Parishes in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin are beating the recession by growing their own food in allotments set up by their parish priests.
Last year Fr Jim Gahan set aside an acre of land beside the church in Ballyconnell for people to rent allotment space to grow their own vegetables.
The innovative project was soon booked out after huge interest from far and wide, and their hard work has paid off as the small plots are currently flourishing with crops of lettuce, carrots, peas, potatoes and cabbage.
In the parish of Ballon/Rathoe, Fr Brendan Howard is setting up allotments on land donated by a parishioner, and he is also looking at the possibility of doing the same in the parish of Myshall.
''I think it is a great idea to fight the recession by growing your own food,'' he said. We are going back to the old days of self-sufficiency.
Swap produce
''Also, the social element is fantastic. People can meet one another and swap their produce, and in the end everyone will prosper.''
Fr Gahan is delighted with the success of the project in his parish.
''The allotments have really tickled people's imagination. I was a little worried that the idea wouldn't take off, but it has worked so well that we are now looking into expanding into another acre of land to provide space for our waiting list.''
Denis and Sally-Ann Comiskey, who work on their allotment plot in Ballyconnell with their two young children, said they found immense satisfaction in growing their own food as a family.
''You can really taste the difference with food you have grown yourself, and growing your own is cheaper than buying organic,'' said Mrs Comiskey.
''Of course the kids love it,'' Mr Comiskey said. ''It is a really good education for them.''
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