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Bristol’s local food update
courses · skill-sharing · events · news · volunteering september–october 2009
September is food festival month! The Organic Festival returns to
Bristol’s harbourside, and the ‘Taste’ local food festival brings a
host of foodie events to the north Bristol fringe. But don’t forget the
smaller events. Across the city, local groups will be celebrating the
local harvest. Why not join them?
Please email any suggestions for content of the November–December newsletter to
bristollocalfood@googlemail.com by 13 October.
Freeskilling Food Standards Agency’s
Organic Review
The Better Food Company
Proving House, Servier Street,
St Werburghs, Bristol
The Food Standards Agency (FSA)’s given antibiotics, and is reared to high
www.betterfood.co.uk
review of the benefits of organic food animal welfare standards, or that organic
7pm Tuesday 15 September received widespread press coverage farms encourage wildlife.
How to make Mead and Wine when they concluded that there were
So did the FSA just pick the papers they
no significant nutritional differences
Local bee-keeper Allen Coates will wanted, to give them the conclusions they
between organic and non organic food.
talk us through general wine-making were looking for? For some alternative
principles, with an emphasis on The FSA report was based on a review views on the FSA’s conclusions...
making delicious, honey-based wines of existing academic studies, and it
www.soilassociation.org/Whyorganic/
incorporating local fruits and spices. selectively chose which studies to include.
Health/tabid/59/Default.aspx
The Soil Assocation claim that this ruled
7pm Tuesday 6 October out a considerable number of papers, www.betterfood.co.uk/bulletin.html
Permaculture – An Introduction which then led the FSA to conclude that
http://zone5.org/2009/08/05/the-real-
Join Sarah Pugh for an introduction to “the increased levels of nutrients found in
dirt-on-organic-food/
Permaculture. organic food were not significant because
of the consequently small number of www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/
7pm Tuesday 20 October studies”. article-1203343/JOANNA-BLYTHMAN-
Dowsing A-cancerous-conspiracy-poison-faith-
The Soil Association also say that the
Discover what dowsing is and how organic-food.html
researchers failed to include the results
you can use it in practice. With Alison
of a major EU-funded study (QLIF). Results www.chicagotribune.com/news/
Wilding.
from this study include the findings that: chi-0812-peaches-pesticides_
For more information on your local ‘Levels of a range of nutritionally desirable mainaug12,0,3775004.story
Freeconomy Community compounds (e.g. antioxidants, vitamins,
www.grist.org/article/2009-08-11-
www.justfortheloveofit.org glycosinolates) were shown to be higher in
obvious-advantage-organic-food-
organic crops’ and ‘Levels of nutritionally
The evenings are absolutely FREE and conventional/
undesirable compounds (e.g. mycotoxins,
EVERYONE is welcome, though
glycoalkaloids, Cadmium and Nickel) were www.grist.org/article/2009-08-13-
donations are accepted for the venue.
shown to be lower in organic crops’.” debate-soil-organics-nutrition/
The FSA report also ignored all of the other www.alternet.org/
benefits of organic farming – that organic healthwellness/142145/desperate_food_
food is not covered in pesticides, that industry_tries_to_tar_michael_pollan_
organically-raised livestock is not routinely and_organic_produce/
courses…
…with Eastside Roots …at the University of Bristol …at Windmill Hill City Farm
Trinity Arts Centre Botanic Gardens Philip Street, Bedminster
www.eastsideroots.org.uk www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk
Hollybush Lane, Stoke Bishop, Bristol
www.3ca.org.uk/projects/ For all course information:
trinity-gardens www.bristol.ac.uk/Depts/ Permaculture
BotanicGardens/about/education.htm 9.30am–12.30pm Tuesdays
10 sessions starting 29 September
A day of herbs in the garden £110
10am–4pm Saturday 5 September Interested in sustainable living and
Tutor: Ann Freeman · Course fee: £45 self-sufficiency, but living in the city or
suburbs? This course is an introduction to
An exploration of the use and history
permaculture and how it can be applied
of medicinal plants using plants
in your life and to your garden, even if you
Autumn organic food growing from the European Herb Garden and
don’t have one!
glasshouses. The study day will be a
10am–12.30pm Thursdays mixture of presentations and practical
17 September–5 November demonstrations, focusing on the herb
£50 (waged) or £25 (unwaged)
Grow Your Own
collection’s late summer early autumn
fruit and flower. Course for beginners. 9.30am–12.30pm Thursdays
This short course will focus on seasonal
starting 1 October
tasks and skills. We will learn the tools
£74.00
and tricks to ensure you can eat from your
garden throughout the autumn and winter
Surveying and enriching your A course to provide you with the know how
and get set ready for the next season. garden for wildlife to grow your own organic food effectively
7–9pm Tuesday evenings in your garden or allotment plot.
