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Help Us Build Bristol’s Food Forest Market Garden

Updated: Oct 14

At Generation Soil CIC, we’re on a mission to grow food, restore soil, and build resilient communities. Our next big step?


Creating a two-acre food forest market garden in Bristol, a living classroom that connects people, nature, and nourishment.


Sam and Alex from Generation Soil standing in front of the large Generation Soil logo sign with the green food forest market garden in the background in Bristol.


Why Bristol Needs a Food Forest


The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us how essential nature and good food are for well-being.


Yet millions in the UK still struggle to access fresh, nutritious produce. Over 3 million people used food banks in 2024, compared with just 26,000 in 2009.


We believe food should be local, healthy, and grown in living soil, not wrapped in plastic or flown halfway across the world.


That’s why we’re planting the seeds of change right here in Bristol.


“When we feed the soil, the soil feeds us. Regeneration starts beneath our feet.” Alex Montgomery, Founder of Generation Soil.

Alex digging into rich soil at Generation Soil’s food forest market garden in Bristol, showing regenerative farming and healthy soil practices in action.


How We’ll Grow This Vision


We’re raising £20,000 to turn this vision into reality at Roots Allotments, Leigh Woods Meadow.


Every contribution helps create a regenerative space that grows food, biodiversity, and community resilience.



Your support will fund:


  • Compost Bays (£1,000): Turning Bristol’s food waste into nutrient-rich living soil.

  • Planting (£1,000): Native trees, shrubs, and perennials to feed wildlife and people alike.

  • Watering System (£1,000): Rainwater harvesting to reduce mains water use.

  • Seedling Nursery (£2,000): A dedicated propagation space for healthy, strong plants.

  • Tools and Storage (£2,000): Secure, sustainable facilities to keep our work running smoothly.

  • Polytunnel (£6,000): Extending the growing season and increasing community food production.

  • Utility Vehicle (£8,000): Helping us deliver produce and compost throughout Bristol.


Generation Soil food forest market garden site plan illustrating the layout of the agroforestry area, produce beds, and composting area, designed for regenerative growing in Bristol.




What Is a Food Forest?


A food forest is a diverse ecosystem of edible trees, shrubs, and plants that mimics the structure of a natural forest.


Unlike traditional farming, it grows perennials that return year after year, improving soil and biodiversity without chemical inputs.


Common layers in a food forest include:


  1. Canopy trees, fruit and nut trees

  2. Understory, smaller trees and shrubs

  3. Herbaceous plants

  4. Groundcovers

  5. Root crops

  6. Vines and climbers

  7. Fungi and soil microbes



Together, these layers build soil health, resilience, and abundance.



How Your Support Helps Bristol


Your donations directly help us:


  • Provide fresh, chemical-free food for Bristol communities

  • Improve urban biodiversity above and below ground

  • Educate people about circular food systems and regenerative living

  • Create a hands-on learning site for schools, universities, and local groups



As the site matures, we’ll host educational workshops on composting, permaculture, and soil regeneration for people of all ages.


Alex Montgomery from Generation Soil leading an outdoor food education workshop at Young Bristol, teaching a group of young people about composting, soil health, and sustainable food systems.


Building a Circular Food System


At Generation Soil, we’re redefining waste.


Our Bristol Living Compost Project collects food scraps and transforms them into living compost rich in beneficial microorganisms.


This compost feeds the food forest, closing the loop between waste and fertility.


We’re creating a circular food system where food waste becomes soil, soil grows food, and the cycle sustains itself.


A circular food system doesn’t see food waste as rubbish — it sees it as a resource that regenerates the Earth.


Meet the Generation Soil Team



Alex Montgomery from Generation Soil giving a thumbs up while using a shovel to scoop living compost back into a bucket on a Bristol street during a compost collection.

Alex Montgomery. Founder


Doctoral researcher with the UK Food Systems CDT, Alex explores the link between soil and human health. He’s led food education workshops across the UK since 2019.





Sam from Generation Soil giving a thumbs up inside a polytunnel, surrounded by pots of thriving green plants at the Bristol food forest market garden.


Sam. Landscape Gardener and Social Innovator


Sam has established community gardens and social enterprises, teaching people to grow and cook nutritious food.









Jordy from Generation Soil smiling in front of lush green plants with pink flowers at the Bristol food forest market garden.



Jordy. Policy Advisor and Permaculture Specialist


Jordy holds an MSc in Environmental Policy and is passionate about permaculture ethics and sustainable land use.







Together, we’re building a community-led model of regenerative farming that benefits both people and planet.



Why Your Support Matters


Farming in the UK faces enormous challenges: rising costs, poor policy, and shrinking access to land.

Through this project, we’ll demonstrate how small-scale, regenerative models can restore ecosystems and livelihoods.


We’re fortunate to have been offered land at Leigh Woods Meadow by Roots Allotments, but transforming compacted, nutrient-poor ground into thriving soil will take all of us.


Your help makes this possible.


Three five-star reviews and testimonials for Generation Soil from happy Bristol customers praising the living compost, community workshops, and regenerative approach to soil health.


Get Involved


You can support Bristol’s regenerative future by:




Every bucket of compost, every tree planted, and every volunteer hour adds up to real change.


Final Thoughts


When we nourish the soil, we nourish our communities.


The Generation Soil Food Forest Market Garden will stand as a beacon of what’s possible when cities grow food, biodiversity, and connection in the same space.


Together, we can regenerate Bristol one handful of living soil at a time.



Learn More


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About Generation Soil CIC

 

Generation Soil is a Bristol-based non-profit turning food waste into living soil. Through the Bristol Living Compost Project, our workshops, and regenerative market gardens, we’re building a circular food system that keeps nutrients local and restores biodiversity across the city.

 

Every handful of compost we make begins as Bristol’s food scraps transformed through microbes, biochar, and community action. From households to schools and businesses, we help people connect with the soil beneath their feet and the food on their plates.

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Explore More:

 

Bristol Living Compost Project

 

Educational Workshops

 

Compost Clinic

 

Our Shop

 

 

Together, we can turn Bristol’s food waste into fertile ground and grow a more resilient, regenerative future, one bucket at a time.

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