Glebelands

Next to the River Mersey in Sale, Glebelands is a small market garden co-operative, producing organic fruit and veg which is all sold in and around Greater Manchester. The site was taken on in 2001 by Lesley Bryson & Adam York (also one of Unicorn’s founder members), whose blood sweat and tears transformed it into a success story for sustainable urban food production. This was helped along by a very close relationship with Unicorn, which has made survival possible whereas trading on the open market would not.

Adam and Lesley left the site in 2009 for new Welsh pastures, handing it over to a four-strong team of Charlotte, Adam, Sally & Ed, who make up Glebelands City Growers. With a mixture of backgrounds & experience, the four have brought bags of enthusiasm and fresh ideas for the site, as well as a willingness for very hard graft. Expansion plans are already underway, and new polytunnels and glasshouses should increase production of leafy crops all year round. The team are also increasing their education work with school children in the area. The close and mutually beneficial relationship with Unicorn continues, with the shop assisting in the purchase of equipment for Glebelands, and Glebelands raising plants for the land Unicorn owns at Glazebury.

Small scale sustainable agriculture is always a challenge, but particularly in the UK where shoppers have come to demand the lowest ever real prices for their groceries. Glebelands, and other businesses like it, provides a good lesson in recognising the real value of food.       

BACK TO THE GROWERS ARCHIVE