"Agroscholoi" Vrilissou: the nature lovers and constant gardeners of the city
Anthopoulou Theodosia
Quartiers, Social economy
2015 | Dec
The idea of creating an urban farm was first aired in the premises of the Nature Club of Vrilissos in the summer of 2011. The Club is an active collective operating since 2001, which organises numerous hiking, climbing and educational trips in Greece. As the members themselves note while the economic crisis deepens, this idea is ripening fast, like a fruit in hot weather. Irene’s offer of a plot in Spata was key in turning the shared vision to reality. The “Agroscholoi Vrilissou” were born in October 2011, during the first visit to the plot which comprised a field and a vineyard.
The venture started with the cultivation of 100 sqm of land.
| “…a tough land, that had not been cultivated for years. It had to be tamed… by a bunch of starry-eyed city dwellers from Vrilissia. We worked the land, in all the ways suggested by our agronomist, Andreas… And so, little by little, the allotment took shape. 30 winter-hardy vegetable varieties were planted in this area: spinach, chard, Mediterranean hartwort, chicory, beets, carrots, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, potatoes… We used only natural cultivation methods… Our first lesson had been learnt! This gave us immense pleasure, the contact with the earth and the air and the dynamics of collegiality and creativity, at a time when no one believes that anything can bear fruit in the country…” |
The group started with a core of 20 people and is constantly growing. It works, like all collectives, on the basis of self-organisation, volunteerism, solidarity and the time that every member can dedicate to it. A periodically alternating five-member steering committee ensures the planning of actions and the smooth functioning of the allotment. Technical support is provided by an agronomist – organic farmer, who is a key member of the Agroscholoi. As in all activist collectives, the overall coordination and briefing of members about activities and farm tasks are performed online, using e-mails, text messages and blogs.
The Agroscholoi define themselves as nature lovers who claim public open spaces for productive social activities. Their purpose is the collective cultivation of the land, based on the principles of organic farming and other eco-friendly methods for the production of healthy and nutritious food. Their aim is not mass production to meet the nutritional needs of its members but to educate them about the functions and biological cycles of nature, to help them reconnect to the land and the orchards and to value collegiality, which is in such short supply in modern urban societies.
After the first successful winter harvest in Spata, in the spring of 2012, the Collective decided to ask the Municipal Council of Vrilissia for a piece of land in the former Naval Base – the 52,000 sq.m. big Maria Callas park – to create an urban farm and a training centre for climbing. Following a positive recommendation, the Council ceded a two hundred sq.m. plot in Orygma.
The land was barren, as the plot is located on an artificial hill used by the Navy as a trench. The soil was very poor, comprising rubble and aggregates. It therefore required enrichment with a compost made by the Agroscholoi as well as fertilisation with natural fertilisers, following soil testing by the Soil Science Institute. It took great effort and perseverance to make it suitable for cultivation by removing rocks and stones, digging and laying out an irrigation system. A plan was drafted that envisaged a botanical garden and an orchard and later fruit trees, olive trees and a vineyard … That is how the “Orchard of Vrilissos” was created in Ano Vrilissia, yet another community orchard in the city. It is used mainly as a demonstration site for those interested in urban agriculture and is open to visits by schools. Local seeds from Peliti, from the ecological Arvanitis Estate in Kiourka and from other organic farmers are used.
The first summer harvest, in 2012, did not go well, as the soil still needed work to be done and the heatwave damaged the plants. However, the Agroscholoi did not give up: “we have the patience to monitor nature, it wants to follow its own rhythms. What was previously a wasteland, is now regaining its biodiversity” (Andreas, member of the Agroscholoi, agronomist). Today, the orchard has expanded, the cultivated plants have multiplied and its function as a demonstration site has been solidified.
Amid the crisis, the Agroscholoi are creating a solidarity fund, running collective soup kitchens and eco-feasts, organising visits to and networking activities with other initiatives dedicated to collective organic farming. Their, plans for the immediate future include the installation of a weather station, a climbing wall, etc.
| “We are in constant conversation with the nature of Attica, we are discovering dimensions that were unknown to us … Through thick and thin, we enjoy everything collectively with our partners. Because if we were alone, we would not have been able to enjoy any of this!” |
Entry citation
Anthopoulou, T. (2015) “Agroscholoi” Vrilissou: the nature lovers and constant gardeners of the city, in Maloutas T., Spyrellis S. (eds) Athens Social Atlas. Digital compendium of texts and visual material. URL: https://www.athenssocialatlas.gr/en/article/agroscholoi-vrilissou/ , DOI: 10.17902/20971.35
Atlas citation
Maloutas T., Spyrellis S. (eds) (2015) Athens Social Atlas. Digital compendium of texts and visual material. URL: https://www.athenssocialatlas.gr/en/ , DOI: 10.17902/20971.9
Online sources
- http://www.vrilisos.gr/
- http://www.vrilisos.gr/agrosxoloi.html
- http://www.blog.gr/tag/αγρόσχολοι
