularly All the works of art have one thing in close to the women‘s hearts. Togeth- common. They are handmade with er with the “Ambulatorium Strebers- much love. The use of natural mate- dorf” (a clinic for disabled children), rials as well as upcycling is empha- an herb garden for children and young sised. For example, with angels made people with developmental problems from used coffee capsules. The pre- Small works of art are created was created. „When we look into the paratory work starts already in March with much love and are handmade eyes of the children and recognise and ends two weeks before the 1st for the Christmas bazaar how much joy they get from working Advent in the intensive phase of com- in the garden, all the effort is forgot- pletion. At the sale, homemade bis- ten. That is reward enough for us“, cuits, tea and punch are also offered. says Helga Lang, touched. recruiting young people, there are now Also, the women intensively partici- only a few associations with women‘s In addition to the therapy garden, the pate in the associative life. For many expert groups. women also work with the charitable years, the lantern procession for Mar- association KoMiT, which supports tini has been co-organised and up to Women‘s expert group of people with disabilities and mental 70 lanterns have been handmade for the allotment gardeners illness. the children of the area. In addition, “Floridsdorf” the women are happy to help with all In the 21st district of Vienna, allot- Unfortunately, the women‘s group of kinds of celebrations and are thus ment gardeners came together to use allotment gardeners Floridsdorf is known and loved beyond the associ- their love for the products of their own very worried about young people tak- ation’s borders. garden for a good cause. Under the ing up its succession. Currently only leadership of Helga Lang, the wom- 10 women between 65 and 80 years That amount of work has to be well or- en‘s group was founded in 2005 in the are still active and try in vain to moti- ganised. Every Wednesday the mem- „Bezirksorganisation der Kleingarten- vate young women to continue their bers of the women‘s group meet to do vereine Floridsdorf“ (district organisa- commitment. handicrafts and bring in new ideas. tion of allotments Floridsdorf). Everything is recorded in the minutes. Women‘s expert group That way, thick folders with handicraft They put their experience of process- “Kolonie Gaswerk XI” projects have accumulated over the ing the fruits of their own garden into On the opposite bank of the Danube, years. the production of jams and liqueurs, the women‘s expert group “Kolonie

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The proceeds go back into new projects and are invested in joint activities. „Sometimes the men are allowed to take part if they have helped well“, says chairwoman Sonja Feller.

These activities are certainly also a reason why the women‘s group does not suffer from worries about young women becoming members. The current 20 members are between 24 and 86 years old. From the beginning, everyone was able to come by and bring their children and grandchildren along. So up to 4 generations have shared the common passion. The new generation from their own ranks and the contact to all age groups in the association will hopefully ensure the women‘s group a long continued existence.

Prospects The Austrian allotment garden movement can look back with pride on the great contribution of women‘s expert groups to the development of the allotment garden sector. Even though living conditions are changing and time has become a scarce commod- ity, we still hope that many initiatives will in the future originate from the community of allotment gardeners and so continue the long tradition.

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The allotment association “Älvtomta” in Örebro (SE) received the diploma for innovative projects

Älvtomta has always worked to keep this was done, they built ramps to the removed without informing the board. the original houses, plants, values etc, club house and dance-floor and all The trees that were in too poor condi- but has also kept an eye towards the areas within the association are now tion were removed and replaced with future and all of its challenges, such accessible to all. Finally, they built a new ones. as the environment, accessibility etc. new service building with a toilet and Based on this, they have successfully a shower adapted to accommodate At about the same time they joined the worked with a number of interesting wheelchairs. As an extra plus they pre- Swedish Allotment Federation’s envi- projects to develop their association pared the new service building so that ronmental programme and Älvtomta since 2006. they can switch to using solar panels have now reached the Bronze level. for energy in the future. Between 2006 and 2013 they made Finally, with their centennial birthday the association accessible for the el- In 1917, when the Älvtomta allotment coming up in 2017, they turned the derly and people in wheelchairs. The association was created, the city of old, no longer used service building first thing they did was to dig out and Örebro donated an apple tree, a cher- into an allotment museum. There vis- remove all the loose, coarse gravel on ry tree and a pear tree to each plot. itors can read correspondences of all the paths, and replacing it with rock In 2011 a group started to make an over 100 years and follow a family’s flour. As rock flour sets it becomes a inventory of the trees that still re- history of their life in Älvtomta. There firm surface that allows wheelchairs, mained of these original trees. The are also tools, furniture etc. The muse- wheelbarrows and prams to roll along main goal was to keep the trees and um was inaugurated during Älvtomta’s the paths without problems. When to make sure none of these trees were 100 year celebration.

