Food Group
Notes
Transition Malvern Hills
Food Group Meeting Tues 2nd March 2010
Get in touch with the contact form or call Wilma on 01684 891273.
Topics discussed:
‘Let’s Grow Together’
We currently have 10 gardens still on offer, 3 growers not yet matched and 5 matches.
Look out for our article and photo in the Gazette this week or next!
If you know anyone who would like to grow their own but don’t have space then please tell them about our scheme!
‘Gardener’s Question Time’ & Film (A Forest Garden Year)
We are organising a Transition ‘Gardener’s Question Time’ event on Wed 10th March in Priory Lodge Hall at 7.30pm.
We have four local experts on our panel who will answer all your gardening and ‘grow your own’ questions. There will also be an inspiring 45 minute film about permaculture. Admission is free (donations welcome) and refreshments will be provided. Please come along and support this event!
Ideas for a proposal to Malvern Hills Conservators – submitted by Rob Williams
We discussed the idea of putting a proposal to MHC regarding planting productive trees/ shrubs on MHC land. Rob Williams has made an initial approach to Rob Havard, the MHC conservation officer. If we develop a proposal this can be put to the conservators for their consideration. The proposal should be specific and should address issues like: will the produce be used, is there a wider demand/interest in this, will we sustain support for it or leave MHC . We discussed potentially suitable plants. We agreed that the following may well be suitable: hazel, damson, autumn raspberry, cherry, apple (inc Bramley), pear, medlar, elder, chestnut, walnut, mulberry, plum, greengage, thornless blackberry.
We discussed the suitability criteria that we would need to use. Will it grow here? Is it easy to maintain? Is it invasive/otherwise problematic? Is there a demand for the fruit? Rate of growth? How resilient? Companion plant properties?
We also discussed the need to promote use of produce coming from such a programme of planting. Possibilities include the development of a local foraging guide.
I have agreed to develop these ideas in consultation with people like Helen Stace (Colwall Orchard Project) and to draft a proposal.
Malvern Foraging Trail
Following on from the discussion about the fruit/nut tree planting we started to think about all the spots around Malvern where there are already fruit trees etc. Then we thought about free food in general and decided it would be a great idea to create a map of the Malvern area showing all the places where ‘food for free’ is located. We could then compile a ‘Foraging Trail’ for Malvern and combine it with a ‘foraging calendar’ – free food through the seasons!
If you know of any old orchards, fruit or nut trees as well as other edible plants in your neighbourhood then we would love to hear from you.
‘Grow Your Own’ Fact Sheets
Owen Morgan is going to produce some simple fact sheets which can be distributed around the town to encourage people to be inspired to start growing their own food – brilliant idea!
Recycling Gardening Tools
This did not feature in the meeting but has occurred to me since talking to one of the garden owners taking part in the garden share scheme. She has a shed full of tools belonging to her late husband and has very generously offered them to me for the scheme.
As we are also in the process of setting up a Transition ‘Education and Re-skilling’ group it occurred to me that we could teach people to repair and refurbish old tools - not only are we helping people to learn new (or old) skills but we are saving valuable items from ending up in landfill!
If you have old gardening tools and equipment you no longer require and are willing to donate them to this scheme please contact me – they will be put to very good use and will be most gratefully received!
Transition Hub
We are still really hopeful that at some time in the future we can establish a ‘Transition Hub’ in Malvern. This would be a drop-in centre - offering help and advice on all things to do with strengthening our community in preparation for the challenges we will all face in the future. Here are just some ideas:
Food growing, composting, sharing and distributing gluts, seed collecting and sharing, learning how to cook what you grow, preserving etc
Energy home energy surveys, advice on renewable energy, insulation etc
Transport car-sharing, bike loan scheme etc
Re-skilling reviving forgotten practical skills, repairing items rather than sending them to landfill etc
Waste advice on reducing waste including food, energy, household items, clothing to name but a few.
Malvern Community Hospital
Despite several attempts to contact them, we have received no further information about the proposed involvement of the food group in the plans for the hospital grounds. According to recent articles in the Gazette it would appear decisions have now been made for the design of the gardens so we can assume our input is no longer required.
Some interesting articles….
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/mar/07/lucy-siegle-not-easy-b...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/mar/02/sustainab...
Next Meeting
7.30pm Tuesday 6th April 2010
Graham Room
Great Malvern Hotel
Comments
Feeling the Pinch Event
A SPECIAL event is being held in Malvern for anyone feeling the pinch because of the credit crunch or after the financial demands of the festive period.
