Local environmental charities BioRegional and EcoLocal, have launched an exciting new One Planet Food project that will enable Sutton residents to buy affordable, delicious and nutritious local food and get fit and healthy through growing their own. The project includes:
• Food growing and healthy eating training; EcoLocal’s research found a high demand locally for beginners adult food growing courses, family learning, and a need to increase knowledge about healthy eating in a fun non-judgemental way. One Planet Food will develop a food growing training centre on a local allotment, where people can learn food growing skills hands-on. One Planet Food will also take interactive food growing, health eating and cooking activities out to schools and community groups and run events in local high streets. The project will engage widely with local people and organisations, and will even train locals to act as food ambassadors.
• Setting up Sutton’s first community farm near Carshalton and Wallington – perfect for people who don’t have enough time for their own allotment but would like to grow some food and learn new skills. The farm will be launched in January 2010 and will provide free growing space and training;
• A network of local food markets providing fresh affordable local produce in areas with limited access; the first market will kick off in Hackbridge, near BedZED, in January 2010;
• A local food network linking with local producers to supply healthy local food to Sutton’s schools and hospitals.
The project is funded by Big Lottery Local Food Fund, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Sutton and Merton PCT and Sutton Council and is part of One Planet Sutton - promoting sustainable council services, sustainable lifestyles and workplaces within the London Borough of Sutton.
The next six week courses, which gives you practical experience of food growing from preparing land right through to harvesting and storing, will be running on Wednesday evenings from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Carshalton Community Allotment and Saturday mornings from 10.30am to 12.30pm at Sutton Community Farm starting on Wednesday 8th and Saturday 11th September respectively. Courses cost £10 for those on income related benefits and £50 to everyone else for six two hour sessions resulting in AQA certificates in food growing and land management. To sign up, simply complete the booking form and send it with your cheque made payable to EcoLocal Services Ltd, to the address below:-
One Planet Food
EcoLocal
The Old School House
Mill Lane
Carshalton
Surrey
SM5 2JY
The one day Kitchen gardening course will run from 10.30am to 3pm on Sunday 12th September at Sutton Community Farm and teaches you everything you need to know to start growing fruit and veg at home and includes making gazpacho soup.
The Fruit growing course runs from 10.30am to 3pm on Sunday 19th September at Carshalton Community Allotment and teaches you all about soft fruits, hard fruits, canes, vines and trees, how to plant, prune and take cuttings from your plants.
Both these one day courses cost just £10. To book a place, simply download a kitchen gardening booking form or fruit growing booking form and send it with your cheque made payable to EcoLocal Services Ltd, to The Old School House, Mill Lane, Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 2JY
Our next Family Fun Food growing sessions at Carshalton Community Allotment are all about saving seeds and green manures, there’ll be opportunities to save seeds, make seed packets, harvest produce and sew some green manure seeds as well as taking some away to try at home. The sessions will run from 1.30pm to 3pm on Sunday 5th and Sunday 19th September and first sessions are free. Subsequent sessions are £1 per adult and 50p for each child. Visit the Beanstalk page.
We’ve also just announced dates for our first quick and easy healthy cooking course at Wandle Valley School for three weeks on Monday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm starting on Monday 27th September. This course is FREE but spaces are extremely limited to book early to avoid disappointment.
Volunteer sessions continue every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 2pm at Sutton Community Farm and on Fridays and Sundays from 10.30am to 1pm at Carshalton Community Allotment.
For more information on any of these activities email food@ecolocal.org.uk or call Michael or Heather on 020 8770 6611
