Fresh fruit and veg project set up by church

A rector is using a piece of church land to grow fruit and vegetables after he was "flabbergasted" by the cost of healthy food in Guernsey.

Reverend Daniel Foot is working with St Martin parish officials for the community project on a field beside St Martin New Cemetery.

The produce - which is set to include tomatoes, squashes, potatoes and leeks - will be planted in 2026 before being harvested, with the surplus used for cooking workshops in the island's community kitchens.

Mr Foot said he had been planning the project for about two years and it was a chance for the community "to come together".

"When I arrived on the island seven years ago, I went into a supermarket and was flabbergasted at the price of fresh produce," Mr Foot told BBC Radio Guernsey.

"I thought that if I was struggling to afford it then other people must be struggling as well."

He recalled then walking into a different supermarket and finding an offer selling three frozen pizzas for £5.

"That's when I realised people were feeding themselves with a lot of processed food," he said.

"Now we are doing this work to bring people together and raise awareness."

Mr Foot said a planning meeting would be held on 10 January at the St Martin Community Centre to figure out how the project would work and to find people who wanted to help.

"We'll need volunteers from the community to roll their sleeves up and do some hard work, but they will reap the benefits of it," he added.

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