Grow it Yourself: a Gathering of Global Growers

In three years, an Irish food movement called Grow it Yourself has gained 50,000 fans, says Mark Diacono.

Last year I spent a weekend in Ireland that made me very happy. Yes, there was whiskey and music but, more than that, I was blown away by the annual GIY Gathering. You will almost certainly not be familiar with GIY, so allow me to introduce you.

A few years ago, its founder, Mick Kelly, had a Damascene moment when buying garlic in the supermarket. Every label read “Grown in China”. His incandescence inspired him to grow his own, and encourage others to do the same. GIY (Grow it Yourself) was born.

He wanted to do more than advise people about how to grow carrots. His vision was to form a network of individuals and groups that could (in both senses) grow together. It would provide a shared knowledge base, but more importantly also build food and growing communities that would become a powerful force for change.

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