BRISTOL FOOD NETWORK Bristol’s local food update community project news · courses · publications · events september–october 2011
One plea which always seems to emerge from local discussions about food, is that we could really do with a one-stop shop for all things food- related in Bristol. With your help, we hope the Bristol Food Network’s new online home at www.bristolfoodnetwork.org* will become part of that central resource. We’d like to hear from community groups about what would make your lives easier, about the one key thing that helped you to get started, about the how-to guide that really made sense, and about what still seems to be missing. We can’t promise that we’ll fix things right away, but it will give us a good idea of what needs to be fixed.
Please email any suggestions for content of the November–December newsletter to [email protected] by 14 October. *Website launch date: 15 September. Bristol Independents Day We are asking all of Bristol to join us Why support local independent traders? at the start of British Food Fortnight The Who Feeds Bristol report has revealed: on 17 September to support Bristol’s Independents and… n Bristol has around 180 specialist independent food shops owned by 140 Try something local, from somewhere businesses that sell food from which local on Bristol Independents Day! you can cook a meal from scratch On the 17th, the Bristol Independents (includes bakers). campaign will launch a pilot project n 10 out of 35 wards have no greengrocer. highlighting 8 of Bristol’s local shopping n Half the wards have less than 10 areas on recipe postcards featuring independent food retailers. ingredients that can be purchased from n Specialist independent food shops local shops in each area. There will also are disappearing. They generally offer be a competition where you can nominate competitive prices, don’t charge a your favourite local food business, and in premium for small volumes and can turn, be entered into a prize draw to win respond to requests; many buy from local goodies. local suppliers. The initiative plans to include many more Bristol’s local food update is produced independent businesses and high streets How can I get involved? by the Bristol Food Network, with support in the coming months. The 17th is just Organise a local food event in your area from Bristol City Council. the beginning of a campaign to support on the 17th, let us know and we’ll include The Bristol Food Network is an umbrella Bristol’s local independent traders! it in our publicity. Otherwise, vist our group, made up of individuals, community projects, organisations Associated events and promotions will website (coming soon), take the ‘good and businesses who share a vision to be announced closer food’ pledge and enter our competion. transform Bristol into a sustainable to the day. Contact Jane Stevenson 0117 966 1639 food city. The Network connects people [email protected] working on diverse food-related issues – from getting more people growing, to www.bristolindependents.co.uk developing healthy-eating projects; from tackling food waste, to making Bristol more self-sufficient. On the web…
Hungary to introduce a fat tax digest: Hungarian food manufacturers will have to pay a tax of 10 forint (€0.37) for foods bearing fat, sugar and salt at levels over a certain threshold. The Hungarian government says the tax will raise €70m per year – money which it says will offset public health costs of treating the consequences of high-fat, sugar and salt diets. www.beveragedaily.com/Regulation- Safety/Hungary-prepares-for- discriminatory-September-1-fat-ta x/?c=jrkd9eKIEpP7bRBV3sz4zw% 3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_ daily&utm_medium=email&utm_ campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily
Labour launches campaign to save our high streets School Food digest: Labour is launching a campaign to save Britain’s high streets, calling for Brentry Primary school has been the fruits and vegetables for cooking and urgent action to help retailers, protect jobs working with the Bristol Healthy Schools they have also requested the school cook and give people a real say over their local Team to achieve Healthy School Plus. to try them as part of the school lunch. high street. The school identified as a priority working “I didn’t know that marrows came in www.labour.org.uk/labour-launches- towards reducing childhood obesity in the different colours.” campaign-to-save-our-high- longer term. To take steps towards this the Callum streets,2011-07-25 whole school worked together to identify It has given children the opportunity to ways of increasing activity, empowering try fruits and vegetables they have never London schools sell home-grown the children (and staff) to make healthier tried before and any left over fruits and produce in Waitrose stores food choices and aim for 5 A DAY and vegetables are sent home to parents to getting the whole school on board with digest: Schoolchildren selling wonky ensure healthy lifestyle messages go growing fruit and vegetables. carrots and soil-encrusted radishes try further than the school classroom. to tempt Waitrose shoppers to reject the “It has been fun planting and growing in The work has been successful with supermarket’s washed, bagged versions our allotment. We had the chance to outcomes include achieving an overall and instead stock up on fresh produce taste different vegetables.” increase of 17% more children including grown by their local schools. Serena fruit and vegetables in packed lunchboxes, www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/ Work has included each year group in the but just as important is the fact that the jul/14/london-schools-produce- school having a small allotment to work in children report having fun learning about waitrose?CMP=twt_fd and to choose whatever they want to grow healthy lifestyle choices – whether it be – some years have a whole range of fruit in the garden, the cooking club or the Picturing World Agriculture and vegetables and some a mix of flowers classroom. digest: In the developed world, we and fruits but the thing that seems to run tend to assume that the solution to “I am thrilled about the way the through all groups is the growing, picking hunger elsewhere is always more allotments have enthused staff and and eating of strawberries. food production. But where and how children. We had an amazing and varied agricultural technologies are distributed The classes have some time out of class crop of vegetables and the children were has a greater effect than the technologies to work and learn in the garden, as well as all keen to try them raw and cooked.” themselves. curriculum activities which include healthy Angela Burridge, Headteacher food and lifestyle messages. The children http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/ Whilst Healthy School Plus status has are also encouraged to pick and prepare guest-blog/2011/08/11/picturing-world- been achieved the work described above agriculture/ is by no means complete, Angela Burridge the head teacher at Brentry commented National Farmers Market Week: Why the that this was only the start of the process Feds should support family farms “the work is now to be ongoing with the long term aim being that it is firmly digest: US farmers markets continue to embedded within the school culture and grow (150% increase in numbers since becomes the norm”. 2000) despite relatively little support from federal government. Rachel Cooke http://civileats.com/2011/08/12/ Healthy Schools Team, NHS Bristol national-farmers-market-week-why-the- feds-should-support-family-farms/
2 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 05210-tcf-1x3mbanner.pdf 26/8/09 11:23:51 csa news The Community Farm
On 17 September 2011 The Community n A special day held for local chefs who £40,000 For an agricultural machinery Farm will hold its first Annual General were given the freedom of the farm to store providing storage space and basic Meeting open to all of its members. harvest a selection of the produce and facilities for staff and volunteers on site Nearly six months on from the Farm create a range of dishes. Cooking on a (subject to planning permission). raising £126,000 to take over an existing wood fire, they then came together to £30,000 For new equipment including organic vegetable box, wholesale and produce a menu that included a summer replacing our elderly tractor. growing business, a whole lot has been veg soup, a stir fry broccoli salad, a £30,000 To enable us to secure more going on! beetroot and onion chutney and a broad sustainable means of bringing visitors bean puree. Activities have included: to the site and to embark on plans for an educational facility. n Holding a special open day for our Join as at our harvest celebration investors in April when over 100 of our Saturday 17 September 2011 If you are interested in investing then 409 investors came to celebrate with us. Our harvest celebration will be held from please check the website there will be n Holding a midsummer picnic in June 12–5pm. Open to anyone (free entry for documents to download, or email and opening for the Chew Valley Lake members, £2 for non-members) there [email protected] Odyssey in July. will be farm tours, a talk by Elizabeth for details to be sent to you. Henderson author of ‘Sharing the n Launching an annual membership Community Farmer Days – come along to Harvest’, activities for children and food! scheme entitling members to 10% a volunteer day discount on their box orders – 25 new The AGM for members will take place The next community farmer days are on: members have signed up to this since between 2–3pm and non-members are July. welcome to sit in on this (but are unable Sunday 11 September – Harvesting, to vote). n Increasing the number of regular planting and tending volunteers at the farm – the help they Whilst you don’t have to book for this Saturday 1 October – Potato and carrot give is amazing and there are many event, If you are intending to come along harvest opportunities. is would be helpful to us if you could Saturday 22 October – Squash harvest Saturday 12 November – Root harvest n Holding Community Farmer volunteer register at: days each month. http://bit.ly/TCFeventsbooking If you’d like to come along please n Taking part in the Bristol Harbour book online at: http://bit.ly/ A new chance to invest between Festival, Love Food Festival in Bath. CommunityFarmVolunteerDayBooking September and November 2011 September sees us at The Organic Food We hope to provide lunch on each of these On 1 September the Farm will be launching Festival in Bristol. days, using produce from the field. If any its second investment offer, giving people n Making links with organisations such as of you would like to help make lunch, a chance to become a part of this ever- Developing Health and Independence please do let us know. growing community and raise a further (DHI) in Bath. £100,000. Our initial funding enabled us Also, as part of our commitment to n Delivering organic produce to homes to acquire the business but now we need sustainability, we need to ensure that and businesses in the area. to make sure we have certain facilities the impact of travel to the Farm is kept n A successful grant application to Bath at the site and also a chance to develop to a minimum. We have therefore been & North East Somerset Council for some education and training over the coming looking into hiring a Bristol Community new tools, to run a couple of training months. Specifically, the investment will Transport minibus to transport people to events and towards events at the farm. be used as follows: and from the Farm for our events. We’d probably have to charge around £5 per adult (children free if possible). It wouldn’t be direct from your doorstep, but we’d aim to have a number of pick up locations in Bristol and ideally Bath. Obviously to make this work, we’d need your support by choosing shared transport over your car. We’d love to hear your comments on whether you’d be willing and able to make use of this transport– email [email protected] or add your thoughts to our Facebook page. Thanks to everyone for their support so far – we’re all looking forward to the challenges and successes of the next few months!
Alison Belshaw Local chefs cooking in the field. www.thecommunityfarm.co.uk
3 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 csa news
Reclaim the Fields The second Reclaim the Fields Sims Hill gathering took place in Bristol over What is happening on the Hill? the weekend of 6–7 August. The inspiring weekend brought together Our Harvest Share scheme has been and including people who are socially or growers, activists, farmers, squatters, running successfully since July. We will economically marginalised. The training students and more from all over the still have space for more members for this is designed for people who have some UK. It was held at The Factory (http:// year, so please go to our blog to download gardening experience but want to learn freefactory.wordpress.com/) a membership forms and sign up if you more about community-based vegetable squatted social centre in St Pauls. are interested (simshillsharedharvest. growing. At very short notice, we had wordpress.com). nearly 20 applicants for only 5 spaces, so Saturday began with a talk introducing it looks like there is a demand for practical Reclaim the Fields – where the David has just baled half of the field hands-on training. constellation has emerged from in for hay. Once this is marked out we will Europe, the first UK gathering held plough and plant mustard to get rid of the Each week focuses on a different aspect in London in March and how the wireworm for next year. Bristol Council has of growing, a different vegetable family, Bristol gathering had been organised agreed to temporarily cover costs while the and the relevant practical techniques to explore how we can make the mains water is put in, until we secure funds and skills. So for example, one week, we constellation shine brighter in the UK. from elsewhere, so we are proceeding with discussed rotations and green manures getting the work booked in. and then proceeded to under-sow squash The event was designed around with trefoil. Last week, we discussed horizontal open space principles. The All the veg is growing well, with the weeds and the carrot family and then 30 or more participants introduced exception of those affected by the return proceeded to hand weed and hoe (trialling themselves and communicated in of the wireworm! The weeds are also three hoe types) a few hundred metres of the group what they would like to talk growing beautifully which means our hoes carrot rows. about. Written on post-it notes, these are busy and are we have our hands full. suggestions then formed how the We are still waiting for Avon Wildlife Trust We have a diverse and enthusiatic pod morning would be structured. to get access to their site, so we can start of trainees, who have instituted their preparing for sowing winter salads in one own bring and share lunches (including The topics that emerged included: of their greenhouses. homebaked cake!), which makes the rewilding, anarcho-herbalism, training a joy to run. As you can see the freeconomy, community supported Our big news is that we are currently team have been and will be working hard! agriculture, mobile education running a pilot Community Veg Growing Our particular thanks to the workshares: spaces, squatting and legal means Training programme as part of our David, Cai, Ollie, Matt and Tristan. of land access and how to engage commitment to be a place for learning, communities, workers cooperatives Sims Hill was also part of the recent and harvest shares, forestry, land Reclaim the Fields southwest gathering rehabilitation, the upcoming Reclaim held in Bristol on 6–7 August. Our future the Fields gathering in Romania, and plans include another Harvest party on resistance to biotechnology such as the Hill on 8 October, other community- genetic modification. All of the ideas building events and much more, so keep and resources generated through an eye on the website for details! these sessions were then fed back to the group. simshillsharedharvest.wordpress.com Following a morning alive with conversations and connections, 1625 Independent People everyone then headed over to local growing project, Eastside Roots, for 1625 Independent People is a not building we own at 58 Old Market. It is lunch ( ). for profit housing and support an iconic building of 2500 sq ft. We are www.eastsideroots.org.uk Delicious food was dished up to the organisation. We have worked in Bristol exploring the possibility of establishing swelling 60+ group which set the and surrounding areas for 25 years a food complex and would consider a scene for a great afternoon. More providing accommodation for young tenant or partner in any of the following: workshops were held including how to people between the ages of 16 and 25 cookery school, restaurant, local food access land, liberation permaculture who have become homeless. Currently shop, coffee bar, local food distribution ( we house and support over 450 young hub, production kitchen, development http://liberationpermaculture. ) as well as an people, a high percentage of which kitchen. We will lease the building on wordpress.com/ introduction to Sims Hill, a local are Not in Education, Employment or advantageous terms to an entrepreneur member-owned and led Community Training (NEET). Our one to one support who can offer our young people training Supported Agriculture. work covers housing, finance, health, places and work experience and use relationships and community. vegetables grown on a small scale in our Filled with ideas and apple crumble, gardens. We invite proposals. many stayed and others went their A large part of supporting people into own ways before returning to the independent living is helping them David Morgan · 0797 1246644 Factory in the evening for a group meal access education, skills based training, 1625 Independent People, Kingsley Hall, and film showing. apprenticeships and employment. Our 59 Old Market Street, Bristol BS2 0ER latest project is the development of a www.reclaimthefields.org
4 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Dig deep for Tyntesfield’s kitchen garden The National Trust have launched a Paul Evans, Tyntesfield’s Head Gardener Growing their own at £290,000 appeal to save Tyntesfield’s says, “The age of the buildings and the Tyntesfield walled kitchen garden in North ravages of a number of harsh winters Somerset. have really taken their toll. Our potting The National Trust at Tyntesfield shed roof is badly leaking, the walls are celebrate the joys of growing (and The National Trust is urging people to crumbling due to frost damage and the eating!) your own with local Wraxall dig deep to help them save the Victorian oak gates need to be replaced to protect Primary school. walled kitchen garden at Tyntesfield in the garden from hungry local deer”. He North Somerset. A fundraising appeal The National Trust at Tyntesfield continues, “The kitchen garden is a very has been launched to raise the £290,000 is teaming up with local schools special space which allows us to do so needed to carry out urgent repairs to the to inspire the next generation of much with the community and keep the garden before winter sets in. foodies. A celebration event has just estate working as it was meant to be”. marked the end of another successful Still in use, it is one of the few Victorian As well as being an inspiration to visitors, Countryside Guardianship project kitchen gardens to have remained in the garden provides Tyntesfield’s new Cow where local Wraxall Primary got to continuous cultivation since its earliest Barn restaurant with fresh produce and is grips with the estate’s Victorian formation in the 1830s. Complete with used as a learning and training space for kitchen garden in North Somerset. numerous glasshouses and potting schools, students and community groups. sheds brimming with historic gardening Tyntesfield’s Countryside paraphernalia, the practical but charming With the main restoration of the house Guardianship project helps children buildings have been home to over 100 and estate buildings now complete this discover where food comes from, years of estate gardeners. Fruit trees climb is one of the last major appeals needed how to grow their own and the great the red brick walls, and rows of vegetables to ensure the Gothic Victorian estate is taste of healthy fruit and veg. As and flowers thrive in this sheltered conserved for everyone to enjoy. well as tending to their own plot south-facing spot in North Somerset, under the expert eye of Tyntesfield’s To donate to the appeal contact originally used to provide produce for four experienced gardeners, Tyntesfield’s Tyntesfield’s Fundraising Manager generation of the Gibbs family who made chef showed them how to cook up Charlotte Akrill on 01275 461908. Tyntesfield their home. a perfect pasty with produce freshly For more information go to: harvested from the kitchen garden. Whilst the plants are thriving, sadly www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ the vulnerable buildings are in serious For more information about tyntesfieldappeal2011 disrepair and need urgent work before Tytnesfield’s opportunities for schools winter sets in. or groups contact Rebeca Medrano 01275 461961.
