Project group leader Sarah Evans: sevan001@talktalk.net
Latest news. See our food project as reported by Woking News and Mail
Also see our food blog where we have two postings on how to convert a front garden and a lawn into vegetable beds.
We are kicking off by developing a project to encourage more local food production.
We are running a pilot trial currently:
- We have now installed planters in the form of builders bags at Knaphill Primary school.
- The vegetable garden at Woking Borough Council's low carbon demonstration house, Oak Tree House, is included in the project and the local community volunteers have developed a very productive demonstration area. A local Rainbows group is one of the community groups involved.We are talking to Holy Trinity Church, Chobham Road, as they expressed an interest in locating the planters there.
- We also have an area in Woking Park which has been adopted by a local church. there have been some teething problems with this and we are working to make the space more useable.
In the longer term other areas we are looking at include:
1. Food miles and options to reduce food carbon footprint eg
- Less meat more vegetables.
- Local food and role of Farmers markets etc.
- Grow your own food and role of allotments.
- Establishing a local veg growing support group, seed saving and seed swap.
- Gardening for food (to complement Gardening for Life)
- Food foraging and swopping. Eg organisation Abundance.
2. Food and health. Issues include:
- Organic and free range food. Related issue of animal welfare.
- School meals and J Oliver campaign to highlight healthy eating. Minsitry of Food and issue of poor diets linked to lack of skills and knowldge about food.
- Healthy food advice and roles of Government agencies. 5 a day fruit/veg.
3. International issues:
- Fairtrade food.
- Impact of food trade on environment. Eg Palm Oil, beef cattle.
- Food miles
- Biomass crops and loss of food
- Climate change impacts on food production.
- GM food
4. Publicity, awareness and behaviour change:
- Publicising issues of genetic diversity.
- Video: The Power of Community: How Cuba survived Peak oil. Has a lot about how they produced food. Perhaps we could hold a small public viewing of it next year to draw people into our activities.
Last updated Sept 09 |