Week 4, In the Garden
Thank you to the wonderful speakers that joined us this week, we had an inspiring session listening to new ideas and hearing how different communities have come together over food growing. Please see the speakers videos to learn more about their projects.
Speakers:
Rupert Dunn, Torth Y Tir
The peasant bakery model - Rupert highlighted that ‘diversity is adaptability’, showing that if both the wheat seeds and the bakeries are diverse then communities can adapt with a changing climate and therefore are more resilient.
Motivated to start Torth Y Tir due to the holistic nature of peasant bakeries
The nutritional value of wheat, and the difference that how the wheat is milled makes between to the nutritional value of the bread - eg. stone milling VS roller milling
That many breads and flours contain pesticide residue
Gerald Miles - Caerhys Organic Community Agriculture (COCA)
A family farm that has changed. Milk and potato price fluctuations meant that Gerald looked for more sustainable solutions to run the farm.
Supports ancient varieties of cereals as they are full of goodness for our health, and they are adaptable to climate change
Gerald is a food activist - he supports organic produce farmed sustainably in tune with nature and he wants to keep our harvest free from Genetically Modified seeds
Since 2010 the farm has been transformed in to a Community Supported Agricultural project, this has bonded the community and the farm together
Katie Hastings - Mach Maethlon / Planna Fwyd, Machynlleth
Green Isle Growers - a growers collective that provides weekly veg boxes
Incredible Edible Machynlleth
Pathways to Farming - horticultural training
Planna Fwyd - Land Army response to Covid -19 (seed packs, seed and seedling swaps, and the land army volunteers connecting with farmers)
How can I contribute to local food growing as an individual?
Get involved with a local grower, community garden or gardeners club to learn more - or, just do it and learn as you go!
Grow herbs and salad at home in a windowsill, and avoid packaging
If you have a garden you can make use of small spaces by creating a ‘green wall’
Take over green spaces in urban areas and try out ‘guerilla growing’, encourage people to connect with where food comes from by showcasing it
Find time, growing food feels good
How can I contribute to food growing in my community / as a community?
Start a community garden (talk with other community groups and your town council)
Take over green spaces in urban areas as collective growing spaces
Join a Community Supported Agriculture project and either help out in the gardens, or support the project by buying a regular box
Growing could be a shared experience in the community where we could create buyers cooperatives
Attribute of the week
Curiosity and courage (being curious to experiment and courageous to put yourself out there and go for it – learning by doing – embracing uncertainty / the unknown)
Our action commitements!
Buy Ruperts bread and pizzas
Make sure I keep trying to support my local producers
Find local safer sources of flour
Seek out local community gardens to visit
Doing some creative activism
Addressing the surplus bread problem at Aber Food Surplus
Keep learning and stay well informed
Harvest, reflect and plan the next season
Just do it, and learn as you grow