Projects we like…
Riverpark Farm, NYC Unicorn Grocery Vertical Veg: High yields from tiny spaces The Riverpark Farm at Alexandria Center Unicorn’s remit is affordable, wholesome Is it possible to grow £1,000-worth of is one of the largest and most urban food with a focus on organic, fair-trade, food in 12 months at Tesco’s prices, on a farms in New York City. The 15,000 square local and ethical sourcing. But they are 9 x 6 foot balcony, 8 window sills, and a foot farm is a landmark example of the also a mainstream retailer – aiming small patch of concrete outside a London temporary alternative use of a stalled site to appeal to the mass market as an flat? Mark Ridsdill Smith attempts to grow to stimulate local interest and economic alternative to the supermarket. double the value of his 2010 harvest. activity, benefit the environment, beautify www.energybulletin.net/ www.verticalveg.org.uk/ an area, and engage the community. stories/2011-08-16/grow-grocery www.riverparkfarm.com/farm.php
5 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Bristol – World Food Café A proposal for a café to showcase the cultures of refugees and asylum seekers through food. In the wake of Bristol’s official launch as a City of Sanctuary, Bristol-based regeneration consultancy ExtraVerte are looking for a social enterprise and some skilled volunteers to put together a ground-breaking pop-up project. The team aim to take over an empty restaurant in a busy part of the city and set up a temporary World Food Café run by and for the benefit of Bristol City’s asylum seekers and refugees. Being a city of sanctuary is about more than ‘putting up’ asylum seekers and refugees. It’s about giving them a voice and a community to which they can contribute and get day to day support. Why a pop-up project? It’s a short term Fairtrade achievement project to highlight the benefits of Bristol has won the Outstanding Bristol Fairtrade Co-ordinator, Jenny welcoming people to our city and an Achievement Award in this year’s Foster, is delighted by this recognition excellent way to make use of resources Fairtrade Fortnight Awards. The city of Bristol’s Fairtrade Fortnight output that go to waste – not only the human came top in all 3 categories entered and commented “Our events are resource, but the empty properties we see and the judges said that Bristol was successful because we partner with every day. It’s also a low cost approach head and shoulders above other towns so many different organisations and which offers flexibility in any future plans. and cities in the way it strategically companies around the City. Fairtrade To get off the ground, the project needs a targeted the audience, brought is becoming embedded into Bristol social enterprise who can lay their hands together such a range of partners schools, businesses and community on seed funding, and act as the lead and attracted huge amounts of media groups because it is not only ethical partner in this exciting project. The team coverage. and sustainable but makes good sense. People in Bristol want to trade fairly and needs people experienced in catering to The award confirms Bristol as the to see the difference their purchasing help with training and the logistics of the leading Fairtrade City in the UK, with choices can make. We want to recognise scheme, and also people with mentoring events such as the Fairwear Fashion the role the local Council and media skills to support people working both front Show and Cotton On, and the Fairtrade have played in promoting Fairtrade and and back of house. Purchasing Guide being replicated helping us win this award.” The cafe’s objective is very simple: it by other Fairtrade groups around the is to provide an introduction between world. The awards, sponsored by the Co-operative Group, celebrate the one group of people and another. In the The Fairtrade Foundation in giving achievements and creativity of Fairtrade process everyone stands to gain by getting the Award said: ‘Congratulations campaigners and supporters during the involved – whether it’s by learning about to everyone in the Bristol Fairtrade annual two-week Fairtrade Fortnight different foods and different cultures Network on a fantastic campaign, campaign (28 February–13 March 2011). or learning new skills, new languages and well deserved achievement. For a and finding new friends. In the run up to number of years Fairtrade campaigners Fairtrade Fortnight is promoted by opening we hope to get top local chefs in Bristol have built cross-community networks around the country including to lead training sessions for catering partnerships, and organized high businesses, charities, student groups, students and refugees where everybody profile and engaging events to raise churches and other faith-based should be able to learn something new, awareness of Fairtrade and offer organisations. Thousands of people using food as the common language. ways for individuals to take action for organized events all over the country If you’d like to get involved in the project fairer trade. It’s this type of dedicated to raise awareness of Fairtrade, and please contact: [email protected] community action that has propelled the impact choosing products with Fairtrade to the UK mainstream, and the FAIRTRADE Mark has on farming More information on the facebook page: continues to make a real difference to communities in less developed www.facebook.com/pages/World-Food- the lives of producer communities in countries. For more information on Cafe/155543157849993 some of the poorest countries around Fairtrade in Bristol visit: the world.’ www.bristolfairtrade.org.uk
6 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 National Planning Policy Framework The new National Planning Policy commitment to protecting the green belt, local areas to decide. The concern being Framework is currently out for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty that there could be a race to the bottom consultation. and Sites of Special Scientific Interest; as authorities compete with each other in facilitates a new generation of renewable trying to attract development. There is no Closing date: 17 October 2011 energy projects; re-affirms protections for reference to housing space standards, so Bristol workshop: Thursday 15 September our nation’s historic and cultural heritage, it looks like we will continue to have the The government estimates that currently and for our wildlife and bio-diversity, smallest houses in Europe. there is over a 1,000 pages of national including new protection for peat bogs; The NPPF has no spatial dimension, so it planning policy and a further 6,000 pages+ and helps tackle the light pollution doesn’t recognise any differences across of supporting guidance and advice within affecting the beauty of the night sky. It England in terms of geography, economy more than 200 documents. There are very delivers on the Government’s commitment or development pressure. So the same few, if any people who have read it all. The to allow communities to earmark policies will apply in central London as in government feels that this has overloaded important local green spaces for special rural Somerset, in Bristol as in Barnsley. the planning system and doesn’t think it protection – whether its value is in its It also isn’t clear how the NPPF relates to helps communities to shape development natural beauty, its historical resonances, policies for airports, ports, High Speed in their areas. It is also possible that there its recreational value, its tranquillity or its trains, energy, waste or marine planning. could be some inconsistencies within it all. richness in wildlife. In terms of the food agenda, on the As a result they have boiled it down The draft Framework also underlines the positive side it specifically refers to local to one 58-page document – a draft need for councils to work closely with planning authorities assessing the needs National Planning Policy Framework communities and businesses and actively of the food-production industry. However, (NPPF). This is now out for consultation. seek opportunities for sustainable growth in terms of agricultural land, local The deadline for comments is Monday to rebuild the economy; helping to deliver planning authorities have only to ‘take 17 October 2011 and it can be viewed the homes, jobs, and infrastructure into account’ the benefits of the best and at: www.communities.gov.uk/ needed for a growing population whilst most versatile agricultural land (grades 1, publications/planningandbuilding/ protecting the environment. 2 & 3A), rather than to protect it. Although draftframeworkconsultation The key principle at the heart of the the NPPF refers to green infrastructure, it Along with the Localism Bill and the review NPPF is the presumption in favour of isn’t included with the hard infrastructure of use classes [of building use], this is a key sustainable development, particularly such as transport, utilities and flood part of the government’s reforms to the where the local plan is out of date, silent defences. planning system, with the aim of making it or absent. As Business Secretary Vince Planning policies should promote the less complex and more accessible, and to Cable put it: vitality and viability of town centres, promote sustainable growth. “Strong, sustainable growth is the rather than their diversity and character. When launching the consultation in July Government’s top priority. The new The impact of large retail developments 2011, Planning Minister Greg Clark said: proposals published today, a key element should be looked over ten years from the of the plan for growth, set out plans application. “Clarity in planning has become lost in that are responsive to business whilst translation. National planning policy and So it is well worth a read. Any comments protecting the concerns of communities central government guidance has become by 17 October 2011. Respond on-line: and their environment. so bloated that it now contains more words www.surveymonkey.com/s/KZKH35Z Along with the powerful presumption than the complete works of Shakespeare, or by e-mail to: planningframework@ for sustainable development, the new making it impenetrable to ordinary people. communities.gsi.gov.uk approach to planning will be a significant We need a simpler, swifter system that step forward in creating the right or by post to: is easier to understand and where you conditions for businesses to start up, Alan C Scott don’t need to pay for a lawyer to navigate invest, grow and create jobs.” National Planning Policy Framework your way around. That’s why we promised Department for Communities and reform to make planning easier to This has generally welcomed by the Local Government understand and easier to use for everyone. development industry, while groups Eland House Bressenden Place Today’s proposals set out national such as the National Trust and the CPRE London SW1E 5DU planning policy more concisely, and in have taken the opposite view. It really doing so make clearer the importance depends on what is meant by ‘sustainable There will be a consultation workshop in of planning to safeguarding our development’ and whether economic Bristol on Thursday 15 September. To extraordinary environment and meeting growth will be seen to trump social and register an interest in attending, contact the needs of communities, now and in the environmental concerns, rather than [email protected]. future. ensuring that development that delivers www.communities.gov. We now want to hear the thoughts of economic and social and environmental uk/planningandbuilding/ councils, communities and businesses on benefits. planningsystem/planningpolicy/ the draft Framework and work together Like many strategies, what it doesn’t say planningpolicyframework/ to get the planning system right for is often more important than what it says. generations to come.” So there are no car parking standards or The NNPF maintains the Government’s affordable housing targets. This is left to
7 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 On the web…
Ending the hunger season digest: Working with nature to develop agricultural techniques for growing crops in the harsh environments – deserts, eroded hillsides, slum roof-tops – in which the very poor often live. www.energybulletin.net/ stories/2011-08-10/ending-hunger- season
How a community farm for London could Made in north somerset end ‘madness of flying and shipping in food’ The ‘Made in north somerset’ Food and n Tours and talks by local RCH and digest: More than £800,000 has been Crafts Showcase, from 17 September to Butcombe Breweries, and soft drink raised towards the £1.15m cost of setting 2 October will celebrate the great variety makers Lovely Drinks up a 41-acre farm that could help meet the and quality of locally made food and craft n Thatchers Family Open Day with tours, capitals’ future food needs. products, and support local businesses. tastings and BBQ We hope this event will truly showcase to www.theecologist.org/ n Preserves and chutney making at Oak those who are less familiar with the area how_to_make_a_difference/ and Glass Restaurant all the fantastic things North Somerset has food_and_gardening/988965/ to offer. n Have a go at fly fishing at Jacklands how_a_community_farm_for_london_ Fishing Lakes could_end_madness_of_flying_and_ The Food and Crafts fortnight, co- n Local food tastings at The Food Den and shipping_in_food.html ordinated by North Somerset Council, is Strawberry Line Café a unique opportunity to visit businesses The permaculture movement grows from that are not normally open to the public n Orchard open day at Box Bush Farm underground and get a fascinating insight into how n A tour of the farm & dairy at Puxton Park some of these wonderful products are digest: A round-up of new permaculture The fortnight will culminate in a special made. Have you ever wondered how real projects and training in the US. ‘Made in north somerset’ Food and Craft ale is actually brewed, apples are pressed, www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/ Showcase in the beautifully restored handmade soft drinks are made, cows garden/permaculture-emerges- courtyard at the National Trust Tyntesfield are milked, chickens are reared, glass from-the-underground.html?_ Estate on Sunday 2 October. There will beads are created, a pot is thrown? – Well r=2&pagewanted=all be 30 stalls selling delicious home-made now you can find out. There are many goodies and beautiful crafts. For one day opportunities for people to actually get British farmers forced to pay the cost of only there will also be the opportunity to stuck in – from making their own fruit supermarket price wars have a guided tour around Tyntesfield’s preserves, wall plaques and enamel own kitchen garden which supplies the digest: As profits soar at the pendants to getting hooked with a spot of café and restaurant. supermarkets, food producers say they fly fishing or a cycle along the Strawberry are being forced out of business by unfair Line. With such a diverse range of events The North Somerset Local Food Directory buying practices. and activities there is something to whet is available at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/ www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/ most people’s appetite. fooddirectory – it’s a great and easy way jul/02/british-farmers-supermarket- to find local food products throughout the Throughout the fortnight there will price-wars year. Also, look out for our new ‘Craft and be daily events hosted by individual Design in Rural North Somerset’: businesses including craft workshops Stupermarket break out! www.innorthsomerset.co.uk/shoplocal and demonstrations, brewery tours, farm digest: A blog looking at the options for visits, orchard open days, and tastings. So To request a detailed event brochure: going supermarket-free. far more than 40 independent businesses Tel: 01934 426 266 www.energybulletin.net/ and local produce markets across North Email: [email protected] stories/2011-08-05/stupermarket-break- Somerset are involved in hosting a wide www.innorthsomerset.co.uk/madein out variety of events, such as:
Citywatch: Slow Money digest: Just as slow dining is good at counteracting heartburn and other ills that ail digestion in a fastfood culture, so slow returns on investment aid economic digestion, ensuring all the benefits on money going through the system are spread properly. www.energybulletin.net/ stories/2011-08-04/citywatch-slow- money
8 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Loaf: thy neighbour Chris Young
Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign Other CSB success stories include Bread… Aside from helping to get more bakers shares ways in which people are Actually (featured in autumn 2011 BBC2 making Real Bread, what really seems bringing Real Bread back to the hearts of series The Mill) also in Yorkshire, Loaf in to inspire people from both within and their local communities around Britain. Birmingham, Bethesdabakers in North without the profession is our work to Wales and The Oxford Bread Group, with encourage more connections between Independent bakeries bake around just many more either up-and-running or in the Real Bread bakers and people in their 3–5% of the loaves we buy in Britain, and pipeline. local communities. We’re running Lessons even many of those aren’t additive-free. in Loaf and Bake Your Lawn schemes to In a land where well-financed marketing The homebakery is another increasingly get kids baking; helping public sector over two generations has convinced the popular way that people are helping to cooks and food access projects to put majority that bread rolls should be as bring Real Bread back to the hearts of their Real Bread on the Menu; and inviting all squeezably soft as loo rolls – and some local communities. This is exactly what bakers to add their additive-free loaves to might argue taste little better – where we’ve you probably think it is – a bakery run from our online Real Bread Finder for shoppers conspired with supermarkets to help a home kitchen, garage, shed, or other to see. As an extension of the latter, in trample so many independent retailers out converted domestic space. A homebakery October we’re launching The Real Bread of business, and in which bank loans are can be run as a CSB, or to bake loaves for Loaf Mark. This will allow you to see at-a- hard to come by, the challenges to a Real retail. Most homebakeries are run as a glance that a baker says this is Real Bread. Bread revival loom large. part time venture out of a desire to make a difference, but some move on to larger I know I’ve used the ‘c’ word several However, something is happening in premises and production, as with The times already, but there really is a sense our Real Bread deserts, places in which Handmade Bakery, and the E5 Bakehouse of community in the Campaign’s ever- there’s not an additive-free loaf to be in London’s east end. growing network. Whether you bake or found within reasonable walking distance. not, you’re welcome to join us in finding Perhaps the most exciting development And this is not to mention the relative more ways to make bread better for us, of recent years is the rise of Community newcomers run along more traditional better for our communities and better for Supported Bakeries (CSB). Taking its lines, which around Bristol include Hart’s the planet. inspiration from the Community Supported Bakery, Mark’s Bread, and The Thoughtful Agriculture movement (guided in the UK Bread Company. by The Soil Association), a CSB is not In January 2011, we harvested some of simply a bakery in a community, but one the knowledge and experience built where the risks and rewards of baking up by this new batch of bakers, as well are shared. The ‘me baker/you customer’ as more experienced doughmongers line can be blurred in a number of ways, including Paul Barker, Troels Bendix, from a bread club where the majority Part of the charity Sustain: the Aidan Chapman, Paul Merry, and Andrew of customers pay in advance and get alliance for better food and farming, Whitley, publishing it as discounts that increase with the size or Knead to Know: membership of the Real Bread . Having sold all of length of subscriptions, to bread bonds the Real Bread starter Campaign open to everyone who cares the initial print run in a couple of months with interest payments to investors made about the state of bread in Britain. The and gone into reprint, we’re now starting in Real Bread. Campaign’s main aim is to encourage to hear back from readers who’ve been an increase in the amount of Real Generally regarded as the first CSB inspired by it on their Real Bread ventures. Bread eaten in the UK, which it simply in Britain, The Handmade Bakery in With smaller-scale Real Bread bakeries defines as made without the use of Yorkshire has grown in little over two providing more jobs-per-loaf (and highly- any processing aids or other artificial years from a bread club run from the skilled ones at that) than mega-plant additives. two-loaf IKEA oven of founders Dan and production or supermarket in-store loaf Johanna McTiernan, to a worker-owned co- tanning salons, the prospect that even just www.realbreadcampaign.org twitter.com/realbread operative professional bakery that turns a fraction of Knead to Know’s readers are out a couple of thousand loaves a week. about to get baking is very exciting. facebook.com/realbreadcampaign
9 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 BUSINESS PROFILES The new kid on the block – Local Food > Delivered! Local Food > Delivered is a customer local food co-operative, run by customers for customers. Anyone can order – we share a url at the moment but a new one, with ‘The Cooks of Country a new website is nearly ready. See (for now) www.localfooddirect.co.uk All the produce listed (as I type this) Markets’ initiative is from Somerset Local Food. But n Would you like to introduce your a small business from home, as well as in a very short time I hope to have delicious baking to a wider audience? access to a wide network of members’ listings for South Gloucestershire expertise. and Bristol food producers. I n Do you make the best marmalade in the welcome enquires from local village? For those looking for less commitment, producers. Other good produce from n Would you like to get a little financial joining your local Country Markets group further afield will also be available return on your efforts? will give you a friendly, sociable way to sell soon. your homemade food. Country Markets Ltd is a co-operative There will be a three month free social enterprise with members across As a local community or independent advertising slot – with a link to the country selling their high-quality, shop, farm shop or garden centre, your website if you have one. After homemade goods at local Markets. stocking The Cooks of Country Markets three months there will be a £75 Supported by the Big Lottery funded products offers you the opportunity to sell per month charge for continued Making Local Food Work project, Country fresh, high quality, delicious, genuinely advertising. Markets has launched an exciting new homemade food that is locally produced. brand of local food called ‘The Cooks We are looking to gather capital, In addition to your current marketing of Country Markets’ to enable bakers without any ‘help’ from a bank. activity, you will have access to Cooks of and preserve makers to sell their wares For an investment of £100 you get Country Markets marketing materials and through a variety of different local shops special customer status. We will pay the potential to increase your customers including community and village stores, 5% interest and give a 5% discount, by offering products already known and farm shops and garden centres, as well as all to be paid as a discount on orders trusted by many. Your business will be the weekly Country Markets. This is also made – this means there should be featured on the Cooks website and will an opportunity to turn their hobby into a no tax consequences for customers/ also benefit from supporting a local business-from-home. investors. initiative and keeping money in the local See www.country-markets.co.uk and economy. It is intended to take advantage of www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk for any bulk purchasing of food products If you have any questions, please contact: more details of the organisations. and you, as an investor will be the Gael Finnegan first to know of these offers. Cooks can take advantage of the support Business Support Adviser for offered by joining the co-operative, Avon and Somerset The investment is repayable on 12 which includes advice on marketing your 07790 668108 · [email protected] months’ notice, or earlier if funds products, labelling, display and running www.cooksofcountrymarkets.co.uk allow. Email Mike Hennessey for further information: [email protected]
10 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 On the web…
To profit or not to profit on the food movement? digest: The feeling in the food community is that if you’re making money, it’s not something you’re passionate about. But if we actually want to change anything – dedicate our lives to it – we need to make money doing it. Discuss. www.energybulletin.net/ Everyone pitches in with the communal It’s almost harvest time in the new ‘Plot stories/2011-08-03/profit-or-not- growing on the St Jude’s estate to Plate – Growing Well’ gardens and profit-food-movement orchard site complete with compost toilet!
The New Green Revolution: how twenty-first-century science can feed the world digest: The combined effects of climate change, energy scarcity, Local Food in Bristol and water paucity require that we Tim Belcher radically rethink our agricultural Tim Belcher, the Southern Regional mood has taken them. One of the many systems. Agroecology, the application Coordinator for the Local Food fantastic things that ‘Time to Grow’ has of ecological science to the study, programme, has been looking at the facilitated is the exchange of knowledge design, and management of impact of BIG Lottery funding in Bristol. on growing, including childhood memories sustainable agriculture, offers a model of growing and cooking food and different of agricultural development to meet The BIG Lottery Fund’s Local Food cultural experiences as well as the this challenge. programme opened in March 2008 to practical differences of growing food in distribute grants ranging from £2,000 to www.energybulletin.net/ different environments.” stories/2011-08-21/new-green- £500,000 to food related projects across revolution-how-twenty-first-century- England with the aim to make locally Plot-to-Plate – Growing Well grown food accessible and affordable to science-can-geed-world Another new project managed by the local communities. Hartcliffe Health and Environment Action Food justice – Changing ‘there’ by The South West region has seen one of the Group (HHEAG) called ‘Plot-to-Plate – changing here highest number of grants awarded with Growing Well’ is founded on existing food- digest: Having food co-ops on 60 projects approved so far (second only based activities which have been running universities throughout the US will to London). Eleven of these are based in for 14 years. indirectly influence development Bristol to a value of £1.1m and include Awarded £93,500 over two years, HHEAG patterns by normalising and food growing, education, sharing best has developed a holistic approach to legitimising food sovereignty and practice and schools grounds projects. improving local people’s health and food co-ops. Working in your own environment by providing volunteering communities starting food sovereignty Time to Grow and skills development opportunities projects is just as important if not One such project is based in St Jude’s. in food growing, nutrition, cooking and more important than working in ‘other’ Rosemary Early Years Centre has teamed food sales. These activities have enabled communities. up with the St Jude’s Tenants Association them to grow sufficient food for use in the and has been awarded £19,293 over three www.energybulletin.net/ cooking classes and to improve access to years to run a fortnightly gardening group stories/2011-08-18/food- local, low cost, organically grown food. justice-%E2%80%93-changing- called ‘Time to Grow’. Sue Walker, Senior Community %E2%80%98there%E2%80%99- Jo Symons, Project Coordinator, explains Development Worker added, “Demand for changing-here further, “Thanks to Local Food we have our produce and courses outstripped what secured funding for ‘Time to Grow’ using we could supply, but funding from Local Bristol’s growing movement to the communal beds on the St Jude’s Food has enabled us to begin developing produce local, sustainable food Estate, where the majority of residents a new ¾ acre site for a community food digest: Roger James, Oxfam South live in flats and have no access to a garden and orchard, and almost double West campaigner, on Bristol’s role in garden. So far people have planted peas, the number of cooking sessions we can leading the way on food issues. dwarf beans, lettuce herbs and flowers. offer. With this funding we have also Volunteers have also been able to take www.bristol247.com/2011/08/04/ established an Advice Centre and Food plants home to grow on their window sills roger-james-bristols-growing- Library which is our base for organising and balconies – potatoes in a bag have movement-to-produce-local- regular health promotion events.” sustainable-food-44403/ proved very popular!” More information about this project is “Some residents have shied away from the available at: www.hheag.org.uk formal workshops but have been spotted watering and weeding as and when the continued
11 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Films & video Local Food in Bristol TEDxManhattan – Dr Melony continued Samuels – Campaigning Against Hunger with urban farms digest: Dr Melony Samuels, Founder and Director of the Bed- Stuy Campaign Against Hunger, talks about using urban farming to empower low-income families to take control of their diets. www.cityfarmer.info/2011/08/13/ tedxmanhattan-dr-melony- samuels-campaigning-against- hunger-with-urban-farms/
Growing Cities Movie digest: Growing Cities is a feature- length documentary film about urban farming across America. It follows two friends in their road trip across country as they meet with leaders in the urban farming Children at the Growing Communities supported May Park Primary School Growing Club movement and learn how cities are showing off the results of their hard work! being revitalized one vegetable, bee, and chicken at a time. www.growingcitiesmovie.com/ Growing Communities in England The popularity of the Local Food On a much larger scale, the Federation of programme reflects the huge amount of Minimal Food Miles Meal City Farms & Community Gardens has been interest in community food growing, not only in Bristol and the South West but also digest: Transition Bath set out to awarded £299,998 over three years for the across England. make a meal for 17 people with all ‘Growing Communities in England’ project, ingredients sourced from within the aim of which is to assist community This positive response and interest in walking distance of the city. groups throughout England to grow food the programme shows that Local Food is locally by providing advice, information, www.transitionbath.org/local-meal responding to a clear and current need. training and specialist support. We feel this also demonstrates that the Capital bee Ambitious targets were set for the project, public are more in tune with this – they are clearer on the decisions on where digest: Part of Capital Growth, with expectations that at least 500 people their food comes from and are more aware the campaign for 2,012 new food will have increased their knowledge, skills of the environmental, social and health growing spaces in London by 2012. and confidence in food growing through attendance at regional training events, benefits that these types of projects can www.capitalgrowth.org/bees 150 groups will have developed local food deliver. growing projects and 100 groups will have Our projects are working with a diverse increased their knowledge via fact finding range of beneficiaries, from primary Screening visits to relevant projects. school children to older people and are Caitlyn Jones, Support Worker, has been also multi-cultural, working with several Just Do It – a tale of modern-day pleased by its success, “The project is different ethnic groups and refugee outlaws entering the final year and already it is organisations. The variety of project types 8pm Wednesday 7 September well on its way to achieving its aims. We’ve we can support means we will award The Cube, Bristol organised training events and site visits, funds to activities ranging from allotment Emily James spent over a year awarded travel bursaries for community developments and veggie box schemes, embedded in activist groups such groups to go on fact finding visits and community food growing initiatives and as Climate Camp and Plane Stupid published case studies on local food urban food growing projects on rooftops, to document their clandestine trends which are available for free on our as well as the development of farmers activities which will entertain, website. The funding has also provided markets in rural areas. illuminate and inspire. four regional local food workers who are If you want to search for funded projects www.cubecinema.com/cgi-bin/ on hand to assist community groups.” near you or across the rest of the diary/programme.pl#6116 More information about this project is country or to find out ‘how to keep our available at: www.farmgarden.org.uk communities growing’, register to our website: www.localfoodgrants.org. Tim Belcher Local Food Regional Coordinator – South Email: [email protected]
12 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 <— Poppies and oil seeds
especially in locations where land values are high and the land uses contested.
