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Keep in touch with the Food Alliance Blog - sign up here Follow on Instagram here, Facebook here Here's where you can see what's happening for good local food in Herefordshire. From local food events, through farming to food waste - we use the Sustainable Food Places topics so you can see the things you're interested in at a glance. Click on each one for more information or scroll down the most recent. Contact us to tell us what's going on in your part of the County and sign the food charter to add your voice! |
Alliance coordinator Rebecca was at the Oxford Real Farming Conference at the beginning of January. This is now the biggest event for 'agroecological' farming (modern, mixed, with nature and food production side by side) on the planet. As well as farming, there was much time spent on connections - and the positive things that came come from them. It was great to be connected to other Sustainable Food Places like ours - including our very near neighbour Shropshire through a session looking at building links between those producing our food and those consuming it.
Local groups are coming together to raise awareness and put pressure on Tesco this weekend (14th Jan) - the superstore is contravening its own environmental policy. Details of the action are below.
Studies have shown that there needs to be a massive 80% reduction in poultry manure in the Wye catchment to protect the river, damaged by high phosphate levels resulting from excrement produced by intensive chicken farming.
River Action believes Tesco holds the key to saving the River Wye from irreparable ecological deterioration and have been calling for urgently raised standards for months.
Calling all growers, new and old!
"Swap your seeds in time for the new season -
The 15th annual Seed Swap event will be held once again at the Courtyard in Hereford.
This free event will take place on Saturday February 4th between 10am and 2pm.
Alliance coordinator Rebecca has been at the Oxford Real Farming Conference this week. It's now the biggest event for 'agroecological' farming (modern, mixed, with nature and food production side by side) on the planet. It was great to see new and existing alliance contacts there!
Hear more about the ORFC on Farming Today here and below is one snapshot from Rebecca - for more snapshots check the blog.
Feeding Britain from the Ground Up.
One of the final sessions at the conference was centred around a report that makes the case for a Britain that can feed itself.
Feeding Britain From the Ground Up is an attempt to provide answers to the question: What should I eat to be healthy and sustainable?
Alliance coordinator Rebecca has been at the Oxford Real Farming Conference this week. It's now the biggest event for 'agroecological' farming (modern, mixed, with nature and food production side by side) on the planet. It was great to see new and existing alliance contacts there!
Hear more about the ORFC on Farming Today here and below is one snapshot from Rebecca - for more snapshots check the blog.
Joining the Infrastructure dots
Over the last 30 years, a vibrant network of 'agroecological' short supply chain and direct sales businesses has developed in the UK but they are currently a tiny portion of the market. We are also losing infrastructure that supports small farmers- small abattoirs for example.
Alliance coordinator Rebecca has been at the Oxford Real Farming Conference this week. It's now the biggest event for 'agroecological' farming (modern, mixed, with nature and food production side by side) on the planet. It was great to see new and existing alliance contacts there!
Hear more about the ORFC on Farming Today here and below is one snapshot from Rebecca - for more snapshots check the blog.
Financing the transition to Agroecology
There was lots of talk of baselines at this session - there are now global and national targets to reduce emissions, which requires measurement in itself, but also targets to protect nature, also needing to be measured with much of the work for this being passed to farmers.
An event in which the subject of food will certainly appear! A conversation with Jane Davidson who was instrumental in establishing the Welsh Future Generations Act. Local procurement, short supply chains, and efficient production of food - all enshrined in law. Head along and let's keep future sustainable food for Herefordshire central to the conversation!
- Thursday, January 12, 2023 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
- Left Bank Bridge St, Hereford, HR4 9DG
- https://actionnetwork.org/events/jane-davidson
Food Alliance Coordinator Rebecca will be heading to the Oxford Real Farming Conference in early January.
"With over 350 speakers across seven venues, January’s in-person programme offers an extensive range of keynote presentations, panel discussions and workshops on everything from farm practice to food sovereignty, land justice to farming policy, food politics to land-based traditions and knowledge."
Thanks to everyone who has signed the Charter since its launch this year and supported the growing movement for good food here in Herefordshire.
We've reached ONE HUNDRED SIGNATURES! Which is brilliant news at the turn of the year, and we know just a fraction of all the amazing work going on to make good sustainable food for all here in Herefordshire.
Please keep in touch in 2023 - we'll be gathering and sharing in all our areas, from farm vending to gleaning to procurement - get in touch with topics to share or groups to get involved. Or just get that Food Charter shared!
Seasons Greetings from the Herefordshire Food Alliance!
Sustain have shared what they learned from a webinar in November about how food partnerships are placed to tackle cost-of-living challenges. What do you think we can do as a partnership in Herefordshire? Get in touch.
"Food partnerships have demonstrated how their uniquely joined-up approach made for better emergency food responses during the Covid pandemic. It was hard work though; many food partnerships and food organisations feel exhausted by their efforts. Yet once again they are stepping up, responding to huge demands arising from the cost of living and its knock on effect on food insecurity. Here, we summarise in ten points what we learned from a webinar in November 2022 on the role of food partnerships and practical examples of action they are taking."
