Are you currently, or aspiring to, grow food as part of a group or community organisation in South Lanarkshire?
Join Lanarkshire Climate Action Hub and Lanarkshire-based artist Hamshya Rajkumar in Biggar to celebrate, learn, and imagine the future of community food growing across South Lanarkshire. This is an interactive workshop using conversations and collective creativity to explore the story of food growing culture in and around Biggar. Biggar Community Market Garden will also share information about their growing experiences, challenges and successes.
During the workshop you will work with Hamshya to explore creative ways to engage more people with local food growing. Together, participants will choose a crop that reflects Biggar's climate, soil and community spirit, then select varieties to cross-pollinate, creating a "Biggar Vegetable" - a shared crop embodying local values.
The session will culminate in an art piece being created which will be part of a larger installation at the end of the series.
The workshop is inclusive – no prior growing or art experience is required.
Refreshments will be provided.
What to expect:
Participants are invited to bring along 1-3 vegetables (or photos) from their 2025 growing season – both the triumphs and the disasters.
Using these we will explore:
- What grew well and why
- What struggled
- Flavours, memories and cultural meaning attached to certain crops
- What the year revealed about Biggar’s growing conditions and climate
As facilitator and seed librarian, Hamshya will then assemble a diverse selection of open-pollinated organic seed to be used in the March sowing season.
What is Growing Biggar?
Growing Biggar is a series of four seasonal gatherings taking place in January, March, July and October 2026.
The series looks to:
- Reflect on experiences, challenges and aspirations for local food growing
- Support relationship-building and knowledge sharing between growers
- Create artwork which will form part of a public art installation in October 2026
About the Artist:
Hamshya Rajkumar is an interdisciplinary artist, urban ecologist and seed librarian with a deep interest in climate-adapted vegetables as a community-held practice.
Hamshya’s work combines site-specific movement and visual arts, focusing on ‘disturbed’ green spaces — from post-industrial landscapes to gardens. Over the past two years, she has worked as a Seed Librarian specialising in community engagement at the Glasgow Seed Library.
Hamshya recently completed an MSc in Wildlife Biology & Conservation, researching soil samples connected to a rare plant adaptation at the former Ravenscraig steelworks site. This research grew from her artistic practice, which has been exhibited with tine collectiveat A Fragile Correspondence (Scotland + Venice Architecture Biennale 2023) and at V&A Dundee (2024).
Accessibility at this event:
Everyone is welcome. We know that it’s sometimes difficult for everyone to attend because of unintended barriers. We want to make any necessary adjustments to our events so that no one is excluded. For example, this could include assistance with physically accessing the workshop or help with an interpreter. These adjustments will differ from event to event and person to person, so we need your help to get it right. Please inform us of your accessibility requirements and questions by emailing
Please note that children accompanied by an adult are also welcome to attend.
Accessing the venue:
For details on the venue's accessibility, please see their website. If you have any questions, please contact us on:
Travel:
Biggar Corn Exchange is on Biggar High Street which has a number of bus stops close by. You can plan your journey at Traveline Scotland
There are also bike racks available along the High Street.
A car park is also available outside of the venue.
Other:
If you have any questions, please get in touch:
For more information about Lanarkshire Climate Action Hub, see here.