A community growing and creative exchange as part of the 'Growing Biggar' series.
Join Lanarkshire Climate Action Hub and Lanarkshire-based artist Hamshya Rajkumar at Biggar Community Market Garden for a family-friendly interactive workshop where you will get stuck into planting seeds and creating a food growers’ zine.
Come along to the second event in the Growing Biggar series. As well as a chance to look around the excellent Biggar Community Market Garden, this event will also be a hands-on creative session where together we will be sowing Biggar Vegetable seeds and building a collaborative zine.
This session is for anyone who grows - or would like to grow - food in Biggar and the surrounding areas! All levels of experience are welcome.
Refreshments will be provided and children (accompanied by an adult) are welcome too!
What to expect:
In this session, you'll work with local seed librarian Hamshya Rajkumar to plant Biggar Vegetable seeds, as part of our community seed campaign (see below). You'll leave with your own seedling, plus extra seeds to share with friends and family, and a pollinator ID card to support your growing journey.
We'll also be creating a collaborative zine using collage and simple materials, exploring:
- Qualities we love in this vegetable
- Colours, shapes and memories
- Family dishes and traditions
- Hopes for the Biggar Vegetable campaign
You'll receive a copy of the finished zine following the event, and it will be featured in a public showcase later this year.
What is a zine?
A zine is a small magazine or booklet which is easily duplicated and often handmade. It’s usually devoted to a specialist subject, in this case - the Biggar Vegetable, and highly visually engaging.
Each collage will be a zine page and form part of our exhibition later in the year. The zine will be a playful guide and a creative collection of South Lanarkshire growers' voices – one that you can take home with you alongside your seeds.
🫘 The Biggar Vegetable - Community Seed Campaign 🫘
Alongside the events, we’re inviting people across South Lanarkshire to take part in a shared growing project. By all growing the same selection of seed, the aim is to grow, share, and eventually save seeds that become better adapted to our local climate, soils, and gardens over time.
The selected vegetable will be announced on 10th April!
You can get involved wherever you are - whether that’s a garden, an allotment or even a windowsill. It’s not about being an expert grower, but about giving it a go, sharing experiences and being part of a wider community effort.
Over time, this collective approach could help develop a truly local variety—so the question is: what will the Biggar Vegetable be?
🌱 What is Growing Biggar? 🌱
Growing Biggar is a series of four seasonal gatherings taking place in February, April, 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 collective at A Fragile Correspondence (Scotland + Venice Architecture Biennale 2023) and at V&A Dundee (2024).
Biggar Community Market Garden (BCMG):
Established in 2023, BCMG were set up to grow a variety of crops on regenerative, organic principles within walking distance of Biggar. The aims of the project were to provide a degree of food security, whilst reducing food related carbon emissions.
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:
Biggar Community Market Garden is located just over half way along Park Road, Biggar. If you reach the golf course you have travelled too far, head back along the road and look out for the polytunnels.
Please note this road is single-track with passing places.
There is a composting toilet available at the garden.
Travel:
Biggar Community Market Garden is located within walking distance of Biggar High Street. Head down Broughton Road and turn right towards the golf course before you reach Greenhills Care Home.
Biggar High Street has a number of bus stops close by. You can plan your journey at Traveline Scotland.
There is a small car park at the garden itself.
Other:
If you have any questions, please get in touch:
This is a FREE, family-friendly event however, booking is required via Eventbrite