3. What might these new young(er) farmers grow for us? Once land has been secured for food projects we need to consider our collective cropping plans in the context of a range of dietary considerations from foodscapes based on vegan permaculture to meat-based farming systems.
4. What might our new foodscapes look like? Perhaps another map, the 2005 ‘The New foodscapes Character of England’ produced by the Richard Spalding Countryside Quality Counts project offers a way forward for your own considerations as we see the whole contemporary New young(er) farmers, land for them, Throughout the last 10 years something foodscapes agenda continuing its rapid what might they grow for us and what new and exciting is beginning to stir growth. This map, with its 159 joint might our new foodscapes look like? which may enable what Colin Tudge calls character areas, seem to echo a longing “real farming” to re-emerge. A younger “With the rise of an urbanized society, for a re-establishment of food and place generation of farmers and growers, the production of food becomes a complex links based on landscapes, wildlife, many of them part-time, male and industrial operation.” natural and cultural features. My own female, are searching to find ways of Lewis Herber 1962 joint character area location is number reconnecting with land and food across 118 on the map – Bristol, Avon Valleys We spoke of many food-related things a huge variety of locations in the UK. A and Ridges and shows a long rectangle at the summer 8 Steps back to the good gathering of such activists at the of land surrounding Bristol and Bath in Land conference in deepest yurt- conference spoke with utter passion of what Kirkpatrick Sale might have seen as a filled Worcestershire. One potentially their efforts to develop and grow their ‘bioregion’ with the potential to assert its important thread which emerged in own projects as the beginnings of a new own uniquely geographical food security reacting to Colin Tudge’s call for 1 million age of community-driven, locally-scaled imperatives for those dwelling in the new farmers to provide a succession agriculture. Their stories ranged from inner place. towards an agricultural renaissance city London, to Oxfordshire pigs, to micro was contained in a map from 1974. This dairies in Hampshire. Perhaps if a 2024 There is much to be thought through MAFF map of the south west region of map of farm types and sizes is produced here. However, one thing seems certain. England (designated as Dorset, Wiltshire, (50 years on from my starting point) This groundswell of people interested in Somerset and Gloucestershire) shows part-time and small mixed farms will once developing and securing their own local what is in essence a patchwork of small again provide the bedrock for a resilient foodscapes seems to be developing a farms supported by significant manual set of foodscapes under a system which resilience of its own as an idea that will labour. The labour was classified under encourages re-localised, vibrant and run and run. Perhaps those 1 million something called standard man days viable relationships with the land. farmers Colin is searching for in securing (SMDs) where one SMD represented 8 an enlightened agriculture for the future There are a few problems, however! They hours of manual work for an adult male will (and should) come from a diversity are to do with power, vested interest, worker under average conditions. The of approaches which are appropriate human nutrition, land management map demonstrates that the agriculture in to particular locations. Such a set of and ethical questions related to our this part of England in the early 1970s was foodscapes will surely come from a relationship with food in sustaining the one in which small farm businesses were re-engagement with land through a earth. Let me just scratch the surface of a dominant, especially in the lowland areas. properly considered use of full and part few of them: Interestingly, part-time farms, i.e. holdings time farmers and growers, the flowering with less than 275 SMDs were not included 1. Valuing Land My ongoing work on of what Colin calls “science-assisted and clearly irrelevant to this particular trying to protect the highest quality craft” to support what Jules Pretty calls survey. agricultural land on the north Bristol a “re-wilding of agriculture” and the re- fringe suggests that, until recent stirrings positioning of global agriculture towards It is worth reflecting that those working of interest, we have collectively de- what I would describe as a “vernacular these small farms at that time are now in valued our best land and soils as of agriculture” for the future. their 80s and retired with their children little importance to what will surely be a making up a significant drift away from In the meantime, I would commend the renaissance of local agriculture needed to the land to the city. During this 40 year Ecological Land Co-operatives recent help feed our cities and towns once again. period, the UK first joined the European publication Small is Successful – creating Economic Community, as the traditional 2. Land for the young(er) farmers and sustainable livelihoods on ten acres or power base of British agriculture shifted growers The continuing skewed land less which provides a set of case studies from Whitehall to Brussels and the global ownership in the hands of powerful of what might be the beginning of a new food economy infiltrated most of our lives. individuals and corporate interests makes delivery model with important practical Markets gave way to SUPERmarkets, small it very difficult to access land to rent, lease applications for feeding us in a truly mixed farms gave way to agribusiness. or buy if your pockets are not very deep, sustainable way.
13 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Following the Plot no.8 Keith Cowling
It’s full summer and the plot is you alternate sides as you move upwards. countries sun-drying works well. In Britain burgeoning. Pumpkins, beans, When the loop has about 20 onions air-drying is more effective but, with the courgettes, potatoes bursting out of a (depending on size), tie the two free ends exception of beans, and peas (covered in sea of weeds with slugs rampaging in of string together just above the onions Jane Stevenson’s excellent article in the the undergrowth. Tomatoes breaking and form a hanging loop with the spare last edition of Update) and herbs, less the support canes, brassicas bursting string. Perfectionists trim off surplus dry useful. Most home drying is done slowly out of the protective netting – it’s shoots and roots with garden scissors in a low oven (about 50°C). Green beans, pretty difficult to keep abreast of a full before hanging the strings in a cool dark mushrooms, apples, pears, plums and size allotment during August unless place. currants respond well to this approach you abandon holiday plans and gainful and should be stored in sealed jars once If you can’t cope with stringing, employment. But whilst struggling the moisture content is reduced to a point supermarket onions and other small against multiple threats and predators, where no water can be squeezed out of vegetables are often sold in small, at this time of year we also need to deal the pieces. A variation on drying is to expandable plastic nets, which can with the problems of success – what to reduce the water content to some extent be saved and re-used for storing your do with all that produce. so that jar storage is more practical – own. Squashes, pumpkins and marrows generally by some cooking. Hence fruit The first and obvious approach is to can also be hung in nets or old pairs of ‘cheeses’ (e.g. membrillo from quinces) eat as much fresh produce as possible tights in a cool dry shed. Make sure that and sauces of blended tomatoes, peppers while it is available. Share with friends squashes are from one of the hard- and aubergines. and neighbours, have barbecues, blend skinned varieties and that marrows are not smoothies. Sweetcorn cobs will never be just overgrown courgettes. Tomato bottling is particularly effective as good again as they are when they first in those summers which produce a glut. Beetroots, carrots, turnips and swedes can come off the plant! Some vegetables also The easiest method is to pack the cut fruit all be stored in boxes. Twist off the green have interesting non-traditional uses that into the old-style kilner jars (with screw tops and remove any excess of soil before can help tackle gluts. Carrots, beetroots tops) and top up with water when full. packing in rows in dry bedding material. and courgettes, for example, can all find Screw on the lids, then back them off half Traditionally this was a use for peat, their way into scrumptious cake recipes. a turn. Immerse all the bottles in water in but these days, especially with Garden But inevitably, if your plot produces a large jam pan (or similar) and raise the Organic campaigning for an end to peat and the slugs and pigeons can be kept temperature slowly to a gentle simmer use in gardens, dry leaves or sand is used in check, there will be surpluses to be over an hour. When the bottles have been or wood ash for beetroot. Other hard veg, processed and stored. gently boiled for 20 minutes, remove them like leeks, parsnips, jerusalem artichokes, from the water, screw the lids up tight Many of the hard veg can simply be stored celery and celeriac are best left in the and store in a dark cupboard. There are in a cool cellar or outhouse. Potatoes keep ground until required. also Southern European techniques for well in jute sacks or, failing that, in woven But the gluts of lush summer fruits and preserving small delicious fruit and veg or paper sacks. They must be kept in the vegetables present the biggest challenge in oil and the French practice of dropping dark however, to avoid turning green and, to the determined preserver. There are gluts of fruit into 40% alcohol! bearing in mind how humid and ‘blighty’ seven basic ways to approach their this summer has been, it’s worth checking The main approach to preserving however, storage. These are freezing, drying, your stored spuds regularly to see if any is to use additives that prevent the normal bottling, salting, pickling, jamming and are rotting. Onions and garlic, on the processes of decay – principally sugar, souring. Freezing is a pretty standard other hand, appreciate good air flow, vinegar or salt. A wealth of techniques of domestic procedure, but has two major so the traditional approach is to string jam and marmalade making, pickling and drawbacks. Firstly, in these energy- them. To do this, rub off any surplus soil chutney-making all follow from this basic conscious times it’s clear that it’s not very and dry skin on the crop. Then, tie some principle. Although far too extensive to sustainable. Freezers use lots of energy. strong string or bailer twine in a loop deal with here, preserving is well-covered Their other problem is that frozen food is and hang from a hook. Fold the bottom in some great books, including The often OK but is always less satisfactory of the loop upwards a couple of inches Penguin Book of Pickles and Chutneys by than the original, as flavours and nutrients until two small loops are formed at the David and Rose Mabey (my own favorite are lost. By comparison, other preserving sides, fold these away from you towards but now out of print) and the recent book techniques have the positive advantage of the back of the loop, pass the neck of the Preserves by River Cottage’s Pam Corbin. producing new and different flavours that first onion or garlic head through both of add to our experience and enjoyment of them and pull the string tight. Then place Keith Cowling · [email protected] the food. subsequent onions close to the strings Ashley Vale Allotments Association and thread their necks in a figure-of-eight Drying has been used as a preservation www.ashleyvaleallotmentsassociation. pattern around both strings, making sure technique since earliest times. In hotter org/index.php
14 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Farming the City Building a sustainable urban food production system in Bristol
‘Dear Friends, we want your surplus...’ Supplying good, local, nutritious food needed. New and improved technology for ran the notice. A message from a local to the mass of Bristol people who don’t containerised growing and hydroponics community café trying to do more to have the time or inclination to grow their could make the rapid deployment of reduce food miles and support local own will take more than a few allotments, growing systems on vacant sites a growers was attached to our allotment even 4,000 of them. And it will need more practical proposition. site gates. The deal was that allotment of a strategic approach than notices on To achieve this, urban farm social holders could present their spare produce allotment fences. The recent resistance enterprises will need to be capable of and be given credits, redeemable as tea to Tesco in Stokes Croft has provoked the using sustainable forms of transport and cake at a later date. It was a nice offer question, ‘if not Tesco, then what?’ To for such things as moving materials and chimed well with the popular idea answer it, a whole local food production transporting seedlings and equipment that Bristol’s four thousand plus allotment system and supply chain needs to be and delivering produce. They will have plots could make a major contribution to grown from scratch, aimed at getting local to plan to harvest waste organic material the amount and quality of local food. food to local people. I believe that we from the city system, process it safely need to create new social enterprises to The recent excellent Who Feeds Bristol and convert it to plant fertility. This farm the city; to use urban land of all types report estimated that Bristol’s allotments might involve collecting urine, vegetable and tenures; to be positioned to take had the potential to produce 280,000kg refuse and manure, making bulk compost advantage of ‘meanwhile’ uses of land for of fruit and veg worth £2.5 million and recycling leaves and cardboard. taking catch crops until re-development annually, or approximately a twentieth Systems for easily erecting poly tunnels, takes place; to use spare garden space of the city population’s requirements. It processing ‘grey water’ and setting up strategically and to have the capacity to pointed out however, that this somewhat growing containers will also be needed. manage park space. idealised figure was heavily dependent By these and other means urban farmers on a matching availability of time, skills The beginning of such possibilities are could optimise the use of available urban and experience. The main flaw as far as already visible at HHEAG in Hartcliffe, growing space on a site by site basis. the offer from the community café was at the Walled Garden in Barton Hill If you are interested in these ideas and concerned however, is that allotments and Eastside Roots, at the at Horfield would like to be part of a forthcoming don’t really produce much ‘surplus’. Plot and Metford Road community orchards symposium to take them forward, please holders don’t set out to produce a surplus and Bramble Farm in Knowle. But to contact me. and when one occurs it is generally viewed scale up from such useful experience, as a failure resulting in lovingly grown organisations capable of treating whole Keith Cowling · [email protected] food going to waste. neighbourhoods as farms will probably be
Food in Community Buildings Can you pop down to your local The Federation’s first priority will be to see in more community buildings community centre for breakfast, or meet developing a range of services that however, would be a standard food and your mates there for afternoon tea and community centres need or might use, drink offer, providing nutritious local Black Forest Cherry Cake? If you can, you but which would be hard or uneconomic food, attractively presented, for users of are lucky. There aren’t many centres in to do for themselves – or just more community hubs. Bristol with an attractive food offer. To efficiently and cheaply done centrally. A few cafés in community buildings tackle this and other shortcomings in the Where existing projects have some do exist, but they are overwhelmingly services offered by the city’s community expertise – e.g. with promoting events independent private businesses without places, a group of organisations are or managing workspace – the Fed will the capacity to deliver a wider service working together to develop new help make it more widely available. across a number of locations. The Fed approaches. The result is the Bristol However, where services are needed is therefore looking for interesting Federation of Community Buildings, but no existing groups provide them, ideas and propositions from not-for- which will be launched this autumn. It the Fed will promote the establishment profit organisations who would like to will be a co-operative of community hub of new social enterprises to deliver develop a generic refreshments package organisations managing community them. Some examples of this approach for community buildings. If you are buildings and other assets across the city might be the development of an on-line interested, or you know an organisation with the aim of promoting community-run booking system for sessional space, an who might be, please contact me. facilities and doing things at scale that energy and telecoms purchasing scheme would be very hard to do individually. and a facilities management package. Keith Cowling · [email protected] One service that would be very great