We will cover…
n Making raised beds 13 October–17 November
n Growing vegetables over winter Tutor: Emma Smith · Course fee: £65
n Winter salads
Even the smallest urban garden can …at the Create Centre
n Green manures
provide a vital refuge for wildlife. B-Bond warehouse, Smeaton road
n Fruit bush and tree pruning
This course will cover basic surveying www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/
n More plants for free – taking cuttings
techniques needed to produce an stream/asset/?asset_id=31106010&
n Seedsaving
inventory of wildlife in your garden,
The sessions will be a mix of ideas and practical measures that can be taken to
information indoors, followed by hands-on improve the diversity and richness of Introduction to Permaculture
work in the thriving community garden. habitats your garden can offer, as well
6.30–8.30pm Tuesdays (6–8pm 22 Sept)
as showing you wildlife friendly ways to
To join or find out more, call Tom on 07988 8 sessions from 15 September
manage your garden.
460373, or email t_daly@hotmail.com. Tutor: Ruth O’Brien · £80/£40
From the ethics and philosophy to the
rHS (Level 2) Certificate in nature-inspired principles, with real
…at Ragmans Lane Farm Horticulture examples of Permaculture in practice,
this course aims to give you a good basic
Lower Lydbrook, Gloucestershire 9.30am–2.45pm, Wednesdays
understanding of what Permaculture is,
www.ragmans.co.uk 23 September 2009–June 2010
and explore how you can start to put it into
£425
action. Course includes visits, practical
Permaculture for Groups This popular theory-based course work, nature walks, group activities,
covers all aspects of horticulture talks and slideshows, plus two Saturday
13 September–3 October
including propagation, pest and disease mornings for visits/practical and design
£550, bursaries available for low/unwaged
recognition, plant biology, garden layout work on 3 October and 7 November.
A two-week Permaculture Design Course and design, ornamental horticulture,
for individuals working within a group to fruit and vegetable growing, soil science
bring about change. We will concentrate and general horticultural practice. The Organic Gardening
on the skills needed to bring about course requires no prior knowledge and is 6.30–8.30pm Tuesdays
successful and durable achievements in suitable for amateur gardeners as well as 10 sessions from 15 September
a group situation. After this course you those beginning a career in horticulture. Tutor: Tim Foster · £80/£40
will have a good grasp of permaculture There is an opportunity to take the RHS
principles and be able to help create an (level 2) Certificate examination in June Learn how to grow your own food in a
‘holistic’ goal to clarify and celebrate a 2010. Enrolments now taking place. small space without the use of artificial
common purpose using facilitation skills, chemicals. The best techniques are
open space and conflict resolution. covered for the organic cultivation of the
main vegetable groups and fruit.
2 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
More tales from CAMPAIGN uPDATeS
the Blue Finger
richard Spalding
Save Our Green Spaces
Since launching in June, Save Our
Green Spaces has been working to
spread the word and build a broad
coalition to fight building on greenfield
sites across the South West.
We believe that the issues around
planning and building on countryside
and open spaces are far-reaching and
affect everyone, urban and country
dwellers alike. Valuable farmland
and that of smallholders has been
targeted and ‘banked‘ by developers
and allowed to sit unused and uncared
for, often for years, so that it can
subsequently be claimed that it is
worthless and adding nothing to the
community. Time and again we are
Reflecting on derelict smallholdings from The beginnings of Blue Finger
the comfort of the sofa! revitalisation? seeing plans submitted across the
region that encroach on allotments
and other food production land.
The last few weeks has seen the contributor to delivering more local food
There has been a rash of recent
appearance of a number of boards along provisioning. We used to have a legal
planning applications in the Bristol
the blue finger of grade 1 agricultural framework protecting the top grades of
area. If you would like to know more
land next to the M32 on the north Bristol agricultural land under something called
then sign up for our newsletter at
fringe. “Best and Most Versatile” land. This
www.saveourgreenspaces.org to be
protection no longer exists as we appear
They are encouraging growers to think kept up to date with what is proposed
to have de-valued its ability to contribute
about renting parcels of land to grow food and how you can help us fight it.
to feeding us as the global food economy
or graze animals on short-term leases.
kicked in. See also the July–August issue of
This does seem to be a really encouraging
this newsletter for more background
development for which Bristol City Council The current offers of land for short term
information on this campaign.
should be applauded. However, it needs use is to be welcomed, but the whole
to be tempered by a healthy scepticism issue of strategic planning for food in
which asks deeper questions about the locations like the north Bristol fringe A Sustainable Food Strategy
long term future of this priceless land demands a city-region approach in order
resource. that we can assess the contribution
for Bristol
the highest quality soils might make We have followed up the third
Potential business plans being drawn up
to feeding our cities and towns into an consultation session with an afternoon
for food growing enterprises need longer
uncertain future. with our Lottery Advisor to discuss
leases to encourage strategic use of the
the best way to handle the issues
land in order that viable food enterprises The former market garden landscapes
raised and to talk further about a
can emerge. of the blue finger could be re-vitalised
Community Interest Company (CIC)
through the development of smarter ways
Planners from both the Bristol and South management structure that will satisfy
of re-designing food into our daily lives.
