By the very nature of things, there's inevitably a surplus of such home produce from time to time. Here the group comes in handy, for members can swap, barter or sell their surplus to others, finding a ready market at our monthly meetings. Members who don't have a large garden can particularly benefit, by obtaining fresh produce at keen prices. We also have a wholefood stall at which we sell a wide range of healthy foods at discount, as we buy in bulk at wholesale prices and add a minimal mark-up to cover our packaging costs alone. We also run a stand at various popular local shows open, giving members an opportunity for members to sell their surplus direct to large numbers of the public, while also publicising our activities. 

What else do we do?  Well, our monthly meetings attract speakers on a wide range of subjects, from composting to beekeeping, alternative therapies to poultry keeping, pest control to crafts, exploring the countryside to maintaining equipment and learning constructional skills. Many of the speakers are well-known in their field, and some have written books on their subjects or been featured on TV. We also run skill training day courses (usually free) for members, for example on fruit pruning, tool sharpening and hedge-laying, and some of our members went on a bushcraft training day in 2008.

At each meeting there's a barter board on which any member can post a notice about anything he/she needs or has to offer, and a bring-and-buy stall at which surplus produce or equipment is sold. Each year we place a bulk order for seeds from the Organic Catalogue and supply at discount. Members can also obtain 10% off most of their garden needs at a local nursery and garden centre. Meetings are very informal and friendly and anyone is free to raise any problem or subject and gain the benefit of other members' opinions on it. We also have social events like our popular Christmas Social, our Summer Barbecue, various visits and farm walks - see more photographs of these events on our Events page.

Our monthly newsletter, "Growing Together", has also been going for over 30 years.  It keeps members in touch with events and offers, and often includes helpful articles and tips on matters of interest. With the coming of the electronic age, some of our members now receive theirs by e-mail or download from this website, the rest through the normal post.

Photograph: taken during a members' visit to the woodland owned by the Buddhist Monastery at Chithurst, when we were shown how this was being managed.