Islanders Invited To Help Shape Future Of Local Food Growing

Island residents are being encouraged to have their say on the future of community food growing through a new survey launched this week.

The Community Growing Survey — a joint project between the Isle of Wight Food Partnership, Isle of Wight Council and the IW Biosphere Steering Committee — aims to map existing growing spaces, understand future needs, and connect people interested in working together on new or existing projects.

Anyone can take part, whether they’re involved in a community garden, run an allotment, represent a parish council or business, or simply have a passion for growing food.

The team also wants to hear from people who aren’t currently involved but would like to be — particularly those who have land available.

The survey is open until 5 January 2026.

Once it closes, a meeting will be held to share the results and plan next steps for the year ahead.

The initiative follows strong interest shown at the recent Environment and Sustainability Forum, where residents called for more opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge.

Katy Hurd, Environment and Biosphere Community Coordinator at the Isle of Wight Council, said:

“We were thrilled to see such enthusiasm from our Island residents with regard to community growing and look forward to building a stronger, more resilient local food system together, based on the findings of this survey.”

Feedback will help shape efforts to support a more sustainable and better-connected community.

Take the survey: Community Growing Survey