Gloucestershire bits of the Blue Finger* the Lottery. Once these have been
This must surely come through a range of
need to be encouraged to have a dialogue incorporated into a revised draft, it will
business models involving commercial
which looks towards enabling growers to be recirculated and letters of support
AND community food initiatives.
be provided with real incentives to use sorted. In the meantime we have also
this fantastic soil resource for a more If you want to contribute to this debate, met with the Sustainability teams from
localised food economy. then please contact me at: the four local authorities to ensure the
richardspalding@blueyonder.co.uk strategy is supporting and linked in
I want to encourage ALL food initiatives
with them.
(new, fledgling and established) along this
strip of land to join together to celebrate *The phrase ‘blue finger’ comes from my See the July–August issue of this
‘Blue Finger Food’ as a mark of quality and own continuing exploration of the 1953 newsletter for the Executive Summary
authenticity as north Bristol’s kite mark of Agricultural Land Classification of England of the Strategy, or go to
distinctive local produce. and Wales, Sheet 156, which identifies a www.transitionbristol.net for revised
strip the highest grade land running out versions of the strategy as they
The recently published Food Matters One
of the north Bristol fringe and into open happen.
Year On from HM Government makes all
countryside. This land used to be at the
kinds of noises about local food security For more information email:
heart of the market garden landscape
whilst remaining largely silent on the bristofoodnetwork@googlemail.com
helping to feed the city.
whole issue of soil and land as a key
3 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
Events eASTSIDe rOOTS
‘That’ll Learn You’
Hotwells & District Allotments
Association open day 6.30–8.30pm
Wednesday 2 September
11am–3pm Sunday 6 September Stapleton road Train station,
Alderman Moore’s field easton
Fruit & veg competitions · Children’s
The Organic Food Festival
A free skill share night by the
Activity Tent · Wonky Tent (with Roy’s 10am–6pm Saturday 12 September community, for the community
automata) · Live music · Photo slide show 10am–5pm Sunday 13 September will be held on at our site next
Cake sale · Refreshments Bristol Harbourside to Stapleton Road Train station,
£5 Entry, free for children and Soil Easton.
www.hwdaa.co.uk/harvest_fun_day_09.
Association members
htm The topic is ‘Gardener’s Question
The Organic Food Festival is Europe’s Time’ with three professional
largest showcase of the organic gardeners to answer your problems
Organic Fortnight 2009 community, with hundreds of organic plus a ‘What to plant over winter’
5–20 September products, an organic bar, cooking special.
demonstrations with Raymond Blanc,
A nationwide campaign highlighting all Tea, coffee and cake from 6.30pm
Barny Haughton and other top chefs,
the great things about organic. Across for donations and workshop from
childrens’ taste workshops and a lively
the UK, people in shops, schools, cafés, 7pm.
Street Food Bazaar.
churches, farms and schools will be
raising awareness about why organic is The purpose of the Organic Food Festival is
the healthy choice, the best for animal to bring together and expand our organic Benefit night
welfare and the right thing for the planet. community. We want to introduce more
9pm onwards Friday 25 September
people to the pioneers growing delicious
For event suggestions: Trinity Centre
organic food, items for home and garden,
www.soilassociation.org/Takeaction/
beautiful fibres and sumptuous beauty A benefit to pay for the Community
OrganicFortnight/tabid/244/Default.
products in a way that is truly sustainable. Harvest Fete (below). Please join
aspx
us if you can – full line up on our
www.theorganicfoodfestival.co.uk
website:
www.eastsideroots.org.uk
The Great Bake with Wallace & Gromit
Children all over the country are invited to
take part in The Great Bake competition, Community Harvest Fete
giving them the opportunity to take
12.30–4.30pm Sunday 4 October
part in a flour workshop with Aardman
Stapleton road Train Station,
Animation’s Wallace & Gromit, at
easton
Bordeaux Quay cookery school.
Ludlow Food Festival http://thegreatbake.bacheldremill.co.uk
Eastside Roots, the not for profit
workers co-operative creating a
Friday 11–Sunday 13 September
‘Community Gardening Hub’, brings
Britain’ original food festival is now in its ‘Taste’ – South Gloucestershire you a free Community Harvest Fete
15th year. This year’s Festival will feature including a wide range of workshops
Local Food & Drink Festival
more than 130 small independent food for adults, youth and children,
and drink producers from the Marches Saturday 12 Sepember–Sunday 11 October games, storytelling, arts & craft
(England-Wales border country), plus events held all over the county & food stalls, circus performers,
demonstrations, talks, trails and more. healthy cafe, live music and much
The ‘Taste’ month-long food and drink
more. We may also include a food
www.foodfestival.co.uk festival consists of 39 separate events
swap event (if you have grown it,
being held on farms, bakeries, breweries,
prepared it, picked it, cooked it, etc,
a castle, farm shops, a processing factory,
Abergavenny Food Festival then swap with others).
and many other venues.