15 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 A People’s Takeover? Linda Hull
Somerset Land and Food co-ordinator, production does not specifically feature willing to go back to the land and Linda Hull, offers some reflections in planning policy and the upcoming reassume control over food production. on the need to collaborate to access changes to planning could make it even 9. Reclaim our plates. The debate about and protect land, to rapidly up-skill more difficult to reserve and protect land changing diets to be much more plant- ourselves to grow more food closer to for growing food, especially the best and based and locally sourced is one which home and to support our local producers. most versatile land (BMV). will continue to cause controversy, but I I don’t suppose I need to tell Bristol’s 3. Identify where real and robust like Colin Tudge’s formula of “plenty of local food update readers that industrial demand for land, and locally produced plants, not much meat, and maximum agriculture is trashing the planet. However, food, lies. Waiting lists are not the most variety.” I admit to being shocked to read in the robust indicators of demand for land in a 10. Acknowledge Food Sovereignty and Foresight Future of Food and Farming particular area. report that it sucks up a staggering 70% of respect the Right to Food. Securing 4. Enable greater access to land. One sets out why it is necessary to global water supply. The problem remains Future Food eye watering fact is that 70% of land in make the radical shift towards ecological that while food encompasses everything Britain is owned by 1% of the population… food provision in order to secure supplies that we humans care about, our food however, with only 1% of churn in the system is failing and the scale of it, and its for the world’s predicted 9 billion people. market for land, new micro enterprises on negative impacts on land, resources and existing land must be the way forward. health are often just ‘too big to see.’ In conclusion, we need to harness the “convening power of food” as Professor 5. Lobby for the use of surplus, vacant If we were to let food be our guide to Kevin Morgan says, chair of the new and derelict Local Authority and other the ‘urban paradox’ – and to a good Bristol Food Policy Council. “We have to publicly owned land for both commercial life – as architect and author of Hungry render food visible. Only via visibility and and community based food production. City, Carolyn Steel urges, what would connectivity will we be able to protect and Can You Dig It reported that in 2007, we find ourselves doing? The Campaign enhance our local food webs.” Britain had 12,710 hectares of vacant for REAL Farming (Resilient, Ecological, brownfield land. 85% of this land is Alternative, Local) calls for nothing less My journey continues with the challenge of located in urban areas or within 500 than a People’s Takeover of the world’s making Foodmapper relevant to a wider metres of a built-up area – precisely where food supply! Spokesman, Colin Tudge, audience. Work is in progress to develop a growing spaces are in highest demand. believes there is still enough existing good ‘master map’ where relevant land based data is widely and easily available – i.e. law and room for manoeuvre, politically 6. Support and enable massive re- land quality, topography, soils, ownership, and economically, to enact an Agrarian skilling in the sphere of food production. Renaissance, obviating the need for a full In particular to enable our young farmers flood risk and current or potential use. grown revolution. He outlines a route in to access sufficient land and market share A huge opportunity exists to capture and his paper Eight Steps Back to the Land. to make it viable for them to succeed the present the wealth of data currently residing in our fragmented network, particularly Having attended recent events with titles half a million existing farmers, many of whom are at the end of their careers. in the face of claims that there is a lack of such as Food and Public Space, Food data and evidence to inform the best and & Spatial Planning and Tackling Food 7. Work together to amass Nurture most effective actions we need to take to Security through Science & Technology Capital to invest in local projects. create sustainable food systems. – all in London – and, closer to home, Practitioners in the USA are pioneering the the Let’s Grow Food and Reclaim the use of Slow Money to bring investment, Complaints that there are too many Fields gatherings, it’s clear to me that literally, back down to Earth. disparate maps, platforms and data food system activists need to work much sets which aren’t well known enough, smarter, and in much closer collaboration, 8. Amplify the work of existing and are impossible to cross-pollinate, if we are to make any real progress in ‘disruptive innovators’ and other radical beg the question of how to develop and reversing destructive trends. alternatives. Some of my favourites which popularise a national platform that can I have come across so far include: strengthen collaborative relationships, What would a People’s Takeover require n Mary Clear of Incredible Edible connect practitioners with good of us? Below I share some reflections Todmorden says “if you eat, you’re in”. intelligence, improve knowledge transfer on a summer of research into the bigger She and her team have started a small and rapidly enable a proactive network of picture. And a few further questions! revolution by “accidentally gardening” food system activists to bring new land We need to: on some of the most raggedy bits of into production and protect it for local 1. Stop wasting food with £1bn worth of land in their community. provision of good food. Such collaboration food being thrown away every month in n A draft planning advisory note on is now desperately needed as funding is the UK, this must surely be the first step to incorporating space for food growing in dwindling, climate is changing and food securing our food supplies! And if it can’t new developments has been developed prices are rising. Visit Foodmapper today be eaten, let’s use it to generate energy…. by Food Matters in conjunction with and plot YOUR local food webs. 2. Ensure that reserving land for food Brighton City Council as a part of the Linda Hull production, both commercial and non- Harvest project. [email protected] commercial, is firmly on the radar of our n Reclaim the Fields is a constellation of www.somersetcommunityfood.org.uk local authority planners. Currently, food young people and collective projects www.foodmapper.org.uk
16 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Clifton Chilli Club The Severn Project Horfield Community Orchard Inspiring people to Get Growing What with the British weather being as their prize pigs for a barbecue! Another start growing their own food by visiting a it is, the glorious sunshine for Bristol’s garden offered homemade elderflower garden, and just under half said they were first ever ‘arts trail for growing veg’ on champagne to visitors, and veg dug up on inspired to join a community gardening 11 June was surely a sign that the gods demand. There were also cookery demos, group. The garden groups that took part approved. plant sales, and seed planting courtesy were really positive about the day, saying of Garden Organic’s ‘One Pot Pledge’ that they really valued being part of a The Get Growing Trail aimed to celebrate campaign. city wide event, and attracted lots of new Bristol’s local food growing projects, and members and volunteers. to inspire more people to get involved Overall, around 1,000 people visited the with them. 23 community gardens opened gardens across Bristol, which was a great Forum for the Future have produced a on the day, offering visitors the chance to result for the first year of the trail. The short report about the event: have a look around the site, meet garden friendliness and enthusiasm of the garden www.sustainablebristol.com/2011/07/ members, get advice on growing and members (plus the sunshine!) resulted inspiring-people-to-get-growing/ take part in lots of fun family activities. in some fantastic feedback: over half of A smallholding even slaughtered one of visitors said that they’d been inspired to
Bramble Farm smallholding The Create Centre’s eco home garden Grow Grubby at Talbot Road allotments
Eastside Roots, Stapleton Road garden Patchwork in Bedminster Metford Road Community Orchard
17 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 council news Food Interest Group profiles Food Policy Council no.8: Jason Thorne, Economic The Food Policy Council (FPC) will be purchasing practice linked to seasonal Development & Regeneration meeting for the second time in September. menus for patients. My current work is focussed on the The aim of the meeting will be start to In terms of growing food in the city, following areas: agree on work areas to take forward. A people seem once again to be interested number of themes are emerging from n Championing high streets and the in getting involved, with both allotment different areas of activity in the city independent retail sector. This work requests and the demand for land for which can be broadly described as: food involves developing a retail action community growing projects increasing. procurement by the public sector, growing plan, liaison with traders’ associations, As Who Feeds Bristol? has demonstrated, food in the city, and food communications. overseeing the City Centre Retail Bristol will never be able to feed itself These themes were identified within the Development project being led by completely but reducing people’s reliance Who Feeds Bristol? report as crucial to the Destination Bristol, development of a on food imports into the city will form an development of a food planning system markets strategy & action plan, and important foundation in terms of making for the city and presently there are various working with the Bristol Food Network the system more resilient. Could we see unco-ordinated projects and ambitions by and Food Policy Council on initiatives Bristol become a real garden city with food different organisations in the city trying such as the Bristol Independents growing taking place on every available to address them. So the role of the FPC Campaign. We’ve recently set-up a plot of land as in Havana – who knows? will be see if there are opportunities to virtual high street via Twitter to promote try to encourage better co-ordination and Finally, the messages around food are local independent shops, see greater ambition, appropriate to city scale, very complex and driven by market www.twitter.com/shoplocalbris through greater partnership working. dynamics. In order to support the practical n Championing the needs of small programmes around public sector food Opening up the public sector food businesses. This involves highlighting procurement and growing food in the city market to local growers and producers business needs and issues, bringing we need to change the culture around would be an important foundation for council teams together to promote what food as well, promoting a sustainable the development of a more resilient they can offer businesses and working message and how it can be achieved. food system in the city. One that is with business groups e.g. the Federation less susceptible to economic and Teasing out practical ways forward in of Small Businesses (FSB), Institute of environmental system shocks. It is one of these areas is the task the FPC has set Directors, business associations. We the few sectors of the food system where itself. We will report the discussion and have been working with the FSB and local decisions can send strong market decisions made at the meeting in the next Best of Bristol (events organiser) on signals in support of local production and newsletter. a series of business events. The next there are good examples in other parts of event is on 27 September, see Steve Marriott the country where this has really worked. www.businesssorted.com/exhibition- Sustainable Cities Team, Bristol City For example, the Royal Cornwall Hospital company-exhibition-details-27th- Council Trust has developed a very strong local september-2011 n Neighbourhood economies. This involves working with three Somerset events neighbourhood partnership areas to assess the current role of businesses in Montacute & Levels’ Best Fruit & Vegetable Neighbourhood Partnerships, what role businesses could play in the future and Farmers’ Markets Question Time local economy issues. Old Stable Courtyard, Montacute House Saturday 24 September 2011 n Informing planning policy and area Two sessions: 10.30am and 12 noon Award-winning Montacute &Levels’ Best regeneration projects. I work closely with The Old Stable Courtyard, Montacute Farmers’ Markets in 2011 will be selling the Strategic Planning team to inform House, TA15 6XP · £5 the very best of fresh seasonal produce the Bristol Development Framework and & hand-made crafts. Charles Dowding: author & organic other planning policy from an economic grower development and regeneration 10am until 2pm on... Pete Belben: Kitchen Gardener, perspective. I am also providing some 24 September – Harvest Festival Barrington Court support to the Knowle West regeneration 29 October – apples, cider & cheese Adam Powell: owner Adam’s Apple Trees project. 26 November – game, pies & ale Nursery 17 December – Christmas music, Jason Thorne Chair: Simon Larkins, National Trust mistletoe & mulled cider Economic Development & Regeneration South Somerset Gardens & Parks Bristol Futures, Bristol City Council Raffle for Hamper of fresh products at Manager 0117 922 2042 each market. Free entry and parking to To book and submit your question in the market, Just 4 miles north of Yeovil advance contact Elaine: www.bristol.gov.uk off A3088. National Trust shop and [email protected] www.twitter.com/bristolfutures restaurant open. Tel: 01935 851280 (office hours) www.twitter.com/shoplocalbris www.levelsbest.co.uk