The event, at Malvern Theatres on Thursday, January 14 aims to provide advice and support to those who need it the most. It is being organised by Malvern Hills District Council, in partnership with Elgar Housing Association and will be attended by a number of local and national agencies including Jobcentre Plus, Citizens Advice Bureau and a number of finance companies.
Coun David Hughes, who is responsible for housing, said: “There really is a lot of support and advice out there and this event will be bringing it all together in a sort of one-stop information shop.
“If you have any concerns about the continued economic downturn and the impact it is having on you, do come along.”
Elgar Housing Association spokesman Chris McKelvie said: “This is a positive event which hopes to support local people and ease anxieties about money in the new year.
“I want to encourage anyone to come along and see how we can help as there will be a range of services covering all areas affected by the credit crunch.”
The event takes place in the foyer at Malvern Theatres from 1-6pm on Thursday (January 14).
Food glorious Food
On Saturday 19th Dec Wilma, and myself (Ginny), went off to the youth centre laden with the tools to put on a community Christmas meal at the youth centre in Malvern. Wilma had been working hard putting together a menu that the young people could cook, and enjoy sharing with their friends and family, within two hours. I must admit I watched from afar as Wilma organised the group, of potential cooks, into armies of peelers and choppers. It worked like a dream for the first half hour, with their heads down and much disscussion, the production line was working. But as nature dictates the attention span of young teenagers is very short and a few began to wander off. But still there were more to take over the jobs that needed to be done. Wilma was brilliant, her focus only wavered a little, within minutes of thinking it wasn't going to happen, the soup was simmering, the pigs were in their blankets and two crumbles were baking nicely in the oven. Jamie was in control of the garlic bread, which was fabulous. There was garlic bread with cheese, garlic bread without cheese, there was even garlic bread without garlic. The afternoon ended with a feast for twenty or more people, with even more young people dropping in to see what they were missing. Many thanks to Wilma for her hard work and to the young people for their interesting conversations, their Carol-oke and their spasmodic concentration. Merry Christmas to all. Gx
Pig farming or not pig farming that is the question.
This is worth reading as it highlights what we are up against when trying to make sense of goverment strategies. A copy of a real letter sent to David Miliband. Ginny
Rt Hon David Miliband MP
Secretary of State.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
16 July 2009
Dear Secretary of State,
My friend, who is in farming at the moment, recently received a cheque for £3,000 from the Rural Payments Agency for not rearing pigs.. I would now like to join the "not rearing pigs" business.
In your opinion, what is the best kind of farm not to rear pigs on, and which is the best breed of pigs not to rear? I want to be sure I approach this endeavour in keeping with all government policies, as dictated by the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy.
I would prefer not to rear bacon pigs, but if this is not the type you want not rearing, I will just as gladly not rear porkers. Are there any advantages in not rearing rare breeds such as Saddlebacks or Gloucester Old Spots, or are there too many people already not rearing these?
As I see it, the hardest part of this programme will be keeping an accurate record of how many pigs I haven't reared. Are there any Government or Local Authority courses on this?
My friend is very satisfied with this business. He has been rearing pigs for forty years or so, and the best he ever made on them was £1,422 in 1968. That is - until this year, when he received a cheque for not rearing any.
If I get £3,000 for not rearing 50 pigs, will I get £6,000 for not rearing 100? I plan to operate on a small scale at first, holding myself down to about 4,000 pigs not raised, which will mean about £240,000 for the first year. As I become more expert in not rearing pigs, I plan to be more ambitious, perhaps increasing to, say, 40,000 pigs not reared in my second year, for which I should expect about £2.4 million from your department. Incidentally, I wonder if I would be eligible to receive tradable carbon credits for all these pigs not producing harmful and polluting methane gases?
Another point: These pigs that I plan not to rear will not eat 2,000 tonnes of cereals. I understand that you also pay farmers for not growing crops. Will I qualify for payments for not growing cereals to not feed the pigs I don't rear?
I am also considering the "not milking cows" business, so please send any information you have on that too. Please could you also include the current Defra advice on set aside fields? Can this be done on an e-commerce basis with virtual fields (of which I seem to have several thousand hectares)?
In view of the above you will realise that I will be totally unemployed, and will therefore qualify for unemployment benefits. I shall of course be voting for your party at the next general election.
Yours faithfully,
Nigel Johnson-Hill
Fresh Produce
Just to let you know the WI sell fresh local garden grown produce at the Lyttelton Rooms every Friday morning. Doors open at 8.15am but you can sneak in early if you want to get the best choice of what's available. Every thing gets sold out by 11am. The WI are keen for Transition to support this venture and to make yourself know to them if you go along to shop.
Ginny