Saturday 19–Sunday 20 September New events for this 5th year of the Festival
£6 Sat/£5 Sun/£10 weekend We are also doing a Permaculture
include:
talk and stall at Bristol Festival,
Now in its 11th year. Test out the n Visit to Shipton flour mill 18–20 September, Harbourside
Observer’s claim that ‘Abergavenny is to n Tour of Thornbury Castle and vineyard www.thebristolfestival.org
food what Cannes is to film, an annual n Butter making demonstration
festival for spotting rising stars in Britain’s
For more information:
artisan-food firmament’.
www.southgloslocalfood.org
www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com
Download the programme at:
www.southgloslocalfood.org/Local%20
Food%20Festival%2009%20WeB.pdf
4 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
Food stories
on the web
Events
Westbury on Trym eco-Fiesta Free ‘Organic for Schools’
Green walls: the growing success of
2–5pm Saturday 20 September Workshop
‘vegitecture’
Sustainable Westbury on Trym (SusWot) 10am–3pm 19 October
digest: Architect Ken Yeang makes
proudly presents an Eco-Fiesta in the Twerton Infants School
future plans for ‘vertical farms’ where
village. Lots to see and do. It’s in the Poolemead Road, Twerton, Bath BA2 1QR
residents could grow and harvest food
from the walls of their homes. High Street, which will be specially As part of the Food for Life Partnership,
pedestrianised for the day. Garden Organic offers a Continuing
www.cnn.com/2009/TeCH/
www.suswot.org.uk Professional Development Event for school
science/06/28/green.walls/
staff and associated colleagues such as
caterers.
urban Farming, a Bit Closer to the
Sun The training event will support schools to
digest: Rooftop gardens thrive in learn about growing skills activities and
Washington DC where tax subsidies how these relate to achieving a Food for
favour roofs covered with plants. Life Partnership Mark award.
Love Food Festival The day will enable participants to work
www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/
dining/17roof.html?_ 10.30am–4pm Sunday 27 September with pupils to ensure food is successfully
r=3&pagewanted=1 Paintworks, Bath road grown through to harvest; to successfully
make compost; and to engage the
The aim of the festival is to get children
Fruit tree revolution wider school and community in growing
(and adults) from Bristol, out into the
activities.
digest: Thousands of fruit trees countryside learning about how and where
and bushes are to be planted in our food should come from, how to grow Interactive sessions will cover starting out,
Manchester – with an invitation to and cook their own food and generally try sowing techniques, planning your plot,
‘Help Yourself’. to spark an interest in the topic through growing in containers, Health & Safety
various mediums including hands on issues and curriculum links.
www.manchestereveningnews.
experience, tasting, art, movement and
co.uk/news/s/1109505_fruit_tree_ For further information about this event
storytelling.
revolution or the next planned event in your region
www.lovefoodfestival.com please contact Angela Bridge, the Garden
Carrot City Organic Administrator:
digest: An exhibition at Toronto’s 02476 217 747
Design Exchange presents a cross-
Best of Bedminster Show
FFLP@Gardenorganic.org.uk
section of urban agriculture ideas. 10.30am–3.30pm Saturday 26 September www.gardenorganic.org.uk
North Street Green, Bedminster
www.canadianarchitect.com/issues/
(opposite Hen and Chicken)
ISArticle.asp?aid=1000331733&PC=
Free Vegan Food Fair
This year’s Best in Show categories: Best
Stalled building sites in Square Mile cake, Best sunflower head, Best jar of 12–4pm Saturday 31 October
to become allotments chutney, Best jar of jam, Best miniature Broadmead Baptist Church, Broadmead
digest: The City of London plans to garden, Best wildlife photo, Best home (next to Tesco)
transform development land thwarted grown pumpkin, Scariest fruit and Free
by the recession into temporary vegetable monster and Best display of
Have you ever wondered what vegans
allotments. seasonal produce. Entry forms with a
eat? You don’t have to be Chinese to eat
full listing of categories and instructions
www.architectsjournal.co.uk/ Chinese food, and you don’t have to be
available from the Southville Centre
news/daily-news/stalled-building- vegan to eat vegan food!
Reception now.
sites-in-square-mile-to-become- n Find out more about veganism and
allotments/5203998.article Refreshments by the WI, face painting,
celebrate World Vegan Day with us!
Roy’s Wonky Tent, Human fruit machine,
n Delicious free food samples
Parents and pupils dig the bicycle maintenance with Lifecycle’s
n Cookery demonstrations
Food4Families message Dr Bike and lots of climate-friendly stalls
n Films
digest: Parents and children learn to Contact Jim: jim.os@blueyonder.co.uk n Free nutrition surgery
grow fruit and veg together, creating or telephone 0117 9664318 n Ethical merchandise
a network of food-growing gardens www.climatespace.org/?p=895
Sponsored by Animal Aid & Vegan Society
across Reading.