18 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Events Organic Food Festival Bristol Honey Show and Love Food Festivals 3–4 September Festival 10.30am–4pm Sunday 11 September Bristol Harbourside 10am–5pm 3–4 September Dyrham Park, outside Bath £6 (£4.50 advance) University of Bristol Botanic Gardens Entry to the market is free The ever popular Soil Association Organic Beekeeping has exploded in Bristol over 10.30am–4pm Sunday 25 September Food Festival is back this September – the last five years, but Bristol Beekeepers Paintworks, Bath Road, Bristol don’t miss out on the biggest organic food is always looking for ways to educate the 10.30am–4pm Sunday 9 October celebration of the year! Soil Association public about bees and to encourage new Green Park Station, Bath BA1 2DR members get in for free on production of a members so this is a great chance to find valid membership card. out more. This event will offer a range of In September Love Food returns with two stunning events, the first one being in If you’re not a Soil Association member information for those curious about bees the grounds of the very beautiful National already then we’ve got a great offer for or thinking about taking up beekeeping. Trust property ‘Dyrham Park’. you – simply join the Soil Association at This includes a live demonstration hive, the Festival and you’ll get a free (organic information on pollination, a host of The Love Food market will be made up of cotton) goody bag worth over £20 full of honey and beeswax products on sale and over 30 producers selling a wide range of organic treats as well as free entry to the experts on hand to explain or advise. delicious goods including venison from festival itself! www.bristolbeekeepers.org.uk/ the Dyrham estate, fresh bread, local fruit and vegetables, artisan cheese, www.organicfoodfestival.co.uk/ honeyshow/bristolhoneyshow.html charcuterie, jam, cakes, honey, cream and much more. Cookery demonstrations Organic September – Transition Bath preserving and from some superb chefs will show how to pressing workshops make the best of all the fantastic produce The Big Organic Eat-In available in the market. There will also This Organic September the Soil St Matthews Church Hall, Widcombe Hill, be seasonal children’s activites, music, Association are inviting everyone to share Widcombe BA2 6AA nature walks, story telling and a delicious organic food with family and friends, Preserving workshop picnic area with street food, BBQ and a celebrate the benefits of organic food All day, Saturday 10 September cafe. and farming and help raise money for the Pressing workshops At the end of September, Love Food Soil Association – whether it’s a dinner, half days starting 2pm returns to its Paintworks home for a a breakfast, a cake sale or a pot-lunch at 10 September, 8 and 22 October harvest celebration of epic proportions work. See the website for all the details with apple pressing, foraging, home and to download the Fundraising Pack, as The all-day workshop is about methods of brewing and preserving on the agenda. well as recipe ideas from some of the UK’s preserving fruit and vegetables so that we It’s time to prepare for the Winter months! top chefs including Allegra McEvedy, Hugh can use home-grown produce throughout Fearnley-Whittingstall, Raymond Blanc the year. To move beyond the conventional www.lovefoodfestival.com and Valentine Warner. jam and chutney recipes, we’re presenting ideas from other cooking techniques, www.soilassociation.org/ such as Norwegian and Italian. There’ll OrganicSeptember/TheBigOrganicEatin/ be demonstrations of different types of tabid/1513/Default.aspx equipment, and plenty of opportunity to share ideas, knowledge and experience. Transition Long Ashton market Contact Virginia Williamson 07867 532512 [email protected]. 9.30am–1pm Saturday 3 September 1 October & 5 November This year, there’ll be a bumper crop of Long Ashton Village Hall apples with many varieties ripening 1–2 Herbal summer walk months earlier than usual. If you have The fruit and veg stall at the market is apple trees, you’re probably eating and 5.30pm Wednesday 14 September now operated by volunteers and co- freezing as many as possible. Rather than Create Centre, Smeaton Road, ordinators sourcing from local, and leaving any unused, come along and learn Bristol BS1 6XN wherever possible, organic producers. how to bottle and pasteurise your own £5 Also featuring regularly at the market is apple juice so that you can drink it all year produce grown by the local Transition Join herbal expert, Max Drake on a round. Once you know how to use the Long Ashton ‘Grow it Group’ and also fascinating herbal walk along the river equipment, which is portable, you’ll be potentially the Transition Long Ashton at Create and discover the medicinal able to hire it to use at home. Growers – who manage a community and therapeutic properties of an array of allotment on land shared/offered by To book contact Jim Dowling 01225 481500 riverside herbs. Includes herbal sampling Alaistar Sawdays Publishing. [email protected]. and tea making! NB weather permitting.
www.transitionlongashton.co.uk/ To book please contact Max 0117 927 6527 www.longashtonvillagemarket.co.uk/ www.urbanfringe.org
19 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 …more events Kingsdown Homegrown Edible Cities 1–5pm Saturday 17 September 6pm Wednesday 21 September 7–10pm Evening Party Walled Garden, 60 Barton Hill Road St Matthews Church, Clare Road Bristol BS5 0AW Kingsdown Homegrown is a community Andy Hamilton will be making a short Ashley Vale Allotment Assoc. event for local people to promote local presentation about Edible Cities. After 2nd annual Produce Show businesses and local interests and the presentation you will be invited to get talents. We will have Ninetree Cider selling involved with the project and we will be Sunday 25 September their delicious cider and apple juices and discussing how to make it work. St Werburghs City Farm apple preserves. They will also be pressing If you haven’t yet heard of Edible Cities, The Ashley Vale Allotment Association the apple juices on the day – so bring it is a project to get as many fruit & nut will be holding its second annual Produce along any surplus apples or pears from trees and fruit bushes planted as possible Show in association with the St Werburghs your gardens and see it being processed and to get the general public involved Art Trail on Sunday 25 September at its into wonderful juice. with planting, pruning and picking them. event space behind St Werburghs City We hope to have local schools showing It is hoped that this will help to increase Farm. All local gardeners and allotment us what they have been growing and also community cohesion and food security holders are welcome to enter their our usual competiitions in cooking and whilst also improving Bristol’s image to produce. Show classes will be posted on gardening. the wider world. The hope is then to use the Association’s site notices and website: the model as a template to run out across There will be plenty of stalls to keep the www.ashleyvaleallotmentsassociation.org Britain. whole family happy and entertained and teas and BBQ to keep you going. Please RSVP so we can have idea of how much tea and biscuits we need to provide! Buying Group workshop and www.kingsdown.org.uk If you cannot make the meeting but would visit to Essential Trading still like to get involved then please get in Thursday 29 September 2011 touch: [email protected] Bristol The walled garden in Barton Hill is within As part of the Making Local Food Work walking of Lawrence Hill train station and programme, the Soil Association and is served by 36 and 36a buses. Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming are working with Essential Trading Dundry View Green in Bristol to arrange free visits for food co-ops. Harvest Festival The visits will provide both existing 12–4pm Saturday 24 September 2011 wholefood and fresh food co-ops with an Millennium Green opportunity to learn more about Essential Windmill Hill City farm Harvest Dundry Hill Billies are a new community and meet some fresh food producers, with a view to helping them to add fresh Banquet with Café Maitreya group that have been set up by local residents. We believe that the Dundry or dried produce to their range of goods 5pm onwards Saturday 17 September View area is a diverse ecosystem supplied. £12 per head/£2 for under 10’s which potentially requires long term The day will be split in to two: Bristol chef Mark from award winning maintenance of well being. Our mission 10am–1pm for Wholefood Co-ops who vegetarian restaurant – Café Maitreya, will is to promote and educate ecological want to have a tour of Essential, meet be preparing all sorts of delicious delights principles, sustainability, permaculture, some fresh food producers and learn how using local,seasonal produce. and community well being by holding events within the community. they might start to supply fresh food The evening will be a communal, friendly, 2–5pm for Fresh Food Co-ops who want to buffet style affair with live mellow music One such event is a community harvest have a tour of Essential and find out more and a bar selling local cider, ales and festival. The focus of the event is to about starting to supply wholefoods wine. All of this in a beautiful natural promote sustainability, environmental setting! issues and community awareness Lunch will be from 1–2pm for both groups, within the community of the Dundry to give wholefood and fresh food coops a Booking is essential as there only 100 View Area. There will be local stalls and chance to meet. places available! Tickets are available demonstrations from various groups. from farm reception and canbe If you would like to attend one of these reserved by email: Simone.Dougall@ Contact: Jan Bohin 079 756 88924 sessions then please complete the windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk [email protected] booking form by 16 September, available from: [email protected] www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk/
20 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 …more events Coexist Community Kitchen Celebrate Apple Day at Horfield Autumnal banquet Organic Community Orchard Saturday 15 October 2–4 pm Sunday 16 October Coexist, Hamilton House, Stokes Croft n Enjoy an inspiring and pioneering Expect an evening of fun and frivolousness urban orchard injected with performance and music n Taste unusual and local varieties and complemented with a 5 course meal n Buy cakes, produce, plants and trees created by some of the best chefs in n Make juice and make merry Bristol. We’re talking the explosive taste n Fruit-growing and gardening questions of root vegetables, the seasonal tang answered of locally brewed cider and autumnal n Find out how to become a member leaves creating a carpet of warmth around (Donate your surplus apples for juicing – your candle lit table whilst aerial circus no windfalls, please). All welcome – bring performances makes your stomach flip! family and friends (Dogs on leads) Tickets will be going on sale soon. To find the Orchard (BS7 8JP) walk down Contact the Coexist Food Team to get the lane beside 22 Kings Drive (between involved: [email protected] Best of Bedminster Bishop Road and Kellaway Avenue), turn left and it’s the first gate on the right; OR 11am–4pm Saturday 1 October Growing Food Locally take the lane beside 134 Longmead North Street Green, Bedminster Avenue until you come to the last gate on Hengrove & Stockwood Neighbourhood The Best of Bedminster Show is back. the left. Partnership As usual at Bob, we will be on North Contact: 0117 373 1587 Street Green celebrating the best Saturday 15 October www.community-orchard.org.uk bits of North Street, Bedminster and Lansdown Park School (formerly Bristol. As well as eco/sustainability Stockwood Green Primary School) stalls, there will be a Traders’ Tent Sunday 16 October where local businesses are offering Friends of Stockwood Open Spaces free samples and special money off Apple Press event vouchers. n Do you grow food already? – come and If you’re feeling culinary or green- tell us about it fingered, then be prepared for this n Do you want to grow food? – we may be year’s Best in Show categories; Best able to help cake, Best jar of chutney, Best jar of jam, Best miniature garden, Best n Do you want to get involved in a photograph of Bedminster (child/ community network? – fantastic, all are adult), Best home grown pumpkin, welcome! Avon Organic Group Scariest fruit and vegetable monster Speakers from Hartcliffe Health and Harvest Supper and Best display of seasonal Environment Action Group and Knowle 7.30pm Wednesday 5 October produce. If you wish to enter the BOB West Edible Landscapes. Cooking Hamilton House, 80 Stokes Croft, Competition, entry forms with a full demonstration from local award-winning Bristol BS1 3QY listing of categories are available to cook Bridget Carter. Stalls by Friends of All welcome. Donation on door £1/£3 download and from particpating North Stockwood Open Spaces, local schools, Street Shops, cafés, and bars. plant swaps, Soil Association. Please let Avon Organic Group kicks off its Bob, our local hero, will also be us know if you, or your organisation is programme of evening meetings at a more painting the Best of Bedminster interested in this event and we can plan central meeting place, and on a different picture 2011, and there will be accordingly. evening. chalking, face painting, free bicycle Lansdown Park School on Stockwood Lane Harvest Supper – taste the fruits of our maintenance with Lifecycle’s Dr Bike, have generously offered facilities at the labours, learn from fellow gardeners’ and live music with Saving Mary. And school, and have their own food-growing success and problem solving. Bring food much more. area behind the school, plus chickens, for and recipes to share. Speaker from Send a If you can help us celebrate BS3, or you to walk round. Cow charity. you need further info contact Jim by Kerry Vosper www.avonorganicgroup.org.uk email: [email protected] or [email protected] telephone 0117 9664318. Pete Goodwin www.bestofbedminster.org.uk [email protected]
21 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 … & more Conferences Farming Together Taste 2011 The Future of CSA in the UK 23 September–9 October 9am–5.30pm Friday 16 September The ‘Taste’ Local Food & Drink Festival @-Bristol, Harbourside, Anchor Road, kicks off this year on Friday 23 September Bristol BS1 5DB when a local primary school rounds off a South Gloucestershire £18 CSAs and individuals week of lessons on local food by visiting £42 Organisations Manor Farm in Upton Cheyney to see where some local food is produced. Organised by the Soil Association The day will provide an opportunity In its 7th year, the ‘Taste’ festival has Preparing and cooking from scratch is not for CSA enterprises to come together several new entrants this year – there only healthy, cheaper and more nutritious, to experience being part of a bigger are a couple of opportunities to go but sitting down to share a meal you’ve movement, to network on a local, regional wild food foraging with Andy Hamilton; helped prepare is enormously satisfying and national scale, to share good practice you can make your own cider with too.” – says Val Harding at South and be inspired. International speakers Sherston Cider; get involved in cheese Gloucestershire Council, organiser of the will provide us with a wider perspective & cider tastings as well as enjoying local ‘Taste’ Festival. produce on the menu at the Portcullis on scaling up and connecting together. Farmers’ markets are one way of Hotel (Chipping Sodbury) and The Lord And finally we’ll be looking at the future supporting our local growers – and on 6 Nelson Inn (Marshfield); children’s cup potential for CSA in the UK: Where can it October at 10.30am you can also watch cake decorating and a West Country go? How will it look? Who will be involved? and learn from chef Ronnie Faulkner from Cheeseboard at Melanie’s Kitchen – as n Keynote speech by Elizabeth Henderson Ronnie’s Restaurant use fresh produce well as learning a couple of Fun with Food n The big picture of CSA in the UK from Thornbury Farmers’ market to make a events (learning how to prepare and n Celebrating the diversity of CSAs 3-course meal. cook local, seasonal food with Francine n International perspectives Russell of All About Food). The Coffee Barn ‘Taste’ ends on Sunday 9 October with the n Planning for the future in Pucklechurch will also be putting on Winterbourne Barn’s Orchard Harvest Day n Financing enterprises of the future specially-created dishes to mark the 2011 – which is always a great day out for the n The Way Forward ‘Taste’ Festival. whole family with lots to see, taste, enjoy and savour! www.soilassociation.org/csaconference. “In these challenging times, it’s even aspx more important to support our own local For more information e-mail farmers, growers and producers – as [email protected] or contact well learning how to save money off Val Harding on 01454-863883 or Richard Abergavenny Food Festival those monthly food bills by learning Aston on 01454-863725 Conference: Changing attitudes how to not waste so much of our food! – www.southgloslocalfood.org to local food lovefoodhatewaste.com. Another way to save money is to learn how to prepare 9am–4.30pm Saturday 16 September meals more economically (Tortworth Farm Priory Centre, Abergavenny Shop demo on Tuesday 27 September). £95 to include conference, workshops, a locally sourced lunch, drinks reception, and Abergavenny Food Festival stroller tickets worth £11.00
n What makes people change their behaviour about food? n How can those involved in local food production (producers, markets etc) change the attitudes and behaviours Neil Phillips, photographer and cider of their consumers? maker identifying apple varieties in a South n Selling an image – how major retailers Gloucestershire orchard where ‘Taste’ persuade us to choose certain brands festival visitors picked apples which were or types of food Warm autumn sunshine at Winterbourne later turned into apple juice and cider. n Taking the plunge – how we convert Barn’s Orchard Harvest Day in 2010. Taken during 2010 festival. aspirations into action around buying local food n How festivals and markets can work together to change people’s attitudes n Food waste – what can be done with it/ about it?
