New community farm in Brussels will bring local food to local stores

The community garden will occupy a 4,900 sq m site in Anderlecht, complete with growing, packing and entertainment facilities

Yesterday, Bruxelles-Environement announced that they will develop a community garden in Anderlecht, on the outskirts of the Belgian capital. The site will have an area of 4,900 square metres and will combine farming areas with communal spaces, to help strengthen the link between Brussels citizens and local producers.

Although the garden is mainly intended for local professional growers, it will also be open to the local community. Apart from the farming areas, it will feature a packing area, a small tasting zone and an open-air public space accessible to everyone.

The public area, in particular, is a strong selling point of the new community garden in Ketelhoeve in Neerpede, as Bruxelles-Environement has stated that it should be used for markets and entertainment events on a regular basis.

The project is supposed to bring food producers and residents together, while also generating locally sourced food. This would shorten supply trips and bring Brussels’ citizens closer to where food is actually being made.

Development and management

According to an official statement, the whole project will cost just over 3 million euros, while development on the site will take around 18 months. The lion’s share of the funds will come through the European Regional Development Fund and another 1.4 million euros will come from Bruxelles-Environement.

After it is complete, the site will be managed for 10 years by a group of NGOs with the collective name La ferme du Chaudron.

Additionally, the development plan for the community garden will take advantage of the fact that currently there are some dilapidated structures on site. Any buildings that can be kept intact will be preserved, while the rest will be recycled for building materials.

The bricks will be used for walls and flowerbeds and the roofing will be used for paths. The site will also recycle rainwater for irrigation via a 40 cubic metre tank, and use worms in toilets to generate compost. The site will also be energy independent, as a small solar farm will cover most of the local demand.