For a full programme, visit
www.getreading.co.uk/news/
www.bristolanimalrights.org.uk
education/s/2052946_parents_
or call 0759 574 5441
and_pupils_dig_the_food4families_
message
5 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
Community supported agriculture
Community Farm open day members of the farm, it will be a centre n Kids corner with story telling and lots of
for recreation, skills and learning, and games and a bouncy castle
Story Community Farm, Chew Valley members will all have a share of the n Farm vegetables for sale and veg box
12pm till late Saturday 5 September produce. sign-up
£3 for adults, free for children
Who is behind the Community Farm? n Information about the project and how
Local farmer Luke Hasell has teamed up you can get involved
with The Better Food Company organic Some of the people involved include:
Luke Hasell of Herons Green Farm n Live music throughout the day
growers and with local community groups
in Chew Magna and Bristol, to plan a Phil Haughton of the Better Food We are just up the road from the Harvest
Company Home festival taking place on the same
pioneering new venture. It is all about
Jim Twine of the Storey day in Chew Stoke – so why not make a
local food for local people, grown in a
The Soil Association day of it and come to both events?
way that cares for the soil and for our
Avon Wildlife Trust
wildlife.
Chew Valley’s Target 80 project How to find us
At the moment The Community Farm Transition Bristol The Community Farm is on Denny Lane,
is an eleven acre field, in a gorgeous
There will be: about half a mile north of Chew Valley
location overlooking Chew Valley Lake.
n Tours of the farm with Luke the Farmer Lake. The postcode is BS40 8SZ. There
It is brimming with bountiful organic
and Phil and Ben the expert growers will be signposts and bunting and plenty
vegetables, delicious soft fruit, wild
of space for cars and bikes. We are on
flowers, and wildlife. n Field Kitchen demonstrating many ways
national cycle route number 3.
to use field produce
The plan is to create a Community
n Beef BBQ, Vegetarian BBQ and If you can volunteer to lend a hand on the
Farm that gives everyone involved a
fantastic hog roast day please email Luke the Farmer
sate in the food from the farm, where
A bar with local beer and cider (till 11pm) email luke@thestorygroup.co.uk
landowner, growers, and consumers are n
in partnership. Local people can become n Tug-of-war www.thestorygroup.co.uk
Newly revised and updated CSA regional Networking raising Community Finance
CSA Action Manual – A Share event 10am–3pm 7 October
in the Harvest 10am–3pm 19 September 2009 Phoenix Arts Centre, exeter
embercombe, nr exeter www.exeterphoenix.org.uk
The Soil Association action manual
detailing how to set up a CSA has been www.embercombe.co.uk Community investment is the practice of
revised and updated and will be going This event is being organised by the Soil communities investing capital in business
live on our website later this week. Newly Association for South West CSA groups, ventures serving a social or community
laid out and split into individual pdfs, the including farmers, growers and core group purpose. This is a unique opportunity to
manual provides all the basic information members. The workshop will include: learn from community finance specialists
and guidance that you need for setting up Jim Brown and Paul Sander-Jackson
a CSA. n Networking opportunity with other (Wessex Reinvestment Trust) who will be
south west CSA groups and practitioners delivering a one-off day event focussed
www.soilassociation.org/
n Facilitated sessions with Jade Bashford on community investment for Community
Takeaction/Getinvolvedlocally/
(Soil Association/Stroud CSA) to Supported Agriculture (CSA) projects.
Communitysupportedagriculture/
tabid/201/Default.aspx identify and discuss your next steps This event is invaluable for any land
n Mark Simmonds from Coops UK managers, farmers, growers or community
session to help resolve your legal and groups who want to raise capital for their
governance questions CSA without being dependant on statutory
n Tour of beautiful and inspiring funding and/or bank loans.
Embercombe ‘inspiring committed The workshop will be as practical as
action for a sustainable world’ with possible – focusing on the development
Jo Clark, head of land based learning plans and interests of the participants.
Free for CSA groups and practitioners, with
This is a free event with lunch and
lunch and refreshments provided.
refreshments provided. Booking is
essential. Contact Traci Lewis on Booking is essential. Contact Traci Lewis
tlewis@soilassociation.org tlewis@soilassociation.org
www.soilassociation.org/ www.soilassociation.org/
Takeaction/Getinvolvedlocally/ Takeaction/Getinvolvedlocally/
Communitysupportedagriculture/ Communitysupportedagriculture/
Newsandevents/tabid/373/Default.aspx Newsandevents/tabid/373/Default.aspx
6 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
News from Hartcliffe
There is a growing demand for allotments WHIB and Hheag would like to organise
not only in Bristol but nationwide. Despite some events and work days on the Fit for a Longer Life
this, some designated allotment sites Bourchier Gardens site with a view to Hartcliffe Health and environment Action
in Bristol still have unleased plots. One planting a Community Orchard this winter. Group (Hheag), The Gatehouse Centre,
reason for this is that the plots may seem Hartcliffe
too much of a challenge for an individual
to take on and get up to scratch in order to Pick ‘n’ Bash! Hheag are currently running an exercise
grow things. Get together & blackberry pick and nutrition course for people over 55
years, called “Fit for a Longer Life”.