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The project “Orten odlar” in Stockholm (SE) received the diploma for innovative projects

• Allotment areas should receive fi- 2: Kelly’s allotment, where she grows nancial support from cities. African plants in Sweden. It shouldn´t be possible. Activities The project was a collaboration be- 3: Korean Kim Hyowon grows chili, tween the network Pepper & Pumpkin, garlic, daikon radish, cabbage and The arthall in Tensta, Studiefrämjan- makes kimchi of it all. She eats kim- det (study org) and 12 allotment as- chi at least twice a day. sociations in Järva (suburb with many “newly arrived people”)

• A seed exchange in the spring

• Participation during the political week in Järva (a big event where all political parties and their lead- ers participate)

• A garden festival located in the Their manifest centre of Järva, open allotment ar- To put focus on the eas, market and stage with short importance of allotments as lectures etc. 1 • meeting places and for social exchange The organizers were invited to the morning shows on tv, press and radio • for relaxation talked to them as well.

• as a source of inspiration for gar- Let us first mention some deners of the people who inspired us to start Orten Odlar. for biodiversity 1: First Muhammad Shabazi, once Ira- • 2 nian champion in wrestling. Thanks to • the importance of allotments for him we learned a lot about herbs and society vegetables from Iran and about intensive gardening. Based on this they put forward the following requests: • Build more allotment areas

• Protect existing allotment areas (by law) 3

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4: Friendship on the allotment is a very special friendship, like this one between Tao and Toma.

5: We started in autumn 2018. Visit- ed allotments in Järva and arranged several meetings with allotment holders. This day it was snowing outside but warm and cosy in Slawomirs cottage. Also, in winter he visits the gar- 9 4 den every day.

6: Fahyma from Syria invites us into a traditional Arabian guestroom in a nine square meter cottage in an allotment in Tensta. Fahyma became an important person in the project. She teaches immigrants in Swedish by gardening in an allotment.

10 7: We realised that the allotments 5 aren´t sleeping during wintertime. In Lilla Rinkeby, most of the men go there after a hard day’s work, chatting, relaxing and drinking tea. This is what they also do wintertime on the allotments: smoke meat in a traditional Bosnian way.

11 8: March 2019: Seed pop up in Tensta. 200 people came to swap seeds and learn about seed saving. There were 6 seeds from all over the world.

9: June 2019: To Zarah, her mother and most of the allotment holders in Järva, the teapot is almost as important as the spade. Every day relatives 12 and friends visit them.

10: Negma told us something inter- 12: June 2019: We take part in the esting: Her psychiatrist recommended biggest political event in Sweden, the her to find an allotment, and it worked. Järva week. We had a little tent where 7 That’s the best medicine ever for her. we served soup from Syria, torshi and She also told us that nine of her al- tea. It was a success. lotment neighbours have gotten the same advice from their health centre.

11: Per-Arne is the only Swedish allotment holders we met in Rinkeby’s many allotments He has a problem with ADHD and severe depression. Only when he spends the day in the garden, growing vegetables and in- 8 venting/constructing things, he is okay.

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13: Isabella Löven, vice prime minister and minister of environment, came to our tent and discussed allotment questions with two of our enthusiasts, Maria and Zita (to the left).

14: August 24th: Today is our festival. And these are some of our volunteers 13 18 and enthusiasts.

