Blog

New community farm launched in Cheshire with huge support

On Monday 22 June Bridge Community Farms in Ellesmere Port brought together its local community to celebrate the inception of its sustainable farm initiative. This great project aims to build a bridge between different sectors of its community and get them all working together for the common good.

The idea is to offer permanent job opportunities to the long-term unemployed, and a therapeutic environment for people with mental health problems and disabilities. They will grow and sell fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs to the local community. There are also study facilities for children and young people to learn horticulture, food preparation and basic business skills. The project’s start up costs have been entirely covered by donations from local businesses and individuals and all profits will be invested back into the farm.

Call-out: Farm Hack coming to Forty Hall Farm

CALL OUT FOR SHOW & TELL HACKS and WORKSHOP HOSTS

CFGN members will be hosting a Farm Hack in London on 26th September 2015, at Forty Hall Farm, Enfield.

FarmHack is a community of farmers and growers developing appropriate tools for small scale ecological farming. It was founded by The Greenhorns in the U.S. in 2010 and has since held regular events to bring the community together on farms and in workshops across the USA. FarmHack is founded on the principles of open source technology meaning that tools and techniques are also shared and developed on the online forum farmhack.net.

The emphasis of the days’ workshops will be ‘Pedal-power for farms and community projects’, hopefully with a grand unveiling of the Cyclo-sieve (currently being built by CFGN members). However there is space at the farm for other sessions and ideas don’t have to be limited to pedal power.

Where Next Now for the Community Food Movement?

by Ru Litherland, OrganicLea (personal capacity)

Five years ago I wrote and circulated the article “Where Next for the Community Food movement?” (this can be found at http://www.organiclea.org.uk/about/publications/) Its purpose was: “to prompt myself and hopefully others active in community food projects to reflect, analyse, even discuss, where we are, where we want to get to, how we might set off there, and who’s bringing the sandwiches.” A number of conclusions were drawn, and a number of suggestions made. Now might be a fine time to look back on what’s happened since: below, five key issues are discussed.