Bourchier Gardens Allotments in 2–4pm Friday 11 September
Hartcliffe is one of these sites – it’s in 11am–1pm Saturday 12 September The courses are designed to give
a great location with wonderful views Bourchier Gardens Allotments, Hartcliffe a sociable, relaxed and enjoyable
and is also reasonably secluded. It has Meet at The Scout Hut, 501 Bishport introduction to the benefits of exercise,
lots of potential for growing however Avenue, Hartcliffe good nutrition and preparing healthy, low
16 of the 23 plots are overgrown and cost foods. The courses will be repeated a
n Discover this beautiful allotment site, number of times in the coming months.
unleased. Walking the Way to Health,
its nature and wildlife
Bristol (WHIB) and Hartcliffe Health and For more information contact
environment Action Group (Hheag) would n Pick blackberries and get some recipes
Sue Walker 0117 946 5285
like to see this land being used more n Help plan what to grow on this site – www.hheag.org.uk
productively and can offer some support fruit trees?
in order for it to happen. Hheag will also be running their usual
n If you’re really game… have a go at
diet related illness courses and those for
Bourchier gardens has 16 unleased plots bramble bashing!
young parents in the autumn.
and there are currently 8 people on the Refreshments provided. Bring a container/
council list that are interested in having bag for your blackberries.
a plot on the Bourchier Gardens site. We We are developing a small library and
think that as well as 15 or so individual For further information contact: resource centre at the back of the shop
plots, there is space on this site for a Nic Ferris which should be open by September.
community garden perhaps with fruit 07810 506738/nicola.ferris@bristol.gov.uk This area will also be available for
trees, herbs and soft fruit bushes. Sue Walker nursing mothers if they want somewhere
0117 946 5285/sue.walker@hheag.org.uk (relatively) private to feed their babies.
FareShare South West
FareShare South West is a registered In addition to free food deliveries, An appeal to allotment holders
charity that works with the food the project also offers volunteering You too can get involved now by donating
industry to redistribute quality, fit for and training opportunities to the local surplus fruit and vegetables from your
purpose, surplus food to a network of community. Our volunteers include some allotment. The one thing we find hard
organisations working with vulnerable of our community members’ clients, to get is fresh fruit and veg. If you have
and disadvantaged people. Through food environmentalists, retired, students and surplus our community members would
deliveries, community organisations such professionals. be able to benefit from local, fresh fruit
as hostels, day centres and luncheon and veg.
clubs are able to make significant savings
on their food budgets which can then We would love to hear from you if you are
be redirected into improving services for interested in donating or volunteering
their clients, such as drug rehab, medical Contact 0117 9711005
services, housing advice and training. info@faresharesouthwest.org.uk
Fareshare South West work in partnership www.faresharesouthwest.org.uk
with over 40 food companies and 70 local
community groups, and since opening in
late 2007, we have redistributed over 390
tonnes of in-life surplus food to charities
in and around Bristol. Organisations
based further afield such as Somerset
and Gloucester come to pick up food from
our warehouse situated in central Bristol.
7 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
Publications
re-framing the great Water labels on food Can Totnes and district feed
food debate: The case for Food ethics Council & Sustain itself?
sustainable food The paper argues that we need to look not Transition Town Totnes
New economics Foundation only at how much water is used, but where Utilising GIS mapping and the datasets
and what impact it has. For example, that are currently accessible, the report
Ideas around local food have played a
research cited in the report shows that explores the current land classes and
key role in the ‘great food debate’ over
while agriculture uses an average 24% how farmland is currently used, and
the last two decades. It is now apparent
of water across the EU, this rises to 80% then, using Simon Fairlie’s ‘Livestock
that the notion of ‘sustainable food’ has
in some regions. Some types of food are Permaculture’ model, assesses whether
important advantages over local food for
also ‘thirstier’ than others, with tomatoes, or not Totnes and District could actually
framing the next phase of the debate. The
sugar-cane and meat and dairy products feed itself. The answer (assuming roughly
report defines sustainable food as food
being particularly water intensive. stable climate conditions) is that yes, it
associated with high levels of well-being,
social justice, stewardship and system www.sustainweb.org/news/citizens_ could, but only if:
resilience. need_info_on_watery_food/ n It lived in isolation from its large
neighbours, Plymouth and Torbay. When
Government needs to develop an
these settlements are factored in, it
integrated food policy that has relevant Securing food supplies up to becomes far more difficult;
economic, social, environmental,
climate change and security policies.