www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com/ conferences/index.html 22 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 …with Ragmans Lane Farm Ragman’s Lane Farm, Lydbrook, Courses Gloucestershire GL17 9PA …with the Low-impact living Building an earth oven www.ragmans.co.uk/courses/courselist. html initiative (LILI) 10am–5pm Saturday 24 September · £60 For all course information: Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol Introduction to Permaculture http://lowimpact.org/venues_south_ This course will teach you how to build a 24–25 September west.html small cob oven suitable for cooking pizzas £140 including food & accommodation and dishes requiring a cooking time of up Beekeeping for beginners to one hour. Most of the course will be hands on, learning how to plant, mulch, seed save, 10am–4pm 3–4 September · £195 graft, layer, survey, and compost. Outside Nr Thornbury, South Gloucestershire Cheesemaking work will be complemented by a basic grounding in permaculture principles. We This two-day course is designed to give 10am–5pm Saturday 1 October · £60 aim to cover a lot of ground as a ‘taster’. you a complete introduction to keeping Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol bees. It will give you a comprehensive Participants can then go on to a 2 week insight into beekeeping and what it During the day you will have an design course if they wish. entails, including a hands-on session in opportunity to make simple hard and the Apiary with the bees. soft goats milk cheese, ricotta and acid curd; you will also find out what hygiene A day of Cider Making and 10am–4pm Friday 9 September · £120 precautions are needed, where to buy Apple Juicing Nr Thornbury, South Gloucestershire starter and rennet and how to tell when Thursday 29 September · £60 This one-day course will give you the the curd is ready for the next stage. knowledge you need to understand all Pick apples and pears from an organic about beekeeping and what it entails, orchard and press them yourself on a including a hands-on session in our …with the University of Bristol traditional farmhouse cider press. You will apiary. We will cover the fundamental also use a small scale commercial press University of Bristol Botanic Garden, aspects of recognising and handling bees and pasteurisation unit to make apple The Holmes, Stoke Park Road, safely, how to look after them to maximise juice which will keep for up to two years. Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1JG health and honey production and a full discussion of the beekeeping calendar. For all course information: www.bristol.ac.uk/Depts/ Sustainable Bee Keeping BotanicGardens/about/education.htm 1–2 October · £170 Starting with sheep Modern Bee Keeping has concentrated 10am–4pm Friday 16 September · £120 Tonics and Elixirs: Herbal on maximising production from managed Nr Thornbury, South Gloucestershire Harvesting for Autumn hives at the expense of long term This one day course is designed to give 10am–4pm Saturday 24 September · £50 sustainability of honey bee populations. you a complete introduction to keeping Bees for Development look at the This one day hands-on workshop will sheep, whether as pets, lawnmowers or relationship between humans and honey enable students to harvest materials fattening lambs. We will also cover an bees. The weekend course will cover their from the Western Herb Garden to make introduction to breeding your own lambs role, value and products, and focuses remedies. The study day will cover and what is involved. on how we can manage our mutual harvesting, preserving and storing and relationship to ensure their survival. preparation of remedies from the collected Organic gardening materials. The focus of the study morning will be to illustrate what is possible by 10am–5pm Saturday 10 September · £60 using simple ingredients that are readily … with the WEA Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol available at this time of year. The aim of this course is to introduce Allotment & Organic Gardening beginners to organic food growing, An Introduction to Bee Keeping Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol enthusing them to grow their own food. On 9.30am–12.30pm Thursdays the course you will mix potting compost, 10am–12.30pm Sundays 2 x 10 weeks from 29 September sow a variety of edible plant seeds, write 9 October–20 November · £75 £110/£25 benefits + £5 materials charge a plan to grow a variety of vegetables from An introduction for those intending to A comprehensive course on growing seedlings to edible plants, and afterwards keep bees. The six week course will cover organic fruit and vegetables spread over you will be able to discuss different soil the technical aspects of beekeeping 2 x 10 week courses: first is Fruit and properties, identify common pests and including bee behaviour, necessary Organic Techniques, second is Vegetables pest control methods and recognise equipment, setting up and managing and Pests and Diseases. 2 hours theory common plant diseases. a hive, swarm control, bee health and per session plus 1 hour practical on the diseases, products, processing and Farm allotments, allowing time to visit the marketing. Numbers limited. café in the middle. 0845 458 2758 · [email protected]
23 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Voscur Training Courses & training Recruitment of volunteers 9.30am–3.30pm Wednesday 28 Sept …with Bristol Adult Learning Let’s Get Cooking training Venue TBC £15 for organisations from Voluntary, www.bristol.gov.uk/node/4143 18 & 19 October 2011 Community and Social Enterprise Bristol Sector organisations Sustainable Gardening A 2-day Demonstrator Training course Suitable for anyone who manages that will give you all the practical skills St Paul’s Learning & Family Centre, volunteers and would like to know and knowledge you’ll need to confidently 94 Grosvenor Road, Bristol BS2 8XJ more about recruiting them effectively. teach cookery to groups in the community. 6.30–8.30pm Wednesdays n Volunteer motivation 12 sessions from 12 September · £96/£36 The course is accredited by the Royal n Barriers to volunteering 12 sessions from 11 January · £96/£36 Society for Public Health and is suitable n Recruitment techniques and 10 sessions from 25 April · £96/£36 for anyone who would like to set up processes cooking sessions or a cooking club n Developing adverts for volunteer or Stoke Lodge, Shirehampton Road, for children, young people, adults and roles Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1BN families. Participants will also learn how n Action planning 10am–12 noon Mondays to set up a cooking session at any location 12 sessions from 19 September · £120/£60 – from marquees to market stalls – and www.voscur.org/civicrm/event/ 12 sessions from 9 January · £120/£60 about the Let’s Get Cooking approach, info?reset=1&id=369& 10 sessions from 23 April · £120/£60 which has a proven impact on people’s cooking skills and attitudes to healthy An introduction to sustainable gardening, eating. Retention and support of with skills for creating a healthy, fertile and productive garden that has a low We’ve found that cooking clubs and volunteers impact on resources (including your sessions are a lot more likely to be 9.30am–3.30pm Wednesday 19 Oct budget!) and enhances the environment. successful if at least two people from Venue TBC Explores organic methods and perma- an organisation can work together to £15 for organisations from Voluntary, culture design principles. How to grow set up and run sessions. So we are Community and Social Enterprise fruit, vegetables and other useful plants. offering organisations who book two or Sector organisations Rethink ideas about ‘pests’ and ‘weeds’ to more people on the course a substantial make the most of wildlife in our gardens. discount, to help you make the most of Suitable for anyone who manages this opportunity. volunteers as part of their role. n The importance of induction www.letsgetcooking.org.uk/ Saturday Gardening n Other ways of supporting volunteers Workwithus/DemonstratorTraining n Supervision Stoke Lodge, Shirehampton Road, n Why people stop volunteering Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1BN Real Bread for the public sector n Recognition Growing Fruit and Vegetables n Action planning 10am–4pm 15 October · £36/£18 3–6pm Monday 17 October Bordeaux Quay Cookery School www.voscur.org/civicrm/event/ Practical and basic principles in £25 info?reset=1&id=370& homegrowing techniques for growing your own fruit and vegetables. In support of the Real Bread Campaign’s mission to help put Real Bread on the Volunteers and the law Pruning – All you need to know Menu, The Bordeaux Quay Cookery School 10am–4pm 26 November · £36/£18 is offering workshop places to just 12 9.30am–1pm Thursday 10 November A practical workshop which shows you public sector cooks at the very generously Venue TBC how to prune fruit, shrubs and roses. discounted rate of only £25. (See article £10 for organisations from Voluntary, on p.9) Community and Social Enterprise B Bond Warehouse, Smeaton Road, Sector organisations Bristol BS1 6XN Places are available to cooks working in public sector kitchens (e.g. schools, care This course is for anyone who Growing Fruit and Vegetables homes, hospitals, prisons) anywhere in manages volunteers and would like to 10am–4pm 5 November · £36/£18 the country that don’t bake Real Bread know more about legal implications. Practical and basic principles in already but are equipped and committed n The law and considerations for homegrowing techniques for growing your to start doing so. Cooks wanting to volunteers own fruit and vegetables. register for a place need to download the n Best practice application form from the public sector n The difference between volunteers, Introduction to Sustainable Gardening page on the website and return it to the employees and workers · £36/£18 10am–4pm 19 November Campaign before Friday 30 September. n Action planning for your An exploration of organic growing organisation www.realbreadcampaign.org methods and permaculture design principles to develop your garden. www.voscur.org/civicrm/event/ info?reset=1&id=371&
24 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Publications Booze for free Community-led food initiatives The composition of waste Andy Hamilton This document provides a pack of disposed of by the UK £9.99 information for community groups and hospitality industry social enterprises interested in setting Home brewing and wine-making is fun, WRAP up community-led food production and easy and hugely satisfying. If you garden distribution projects, providing options Research shows that hotels, pubs, or forage, can follow a recipe or make jam, on types of projects and links to food restaurants and quick service restaurants and you enjoy a drink, this is the book projects around the UK. Template business could save an estimated £724 million a for you. This no-nonsense, easy-to-follow plans, membership documentation and year by increasing recycling rates and guide will enable the beginner and inspire detailed action plans are provided to help preventing food waste. This research will the expert with over 100 recipes including community groups set up and run their be used by WRAP to engage the whole beer made from hops and but also yarrow, own local food projects. hospitality and foodservice sector in mugwort, elder and other foraged plants, taking measures to prevent food and great tasting wines from fruit, vegetables www.localunited.net/sites/default/ packaging waste and increase recovery and the hedgerows, cider and perry from files/Local_United_Sustainable_Food_ and recycling. apples and pears, cordials from the leaves Diffusion_Pack_APR2011c.pdf of a range of trees, and teas and fizzy The report reveals that 600,000 tonnes drinks from herbs and wayside flowers. of food waste was disposed of in 2009, Community orchards: two-thirds of which (400,000 tonnes) Try Carrot Whisky, Sloe and Damson Rum, could have been eaten if it had been Parsnip Sherry, Elderberry and Blackberry How to guide better portioned, managed, stored and/or Wine, Pumpkin Beer, Broom Tonic, Whether your ambitions are to conserve a prepared. Meadowsweet tea as well as classics community orchard or to get together with such as Elderflower champagne, sloe gin, neighbours to start and manage one, this www.wrap.org.uk/hospitality/report_ prison brew... Cheers! ‘how to’ guide is designed to help you by the.html making the most of the space in your local www.selfsufficientish.com/ area for this purpose. main/2011/08/14/booze-for-free-by- Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate andy-hamilton/ A compendium of case studies has been produced to illustrate the great work Change and Health that is going on in communities around The US based non profit organisation community orchards and provide you with Environmental Working Group has some inspiration. published its report entitled Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health. www.communities.gov.uk/publications/ The report calculates the greenhouse communities/orchardshowto gas emissions associated with the production and supply of various meat Price volatility and food and dairy foods along their whole life cycle, including agricultural production, security processing and distribution, retailing, food The High Level Panel of Experts on Food consumption in the home, and waste. Security and Nutrition The report’s overall conclusions are that Food price volatility over the last four eating and wasting less meat (especially years has hurt millions of people, red meat) and cheese can simultaneously undermining nutritional status and food improve health and reduce the climate The 21st century agora: security. The level of price volatility in and environmental impact of food. A new and better vision for commodity markets has also undermined Although the study does not base its town centres the prospects of developing countries for analysis on a comparative assessment economic growth and poverty reduction. of conventional versus organic meat A collaborative response to Mary Portas’ production, it draws the conclusion that Periods of high or low prices are not new. high street review, from organisations eating meat and dairy products from Since 2007, however, the degree of price at the cutting edge of reimagining town organic, grass fed and pasture raised volatility and the number of countries centres and high streets: animals is better for personal health and affected have been very high. This is why for the environment. Urban Pollinators Ltd, Action for Market food price volatility in the context of higher Towns, Empty Shops Network, Incredible food prices has generated considerable www.fcrn.org.uk/research-library/ Edible Todmorden, Meanwhile Space anxiety and caused real problems in many lca/meat/meat-eaters-guide-climate- CIC, MyCard, Research 00:, Res Publica& countries. change-and-health Wigan Plus. www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ http://breakingnews.ewg.org/ www.artistsandmakers.com/images/ hlpe/hlpe_documents/HLPE-price- meateatersguide/ C21agora.pdf volatility-and-food-security-report- July-2011.pdf
