Sow & Grow was founded by John Metcalf in 2021.
Our Mission: is offering the people of the Southend-on-Sea area the opportunity to reconnect back to their gardens, back to their community spaces, back to the Earth and back to their nature.
Our Passion: is helping people grow gardens that regenerate natural spaces, grow garden fresh organic food and create abundance, connection & well being
Our Vision: Imagine if you grew food in your garden. What if some of your neighbours, friends and family grew too? Imagine if our gardens were spaces where our community becomes abundant, connected and healthy?
Our Practice: Using Permaculture and Regenerative practices we create gardens that are people and earth centred. Organic is only just the beginning.
John Metcalf is a Permaculturist, Regenerative Gardener, Edible Garden Designer, Teacher, Earth and Soil Management and Land Steward.
‘My journey of growing gardens started in 2010 at the local allotment. In 2020 I naturally stumbled into Permaculture and it literally changed my life. Permaculture offers not only a framework for creating beautiful, abundant, healthy and harmonious gardens, it also is a framework for creating beautiful, abundant, healthy and harmonious communities. It’s as much about People Care as it is the Earth Care.’
Growing your own garden or in the community is the easiest and most effective way of creating health and well being. Find out the benefits of growing a ‘Permaculture Garden’ here. And see our client projects
Permaculture Gardens offer a natural experience of the Garden, where people can be in nature to feel good, grow & eat good food and share good times with their family and friends.
Permaculture is: Tangible, Changing, Earth and People Friendly, Fun, Healing, Restoring, Productive and Grounding.
In 2025 we were teaching workshops with the PFFA on Permaculture and Regenerative Soil. Hosting presentations on Soil, Permaculture and Natural Health at SEEOG and delivering ‘Intro to Permaculture’ weekend course at Treetops in Rayleigh has been an amazing experience, supporting more communities to connect with growing food naturally.
We also designed, created and nurtured several ‘Permaculture Gardens’ for clients.
Here’s what’s Happening in 2026
Imagine a community that was grounded in abundance, connection and health.
Gardens offer us the opportunity to create a space that nurtures We are all inherently connected to the natural flow of nature. From our circadian rhythms to our gut biome, we don’t exist outside of natural laws. The more connected to this flow of nature the more well being a person experiences.
If interested come find the benefits of Permaculture Gardens.
Meet the pioneers of Regeneration!
What if what our world needs is a change in perspective?
When our perspective is changed, we can change the world.
What if there are enough resources? And it’s just the way we see and use resources that makes the difference.
Regenerative Co-Creators is a UK wide vision to share all the amazing Individuals, communities and companies that are Co-Creating a Regenerative UK. From how we think to how our communities engage and what we feed our soil and souls.
I will be following these pioneers over a year to show what they are creating and why they do what they do.
This will be an online experience. But I very much encourage people to spend as little time online as possible and only use this as a framework for creating a regenerative life.
I met Danny from ‘Ordanics’, in 2024. He was looking after some land and his vision was to make it a community space. We hit it off and along with a couple of friends started ‘The Walnut Project’
A community space where people can come together and grow, gather and give.
‘The Walnut Project’ although a separate entity is collaborating with Permaculture Gardens
Our vision is to encourage as many people in the local area to learn how to grow food, find their passion and share their gifts. Having the comfort of growing food at home and being able to connect with likeminded people in the area who are doing the same.
Our vision is to create a community of abundance, connection and health.
GET IN TOUCH IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE 2026 PROJECTS
PERMACULTURE LANDSCAPE TO HELP YOU LIVE THE GOOD LIFE
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