2050: the challenges for the uK n Far far more people lived on, and
Specifically, the report says that a new House of Commons environment, worked, the land; and
food policy must mount a full-scale attack Food and rural Affairs Committee report n We ate a very different diet from the one
on the endemic ‘cheap food disease’ we consume today.
n The UK must make the most of its
which manifests itself through labour
temperate climate and the natural transitionculture.org/2009/07/10/
exploitation, environmental degradation
advantages this gives it for producing announcing-the-release-of-can-totnes-
and diet-related ill-health.
food. and-district-feed-itself/
www.neweconomics.org/gen/z_sys_
n How food is produced is as important
PublicationDetail.aspx?pid=292
as how much. We will need to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, reduce
Give peas a chance reliance on fossil fuel inputs and
conserve soil and water.
Europe imports over 70% of the protein
concentrates required for animal feed, n The report does not advocate UK
mostly as soyabeans or soyabean meal. self-sufficiency and emphasises
This situation is problematic in several the importance of strong trading
economic and environmental respects. relationships with a variety of countries.
Peas can provide a realistic substitute for n The report highlights the development
soy in feeds for animals of all types. This of ‘food colonialism’ or ‘land grabbing’
would yield lower energy use benefits, and (large-scale acquisition of land overseas
(albeit modest) cuts in greenhouse gas by wealthy investors in order to grow
impacts. food for people in the investor country).
The report warns about the pressure this Food security and
www.grainlegumes.com/aep/ could place on the global food system. sustainability: The perfect fit
special_reports/give_peas_a_chance_
eco_environmental_analysis_in_glip/ www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_ Sustainable Development Commission
introduction committees/environment__food_and_
Sense can only be made of the food
rural_affairs/efra_food_policy.cfm
security issue if policy at the same time
delivers sustainability. The report makes
7 key recommendations as to how this
synergy might be achieved.
www.sd-commission.org.uk/
publications/downloads/
SDCFoodSecurityPositionPaper.pdf
8 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
Odds & ends PeTITIONS
Herbicide petition
Social Business Toolbox
Last July, the herbicide aminopyralid
Launched was withdrawn after a national outcry
The Enterprise Support team of Making about the damage caused by manure
Local Food Work have made available a contaminated with it. This damage was
toolkit for social enterprises. Stuffed with experienced particularly by allotment
cribsheets on topics as diverse as how holders, who unwittingly bought manure
to develop a business plan to the current produced from animals which had
trends and issues in the local food sector,
these are a handy resource for budding
The been fed aminopyralid-treated hay/
silage. The herbicide didn’t affect the
and seasoned social entrepreneurs alike. Abundance grass, and didn’t affect the animals that
ate the fodder, but it passed through
Download them from
www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/about/ Handbook the animals to pass on its herbicide
properties to allotment crops.
toolbox/Toolbox.cfm
Dow Agrochemicals have quietly applied
Abundance Handbook: a guide for aminopyralid to be reinstated
A guide fruit harvesting
to urbanto Urban Fruit Harvesting
(Learning from our experiences of harvesting in Sheffield) and this seems likely to be granted
Learning from their experience from by Government unless protests from
harvesting in Sheffield, Abundance, a influential groups and individuals can
local community project, have written prevent it.
a beautiful guide to urban fruit and nut Sign the petition on the No 10 website
harvesting. The guide extensively explains http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/
to take to start
what steps PDF viewing instructions harvesting and aminopyralidban/
For best viewing in Adobe Reader, go to View > Page Display > Two Up, and make
how to set up an Up’ at the bottom of the submenu is on.
sure ‘Show Cover Page During Two urban harvesting project
– and it’s free! To download, go to: For more information about the problem,
www.growsheffield.com/pages/ full details of the story which started in
groshefhandb.html early 2008 can be found at
www.glallotments.btik.com/p_
Contaminated_Manure.ikml
Windmill Hill CIty Farm appeal Quick reference growing cards
Bristol’s oldest City Farm is facing a Garden Organic have launched a set Save the bees!
budget shortfall, and is at risk of closure of handy, quick-reference Growing
unless it can raise £50,000 before Instruction Cards – all the information you The Soil Association are calling on the
Christmas. need to start growing your own veg, fruit, Government to protect our honeybees
herbs, edible flowers and green manures. and ban neonicotinoid pesticides.
The Save our Farm Appeal was launched These pesticides have been shown to
on 22 August with ‘The Big Fundraiser’ These can be downloaded free at: kill honeybees and are thought to be a
event, including a fun day at the farm, www.gardenorganic.org.uk/ contributory factor in the recent dramatic
and a fun night at Fiddlers. For news of growyourown/growing_cards.php?dm_ increase in honeybee deaths.
upcoming events and for details of how i=4uO,1IHH,JCI86,4VDL,1
you can help, go to: Join the other 12,000+ signatories to the
www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk petition at:
www.soilassociation.org/Takeaction/
or make a donation at: Savethehoneybee/tabid/434/Default.
www.windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk/ aspx
support-us/donations.html
Save Southville from
supermarket invasion
North Street in Southville/Bedminster is
one of the last thriving independent high
streets in Bristol. Its future is threatened
by the proposed sell-off of Bristol City’s
Ashton Gate football ground for a major
supermarket development.