15: Colourful market with allotment holders in Järva.

16: Kim Hyowon sold lots of homemade kimchi with ingredients from her allotment.

14 17: During the festival day, the visitors 19 could listen to short speeches about soil, compost and of course about our manifest. They could also get advice from experts in organic gardening.

18: The whole day shuttlebuses took the festival visitors to three allotment associations in Järva. Hajra and Ejub 15 Lemes from Bosnia guided them in their awesome Bosnian garden and served barbecued lamb and salad in a Bosnian way (Orten Odlar payed).

19: They also had the opportunity to meet Zita, our master gardener who 20 every week reports how much she has harvested on her allotment, 100 square metres. 16 20: The result of the Zita project: From April 1st – November 24th 2019 she harvested 870 kilo vegetables on her organic plot (100 square metres). It shows the potential of an allotment. It must be the must-have kitchen garden in Sweden.

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The allotment association “Amis de la Fleur Belvaux”(L) received the diploma for innovative projects

This association has created a com- Within the framework of the master (7 × 7 metres) are only used for culti- munity garden called “Matgesfeld” in plan for sustainable gardening in the vation. For the common use and re- Belvaux with the following character- municipality of Sanem, adopted in laxation, you find a surrounding green istics: 2016, there also was a focus on the space with a picnic bench, a sunbath- “Matgesfeld” in the village of Bel- ing bench, a barbecue area and, new • a unique concept of sustainable vaux.“Matgesfeld” is a green transi- gardening and horticulture, tion area between urban space and open landscape, well connected to • dry toilets, the existing road network. It is an ideal place for the development of an ac- • a garden patch with a robot, tion, meeting and integration space. What could be more suitable for this • 6 gardening plots for school chil- purpose than a garden? dren, In opposition to traditional allotment • an aviary and gardens, the 28 square garden plots

• an apiary.

Description: Since the 2017 gardening season, the „Amis de la fleur Belvaux“ have been able to make garden plots available to their members following a new concept for Luxembourg.

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for this gardening season, a green- ative pressure in the container pre- house with automatic irrigation. The vents the escape of odours. background of this concept is that all elements in the garden fulfil a func- Another innovative element is the tional and ecological purpose. Thus, garden robot. Here, the focus is less the two tool sheds have extensively on bed preparation, than on program- green roof areas. In the sheds garden- ming. If everything is set, the robot ing tools can be individually locked up. can sow, water, pick weeds and loos- Solar cells on both roofs supply elec- en the soil independently. The aim is tricity for the lighting in the shed. The to demonstrate on a small scale that barrier-free public dry toilet also ful- horticulture can be innovative and fils its ecological functioning by sav- “high-tech”. ing water. In this toilet, liquids and solid materials are separated from each As 6 plots are reserved for school other. The liquid flows to the bottom structures, the garden also takes on of the collection container, while the an educational role. The neighbouring solids remain on a dry plate. Due to French community of Rédange is also a special aeration system, the excre- taking advantage of this opportunity tions are exposed to a continuous air starting in this gardening season, in flow. Consequently, the solid matter cooperation with a Luxembourgish dehydrates and the liquid evaporates. school. The multi-nationality of the Together with heat, natural enzymes, tenants additionally makes the gar- long storage times and oxygen-rich den an intercultural place. From young air, the faeces are therefore dried and families, singles, elderly single peo- decomposed and are finally reduced ple to circles of friends; all household to about 5 % of their volume. The neg- forms and age structures are present.

