Healthy Eating and Food Growing

1. Sue Chant Health Promotion Manager Healthy Eating and Food Growing 13 February 2008

2. Aim of presentation To set the scene for food and health work in Somerset To provide practical examples of food growing projects across Somerset

3. Setting the Scene Since 2000 Somerset has been running a variety of food and health projects, the main focus being on the 5 A DAY programme funded by the Department of Health and the Big Lottery Fund The work is co-ordinated by the Somerset Food and Health Alliance a multi-agency group Somerset Community Food is a food and health educational charity that was borne out of this initial work

4. Somerset Community Food • Established in 2001 as a not for profit company, this local organisation focuses on 3 key areas: • Growing Food • Sharing food ~ food cooperatives and food buying groups • Nourishing ~ healthy eating and nutrition • The following case studies will feature a range of food growing activities

5. Innox Hill Chicken Co-op Frome Based on a privately owned allotment site in Frome In recent years they have been working co-operatively to grow vegetables in the plots Those neighbours who don’t use their allotment site have given permission for the land to be used for chickens Group now have 12 Black Rock Hens and one Lohmann cockerel Organised rota between neighbours for feeding etc Each family keeps the eggs Funding a small grant from SCF

6. Lydford Forest Garden • Situated in West Lydford • Created by Lydford Community Group in response to Local Agenda 21 issues • Based on forest gardening principles ~ layers of trees and plants grown in an interactive and mutually beneficial way • The trustees have established a trust to ensure that the site will remain a permanent environmental landmark

7. Burnham Sheltered Housing Scheme • Residents of the sheltered scheme cleared part of their back garden to make a bed for growing vegetables • They joined in a ‘Get Set Grow’ course and learnt container growing as well • Many of the vegetables were very unfamiliar when the group started • At the end of the summer the harvest was made into kebabs for the barbeque!

8. Glastonbury Gardeners Group • An association of people growing food in their gardens or allotments. • Mutually supportive and socially valuable • Events have included a ‘Gardener’s Question Time’ evening and seed swap and seedling swap at the Farmers Market in May 07 • Use a web group to communicate and plan events • Inspired by a workshop at an SCF conference

9. Glastonbury Transition Town Growing Group • Project co-ordinated by a volunteer for a group of people who don’t have access to a growing space • 6 growing sessions which will run through to March • 6 women from Robert Barton Trust prepared the land into 6 raised beds • SCF small grant bought seeds and tools • Land is just outside Glastonbury

10. The Key Centre Frome • Combined Children’s Centre and Community Healthy Living Centre • Community members supported by SCF workers re-established a growing space but needed storage space • Applied successfully to Mendip Housing for a development grant of £5k

11. ReCreation Funseekers group Bridgwater • Fun Seekers Saturday group based at the ReCreation Centre on Rhode Lane Hamp • Children have been really enjoying growing activities and container gardening • They take responsibility for the plants they grow but…. • Tarmac areas are hazardous to plants as the area is used for ball games as well! • Best solution would be to carry on at the allotments down the road subject to support and supervision of the children being available