In 2008, Mary Clear and Pam Warhurst had a simple but powerful idea: what if growing food in public places could bring people together? They looked at neglected corners of Todmorden and imagined a different future—one rooted in community, kindness, and shared purpose.
Spades in hand, they began planting herbs and vegetables in everyday spaces—outside the health centre, near the train station, beside the canal. Some ideas took root and flourished; others not so much. But over time, what made the biggest impact were the smallest actions, those that were quiet, consistent, and full of hope.
From the start, Incredible Edible Todmorden was never just about gardening. It was—and still is—about connection. It’s about sitting and eating around the big table, where everyone is welcome. It’s about believing in people, showing kindness, and making space for those who often feel forgotten.
There’s no office, no paid staff, no big funding. Just a community, growing food and growing together. We plant fruit, herbs, and vegetables all around Todmorden for anyone to pick and share. We run events, welcome strangers, and strengthen social ties—one plot at a time.
We do it with no judgement, no barriers, and no blueprint—just the belief that a stronger, kinder world is possible, and it can start with something as simple as a parsley plant at a bus stop.
Incredible Edible Todmorden is now part of a global network of over 700 groups inspired by this model. But at its heart, it remains a local, grassroots effort: quiet, radical, and deeply rooted in the soil of community.
Kindness
Everything we do starts with kindness. We’re kind to each other, to our town, and to the planet — and we don’t charge for anything, because we believe the best things in life should be shared freely. Kindness isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the whole point.
Belonging
Everyone is welcome here — whether you’re a seasoned grower or someone who’s never picked up a trowel. A warm welcome, a genuine smile, real human connection. We meet people where they are, rooted in the simple conviction that everyone belongs.
Growing
We are growers — of vegetables, of confidence, of community. Growth takes many forms: personal, communal, ecological. We support local businesses, strengthen the networks of people and organisations across our town who are quietly making things better, and nurture the resilience that holds us all together. Our guiding belief is simple: you can grow anywhere — and together, every day, we prove it.
Why we do what we do
We are motivated by a simple truth. That a kinder world is possible, and it starts with the smallest actions. We don’t wait for permission or funding—we just begin, knowing that good things grow when tended with love and patience.
Our values are woven into everything we do. We choose to be positive, believing in each person’s power to create the future they want to see. We stay local—in our passion, our purchasing, our solutions to global problems. We prioritise connection because we understand that, really, we’re more passionate about people than plants, and that real change happens when people spend time together, working together, eating together and listening to each other.
We dare to be brave because the future truly is in our hands. As individuals, we have the right to take action, to serve our communities rather than wait to be served. We choose to be active, understanding that waiting for perfect conditions means never beginning at all.
We believe in the lost arts—growing and soil science, cooking and preserving, the deep connection that comes from truly understanding our food and where it comes from. This knowledge isn’t just practical; it’s essential for all our futures.
But perhaps most importantly, we believe in our community. We believe in kindness, in sharing, in the power of sitting around a table together. We’re interested in learning from our mistakes, in trying new approaches, in sometimes asking for forgiveness rather than permission.
It’s not a dress rehearsal, this life we’re living. So, we crack on, one small action at a time, building the world we want to see—quietly, radically, and with deep roots in the soil of humanity and community.