Hyphen 73 | 2021 22 ADDRESSES

COUNTRY FEDERATION ADDRESS TEL / FAX / EMAIL

Austria Zentralverband der Simon-Wiesenthal-Gasse 2 Tel.: 0043/1-587 07 85 Kleingärtner und Siedler A - 1020 WIEN Fax: 0043/1-587 07 85 30 Österreichs email: [email protected] Internet: www.kleingaertner.at

Belgium Tuinhier vzw PAC Het Zuid Tel.: 0032/9 267 87 31 Woodrow Wilsonplein 2 email: [email protected] B - 9000 GENT Internet: www.tuinhier.be

Denmark Kolonihaveforbundet Smedeholm 13 C Tel.: 0045/3 828 8750 DK - 2730 HERLEV Fax: 0045/3 828 8350 email: [email protected] Internet: www.kolonihave.dk

Finland Suomen Siirtolapuutarhaliitto ry Pengerkatu 9 B 39 Tel.: 00358/ 103213540 FI - 00530 HELSINKI email: [email protected] Internet: www.siirtolapuutarhaliitto.fi

France Fédération Nationale des Jardins 12, rue Félix Faure Tel.: 0033/ 1-45 40 40 45 Familiaux et Collectifs F - 75015 PARIS Fax: 0033/ 1-45 40 78 90 [email protected] Intenet: www.jardins-familiaux.asso.fr

Germany Bundesverband Deutscher Platanenallee 37 Tel.: 0049/30-30 20 71-40/41 Gartenfreunde e.V. D - 14050 BERLIN Fax:0049/30-30 20 71 39 email: [email protected] Internet: www.kleingarten-bund.de

Great-Britain The National Allotment Society O‘Dell House/Hunters Road Tel.: 0044/ 1536 266 576 GB - CORBY Fax: 0044/1536 264 509 Northhamptonshire NN17 5JE email: [email protected] Internet: www.nsalg.org.uk

Japan Association for Japan Allotment 4-27-20 Honmachi-higashi, Tel.: 0081 904754 2136 Garden Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi Fax: 003 3266 0667 Saitama Prefecture 338 -0003 email: [email protected] Japan http://homepage3.nifty.com/ikg-kem/

Luxembourg Ligue Luxembourgeoise du Coin 97, rue de Bonnevoie Tel.: 00 352/ 48 01 99 de L - 1260 LUXEMBOURG Fax: 00 352/40 97 98 Terre et du Foyer email: [email protected] Internet: www.ctf.lu

Norway Norsk Kolonihageforbund Postboks 1247 Vika Tel.: 0047/94080090 N - 0110 OSLO email: [email protected] Intenet: www.kolonihager.no

The Netherlands AVVN Samen natuurlijk tuinieren Vogelvlinderweg 50 Tel.: 0031/ 30 670 1331 NL - 3544 NJ UTRECHT email: [email protected] Internet: www.avvn.nl

Sweden Koloniträdgårdsförbundet Ringvägen 9E Tel.: 0046/ 8 556 930 80 SE - 11823 STOCKHOLM Fax: 0046/ 8-640 38 98 email: [email protected] www.kolonitradgardsforbundet.se

Switzerland Schweizer Familien Libellenweg 5 Tel.: 0041/32 384 71 23 gärtnerverband CH - 3250 LYSS/BE 0041/79 251 26 43 email: [email protected] Internet: www.familiengaertner.ch www.jardins-familiaux.ch

Hyphen 73 | 2021 23 IMPRESSUM

Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux association sans but lucratif

Address: 20, Rue de Bragance, L – 1255 Luxemburg The Federation Online: www.jardins-familiaux.org

Management Board: Dirk Sielmann (D); President Wilhelm Wohatschek (A); President of the Management Board Daniel Cazanove (F); Preben Jacobsen (Dk); Members; Malou Weirich (L); Secretary General

Auditors: Erik Schauwvliege (B); Pertti Laitila (FI)

Substitute Auditor: Phil Gomersall (GB);

General Assembly: The Federations from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great-Britain, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland;

Hyphen: is published three times per year by the Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux A. S. B. L.

Editor: Malou WEIRICH, Fédération Internationale

Distribution: E-Mail by the Fédération Internationale

Concept and Realisation: Zentralverband Der Kleingärtner und Siedler Österreichs

Layout/DTP: Werbegrafik-Design Karin Mayerhofer, Besch, Ing. Beate Scherer

Source of Pictures: The Federations of Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg and Sweden

Date: June 2021

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