As climate change becomes a hard reality and increasing numbers of people rethink their approach to their food and lifestyle to take more account of sustainability factors, one community group in Powys has decided to use the online medium to spread the organic word.
Ecodyfi, situated in the Dyfi valley in mid-Wales, saw such a positive response to its weekly organic gardening course 'Get Growing' that it decided to use its website to gain a broader audience.
Andy Rowland of ecodyfi explains: "We wanted to use the Web to get more local residents excited about organic gardening. After all, growing and eating organic vegetables is not just good for individuals, it's good for the whole community. There are the obvious health benefits, but it also keeps money in the local economy, reduces pollution from importing produce from elsewhere in the world, and is a great opportunity to meet new people."
An AOL Innovation in the Community Award in 2005 meant that ecodyfi could publish its gardening course materials online, so that people can follow the lessons week-by-week and apply what they learn in their own gardens. The Web course offers tips on what to do each week in an organic garden, from filling a trench for potatoes with horse manure in March to giving onions, leeks, tomatoes and sweetcorn a dose of diluted nettle tea in July.
Ecodyfi also plans to link up with schools so that local children can visit its organic market garden at Ynyslas Gardens, near Borth, and then follow the gardeners' progress online.
"The internet is a powerful tool for learning and now that people can follow the course from home we hope to get the whole community growing delicious organic food and doing their bit for the environment," adds Andy. "Our aim is to foster the sustainable regeneration of the Dyfi valley - the website is playing a vital role in that."