25 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Gardenshare closes Unfortunately due to a lack of funding and Odds & ends reduced volunteer support this Bristol garden sharing scheme will shortly be Comprehensive resources for The Bearpit – volunteers ceasing operations. community food enterprises needed If you are still looking to garden share The most comprehensive suite of BBC Magazines have planted-up a plot in then please do register your details on the resources ever to be developed for the bear-pit (James Barton roundabout) landshare website: www.landshare.net/. community enterprises has been launched and it’s hoped that other groups or This is a nationally run website where you by Co-operatives UK, to give community individuals might ‘adopt’ other planters in can post details of land to be shared and enterprises access to top quality financial, the bear-pit. find a match if you are a would-be grower. legal and governance advice. The plot is currently a bit short of GROFUN continues to offer other services Co-operatives UK, the trade association for volunteers on Tuesdays and Fridays. including the community allotment and co-operative enterprises, has developed Contact Kerry Bradshaw kerrybradshaw@ work in primary schools. See website for the resources with nationally recognised magazine-services.co.uk or Sarah Powell, more information: experts as part of the Making Local Food [email protected] www.grofun.org.uk Work programme. The suite of resources, know if you can help out once a week for available both online and as hard copies, 15 minutes. is free to use and includes: www.the-bear-pit.org.uk n Simply Finance – pooling expert advice on financing a community enterprise SwapCrop n Simply Legal – pooling expert advice on legal structures The aim of the Guild of Jam and Preserve Makers’ SwapCrop is to get local Village SOS Active campaign n Simply Governance – a comprehensive communities talking and ‘swapping’. A new campaign has been launched to guide to efficiently and effectively If you have a plum, pear or apple tree, running a community enterprise help people in rural areas reverse the blackberry or gooseberry bush a vegetable trend of decline by helping them set up n Online governance audit – a tool patch or an allotment and you already and run community enterprises. to allow enterprises to assess and use the fruit and vegetables you grow but diagnose how they are being run have a surplus or just don’t know what Launched on 10 August 2011 as part of the to do with your crops each year and find BBC’s new six-part series, Village SOS, the n Online select-a-structure – a tool they go to waste, or you make jam and Active campaign will see dedicated expert allowing fledgling enterprises to find preserves for personal use and are in need advisers provide support and guidance to the most appropriate legal structure for of seasonal organic produce, SwapCrop people inspired by the TV series to set up their needs. is a great way to get in touch with people and run their own community enterprises, from food and farming enterprises, pubs www.uk.coop/simplyseries in your local community and start swapping,the principle being that the jam and shops, to broadband services and and preserves made will then be shared transport systems. Bath Seed Savers with the person who provided the crop. The campaign website has downloadable Bath Seed Savers is a joint project from www.swapcrop.co.uk/getswapping/ materials like start-up guides, ‘How the Transition Bath Food Group, the Bath to…’ documents for different kinds of Allotment Association and Organic Group. enterprises and template documents The Big Tree Plant to help people write business plans or The basic idea will be to get as many market their enterprise. The website also The Big Tree Plant is a campaign to allotment and vegetable gardeners to save includes a community network area, giving encourage people and communities to the seed of one or two varieties only. So, communities a space to share their ideas plant more trees in England’s towns, cities for example, someone saves brown and and inspire each other. green Oak Leaf lettuces and Sweet Olive and neighbourhoods. It is a partnership tomato. Because nature is so bountiful bringing together national tree-planting www.villagesos.org.uk there will be enough seed to share among organisations and local groups working the other members of the club and maybe with Defra and the Forestry Commission even some left over to give away or sell. to plant trees throughout England. Stalls sought There will also be seed saving workshops http://thebigtreeplant.direct.gov.uk/ Silvia is looking for food stalls for a new so that anyone who wants can learn the index.html farmers’ market, planned for this winter at best way to save and store seed. Artspace Lifespace College in Bedminster To find out more, contact (the old Marksbury Road campus). If Peter Andrews 01225 319117 you’re interested in taking a stall, contact: [email protected] [email protected] · 0752 344 8562
26 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011 Regular things Eastside Roots volunteer days Metford Road Community Royate Hill Community Orchard Stapleton Road Train Station Orchard Day Regular monthly workdays 10.30am–4.30pm Wednesdays & Fridays Usually third Sunday of the month 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month Trinity Community Arts Centre garden 11am–4pm (drop by anytime, but cleaning 12 noon–5pm every Thursday If you are not a member but just fancy up starts around 3pm) volunteering as a one-off then do please Improve your local community, meet new get in touch – or come along to see what’s As well as the fruit trees, we also plant friends, learn new skills and keep fit. involved. Meet at Metford Road Gates vegetables, and whoever shows up for Email: [email protected] (green metal gate in between numbers 37 workdays when there is a harvest, gets to take food home. Drinks available, bring www.eastsideroots.org.uk and 39) at about 11.30am, bring gardening gloves. There should be a notice on the snacks to share. Tools and gardening gate telling you a mobile number to ring gloves provided. There is also a compost GROFUN Action Weekends if we’re already there, and we’ll come toilet at the orchard. Everybody welcome, Ashley Vale Allotments, St Werburghs and let you in. If there’s no notice, and regardless of experience. Every week, from noon Saturdays & nobody there – you’re the first, be patient! For more information: Sundays If you’ve never been before then you can www.kebelecoop.org/?page_id=28 ring Joe on 07840 059079 to tell us you’re Ashley Vale Allotments are just behind The coming. Farm pub, Hopetoun Road, St Werburghs. Drag on your wellies and come and give an www.sustainableredland.org.uk/what- hour or two. Refreshments provided. can-i-do/metford-road-community- Phone Nadia 0797 3847894 for more info. orchard
Regular markets Slow Food Market Corn Street, Now on Facebook! 1st Sunday of the month 10am–3pm Ashton Court Farmers’ Market Bristol’s local food update is now on Stables Courtyard, 3rd Sunday of the Tobacco Factory Market Facebook. month 10.30am–2.30pm Corner of Raleigh Road/North Street, www.facebook.com/ Southville, Sundays 10am–2.30pm Bristol Farmers’ Market pages/Bristols-local-food- Corn Street, Wednesdays 9.30am–2.30pm Westbury-on-Trym Market update/117246931647992?created#!/ Medical Centre Car Park, Westbury Hill, pages/Bristols-local-food- Harbourside Market 4th Saturday of the month, 9am–1pm update/117246931647992?v=info Every weekend outside the Watershed (except December) 11am–4pm. Whiteladies Road Market Long Ashton Village Market Corner of Whiteladies Road and Apsley Long Ashton Village Hall, 1st Saturday of Bristol’s local food update Road, 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month, saVe THe GReen BelT sPecial may–june 2009 HEN hundreds of us last year took the Eat the Change challenge and tried to spend a Save our soils – use our soils weekW eating only local, organic food free the month 9.30am–1pm Richard Spalding from plastic packaging, we discovered just how limited local sustainable food It is great to hear that in the near future is. There are myriad reasons for this, but we might see beef cattle grazing historic 8.30am–2pm the reality remains that with fossil fuels Stoke park as Bristol city council begin likely to become extremely scarce within to think through reconnections between our lifetimes and food miles contributing town and countryside. I would want to so intensely to climate change, we will
soon have little choice but to produce the camera lens up and over this idyllic most of our food locally. In light of this, scene to settle on “the Blue Finger”. it is essential that we start preparing Smallholdings in Frenchay now by ring fencing land for sustainable I have coined this phrase to get us all food production now. thinking about high quality agricultural the M32 becoming an edible landscape land on the north Bristol fringe which for the city. It would be a beacon for a Transition Network is beginning to used to be at the heart of what was called new AGRI-CULTURE which would help to explore how Britain can best feed itself, the Bristol Dairying and Market Garden nourish our bellies and our communities. analysing Britain’s land potential for Sub-Region. We can follow a blue [colour- It would mark the beginning of a truly food production in light of nutritional coded] fi nger of high quality soils on the sustainable agriculture which reconnects needs, climate change, fl ood predictions, 1953 Agricultural Land Classifi cation map people and the land. It would celebrate soil quality, population densities etc. But of England and Wales which shows a strip the importance of city and countryside what is already overwhelmingly obvious of fertile land stretching from Frenchay, working together to deliver food security. is that we will need every inch of land through Hambrook and Winterbourne and Impossible you say? suitable for food production, in both the out into open country. The post Second countryside and cities, if we are going to One thing is certain in my mind; the idea War assessment of land and soil quality be able to feed ourselves in the future. of covering up the best farm land in the shows just how such land was valued as a country with city extensions, park and This edition of Bristol’s Local Food strategically important resource under the rides and notions of green infrastructure Update shines the spotlight on how banner of “Best and Most Versatile” soils need to be challenged, in order that food Some of the content for this Making local food work newsletter Bristol’s Green Belt and agricultural for local food production. produced from these soils takes its right - hinterlands are increasingly being given The soils are deep, red, largely stone- ful place at the discussion table. There are over to development in the pursuit of free and close to the city. They have the some signs that we are beginning to think further economic growth (largely in capacity to help feed us, especially in the again about the importance of the soil and response to central government targets), context of climate change, peak oil and the land to ALL our futures and I would like despite the increasing imperative to food insecurity. The soils themselves now to see Bristol and South Gloucestershire save our soils for food production. lie largely derelict, the market gardens Councils working together to enable the The Avon Green Belt, an area fi ve times having fallen prey to the global food re-creation of the food economies on and newsletter is taken from the following www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk the size of Bristol and predominantly economy and the land now de-valued for around the “Blue Finger”. classifi ed as farmland (but much of food production. We need to audit this I am very keen to establish a wide-ranging which currently lies fallow) is being private and public land to establish just set of debates about this topic and am increasingly earmarked by Local how possible it might be to re-create a convinced that it might be possible to Authorities for developments such local foodscape for our region. begin looking forward to another, and as 117,000 new houses in the South There is much to gain from doing this arguably more important, “dig for victory” West. We all need to act now to ensure and my campaign seeks to mobilise campaign. I sense that the cattle of Stoke that Bristol City Council ring fences all another “dig for victory” campaign Park might just be the idea that sparks suitable land for food production: read e-newsletters: to allow food communities, new food a new and regionally important symbol on and stay in touch to fi nd out how to businesses and all of us eaters to begin around which to secure and re-invent our make your voice heard. the process of re-shaping our local food local foodscapes. If you want to contribute claire milne culture. I have a vision for this foodscape to this debate, then please contact me at: Food Climate Research network Transition Bristol and Bristol Food Hub which sees the northern gateway along [email protected] Soil Association e-news www.fcrn.org.uk www.soilassociation.org/ Contact Tara Garnett Bristol’s local food update TodaysNewsLogin/tabid/639/Default. [email protected] If you didn’t receive this PDF by email, you aspx can send a subscription request for future LACORS Food Vision newsletter issues to be sent direct to you, to: www.foodvision.gov.uk/pages/ Garden Organic e-news [email protected] www.gardenorganic.org.uk/e-news/ publications Subscribers will be e-mailed a maximum sign_up.php F3 Local food news of three times between issues of the Urban Agriculture newsletter www.localfood.org.uk/index.html newsletter, with any event information that missed the deadline. www.sustainweb.org/cityharvest/ Voscur newsletter/ This issue of Bristol’s local food update www.voscur.org/news was compiled by Jane Stevenson, Growing Schools newsletter Dorothy Greaves and Kristin Sponsler. Food Lovers Britain www.growingschools.org.uk Design by Jane Stevenson: www.foodloversbritain.com/register/ www.janestevensondesign.co.uk Community supported agriculture register.php The views expressed in this newsletter & organic buying groups project Defra’s SD scene newsletter are not necessarily endorsed by the City newsletter Council. http://sd.defra.gov.uk/subscribe/ Email: [email protected]
27 bristol’s local food update · september–october 2011