Campaign website:
www.berate.co.uk
Petition:
http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/
petition.php?id=262
9 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
News from Knowle
Knowle West’s Harvest After such a successful event, we don’t
think we can wait a whole year for
Celebration day another one! So we hope you’ll be able
12–3pm Saturday 31 October to come along in October to celebrate the
Knowle West Media Centre gathering of the harvest. We hope to have
cider making, all sorts of fun with apples
People from near and far flocked to join in
and after digging up our spuds from the
with the flavourful fun at Knowle West’s
Summer food fest, we will be baking them
3rd Food Fest on Sunday 5 July. There were
in our clay oven. If you want an event
workshops and talks on a range of food
where the community is at the heart of it
topics, including how to keep chickens,
all, come and join us…
plant potatoes and use plants to heal hit, too, with one enthusiastic teenager
yourself. Only the briefest of rain showers saying “It’s really nice, you can taste all For more information contact Misty Tunks,
appeared to cool us all down. The home- the flavours in it. It’s like your own brand Carbon Makeover project coordinator
made Elderflower fizzy drink, made with of lemonade but better – it’s better than phone: 0117 9030444 ext 211
Knowle West’s own elderflowers was a cola!” www.kwmc.org.uk/carbonmakeover
Regular things
GrOFuN Action Weekends
Ashley Vale Allotments, St Werburghs
every week, from noon Saturdays &
Sundays
Grub Club Organic Veg Club
every Tuesday 4.30–6.30pm
Ashley Vale Allotments are just behind The
Midnimo Centre, 163 Ashley road,
Farm pub, Hopetoun Road, St Werburghs.
St Pauls
Drag on your wellies and come and give an
hour or two. Refreshments provided Enjoy wholesale veg prices on organic veg,
Bristol local food directory by joining the The Grub Club veg co-op –
Phone Nadia 0797 3847894 for more info.
which now has its own website:
www.bristollocalfood.co.uk
http://bristolgrubclub.blogspot.com/
Publicise your community project or
promote your favourite stalls, shops,
pubs & cafés. Help us to keep the royate Hill Community Orchard
directory up-to-date with reviews by
Regular monthly workdays
you – people who care about local food.
1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Fill in the form on the website, or email
11am–4pm (drop by anytime, but cleaning
suggestions to: info@bristolfoe.org.uk
up starts around 3pm)
eastside roots regular As well as the fruit trees, we also plant
Bristol’s local food update
SAVE THE GREEN BELT SPECIAL
W
H e N hundreds of us last
Save our soils – use our soils
maY–June 2009
volunteer days vegetables, and whoever shows up for
workdays when there is a harvest, gets to
year took the Eat the Change
week eating only local, organic food free 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
Stapleton road Train Station
we might see beef cattle grazing historic
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
take food home. Drinks available, bring
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
10.30am–4.30pm Wednesdays & Fridays
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,
snacks to share. Tools and gardening
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] finger of high quality soils on the sustainable agriculture which reconnects
1953 Agricultural Land Classification map people and the land. It would celebrate
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
gloves provided. There is also a compost
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
Trinity Community Arts Centre garden
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
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
toilet at the orchard. Everybody welcome,
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
12 noon–5pm every Thursday
The Avon Green Belt, an area five times having fallen prey to the global food re-creation of the food economies on and
the size of Bristol and predominantly economy and the land now de-valued for around the “Blue Finger”.
classified 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
regardless of experience.
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
to allow food communities, new food a new and regionally important symbol
on and stay in touch to find 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
Improve your local community, meet new
Claire Milne culture. I have a vision for this foodscape to this debate, then please contact me at:
Transition Bristol and Bristol Food Hub which sees the northern gateway along richardspalding@blueyonder.co.uk
friends, learn new skills and keep fit. For more information:
Bristol’s Local Food update www.kebelecoop.org/collectives_
For more information, phone Nick Ward permaculture.html
If you didn’t receive this PDF by email, on 07810 806 354 or email nick@
you can send a subscription request eastsideroots.org.uk Map at:
for future issues to be sent to you, to: www.kebelecoop.org/images/flyer_
bristollocalfood@googlemail.com www.eastsideroots.org.uk permaculture_may08.pdf
This is also the address for sending
anything you would like included in
This issue of Bristol’s local food update was compiled by Jane Stevenson and
the next newsletter – deadline
Kristin Sponsler · Design by Jane Stevenson: janestevenson@madasafish.com.
13 October.
Thanks to Martin Haswell for the fruit & veg photos: www.mhdi.co.uk
10 BrISTOL’S LOCAL FOOD uPDATe · SePTeMBer–OCTOBer 2009