Herefordshire Council would like to hear from you about how they can improve health and wellbeing in Herefordshire.
Please take a few moments to feed in your thoughts - this is about more than food, but obviously food is a big part of health and wellbeing!
"We are working with health services and other organisations to develop a strategy and actions to improve health and wellbeing in the county over the next 10 years. If you live or work in Herefordshire, we would like to hear from you about the things that you think are most important.
The Fold in Bransford have an opportunity to work alongside their beautiful nature trails, artisan studios, events and markets running their cafe.
"We grow beautiful organic produce here on the Farm offering a totally unique opportunity to serve fully seasonal organic food, working with food feet rather than miles!"
https://www.thefold.org.uk/cafe-tender/
For more details email
Great to have James Marsden and Gregg's Pit Cider and Perry signed up to the charter for good food in Herefordshire!
Using 100% juice of vintage varieties of apples and pears, harvested from traditional standard orchards, they can be found at the Hellen's Produce Market among other places.
Among other things, Gregg's Pit place a high value on traditional orchard management and biodiversity, seek out vintage fruit varieties and have complete traceablility from 'blossom to barrel'
James tells more in this article for online publication Whats for Dinner:
“An orchard tells the seasons more frankly than most woods, flaunting its blossom, dropping big fruit, feeding masses of creatures as well as us, demanding attention” (Common Ground, 2000).
Sign the charter and build the movement for food that supports poeple and environment here in Herefordshire!
The Herefordshire Food Alliance are proud that members have fed into the Food Action Plan for Herefordshire, which includes partnerships with Public Health and other Council departments, neighbouring Councils, NHS Trusts and of course the range of groups and organisations that form the alliance. You can read it on the food page of Zero Carbon / Nature Rich Herefordshire which also features - yes, you guessed it - the Food Charter!
Can innovative digital technology enable shorter, more transparent food supply chains in Herefordshire?
A study is underway in this region to look at the opportunities for connecting local food producers with public bodies, what the challenges are and how they can be overcome.
Are you a producer? What are your challenges in supplying public bodies locally? Where do you think the opportunities are? Get in touch with the Food Alliance and we can put you in touch...
The positive impacts for local economy, public health and the environment are potentially huge, so our experiences will be very useful to get this right.
email the alliance at
And sign the food charter to build a stronger alliance working together for these innovative solutions!
For more information on the potential of Dynamic Food Procurement see DPUK
Two food greats in the heart of Ledbury have supported the charter - THANK YOU! Great to have you in the growing movement.
They are part of the Ledbury Food Group, also signed and pulling together an amazing amount of great local food activity in this part of Herefordshire.
Pot and Page : "The plant based eatery and bookshop in the heart of Ledbury. With our home cooked soul food, carefully curated bookshelves and Herefordshire's largest selection of loose leaf teas, we are sure there will be something to broaden everyone's horizons. Find out more about us and our story!
Handley Organics: "Our ethos is to produce the best seasonal fruit and vegetables that we can. We also source the choicest local produce form a number of local growers, so that we can offer a year round choice of the best available."
Great to have Hunderton Community Garden signed up to the Food Charter! Community activities including food growing in a vibrant space just south of the River Wye in Hereford. And check out their new - stunning - mural!
If you are a community garden, let us know what you're doing - and sign up to the charter - you're already growing local and you CERTAINLY know your supply chain! and let's share our experiences of growing good food right where we live.
Note change of time and date! It got popular!
6-8 pm Sunday 11th of December
Public Hall Bromyard
Talk: Creating a Community Farm for Bromyard
Peter Lane who is organising says:
I have access to funding to set up, and build a Research & Development facility to develop systems for vertical farms, and this will create up to about thirty jobs. As part of the project we will have training/meeting rooms as we will be providing training for those interested in the subject.
In addition to the above we want to set up the following:
- Petting zoo
- Cafe/shop
- Modern allotments suited for the less able.
Ledbury Food Group have done a great job of mobilising local businesses around the simple and tasty idea of the Big Soup - this weekend, a range of local shops and restaurants are showcasing their local wares for this event. The Feathers, The Rugby Club, Handley Organics and many more deserve a visit!
In the run up, Kids Kitchen have joined in with a special activity ingredients bag made for Big Soup with a recipe and activity for families. These have been distributed at the Food Bank and the Childrens Centre, and families have been given a free coupon to their upcoming Kids Kitchen sessions. Soup for All!
"Just wanted to say how great the event was"
"Thanks for the meeting - interesting and useful"
Thanks to the 50+ farmers, community projects, caterers and others for coming to Food from the Shire - it was great to have a full room and many, many thoughts shared. We heard from farmers, caterers, community growers, food banks and larders - and we have many plans to take forward!
Many thanks to the Green Dragon Hotel for hosting, and for many Food Alliance members' input to make it happen.
Click on the image or the link to view notes, links and next steps from the event.
Food for the Shire November 2022 - Google Slides
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