Food Page

Get Pickled,Success

On Sunday 15th January in the Courtyard Cafe, a group of enthusiasts enjoyed an inspiring and informative workshop with Natacha Du Pont De Bie. She took us on a tasty tour of how we can spice up our local winter veg. Pickling and fermentation is a low energy way to prolong food's shelf life. It helps capture goodness and produce healthy food . All the participants enjoyed a grand finale of delicious tastings and there was enough to take home jars and even bags of goodies. For more information on local food events please sign up with email growchagford@gmail.com

Autumn Feast success.

"Just a quick note to say many thanks to everyone who supported, helped and who came to the Autumn Feast,in October 2010.

Special appreciations go to the excellent entertainers who contributed their time and talents, plus all of you who helped out or made a donation.

 It was a really enjoyable and successful evening, made even more delectable by the delicious food that people brought to share. The event really got “GROWCHAGFORD” off to a great start with the raising of £206.

 The purpose of GROWCHAGFORD is to support the growing, production, preserving and eating of local food by the residents of Chagford

Our desired outcomes are:-

 ·      More local self-sufficiency, security and resilience in the provision of our food.

·      The reduction of supermarket dependency, food miles, and the use of non renewable   resources, so we can increase our independence.

·      To learn, share and have fun together as a sustainable community. 

·      To be as ethical as possible in our eating, by not taking the food, water and resources of others or future generations.

·      To encourage the growing and eating of healthy local food by Chagford’s children and young people.

·      To celebrate the local abundance of food and the talent, energy and commitment that makes it all possible.

 To start achieving those outcomes, there are a few ideas on how to put the £206 to good use, including setting up a beginners bee keeping course this winter. If you have any ideas or know of some equipment that the Chagford growing community could benefit from, please let us know.

 Examples of equipment that we could “save up” for include a community apple press and a shared road trailer, or maybe there are some additional skills that people would like to learn.

 We are setting up a discussion forum on this and other matters on the food page of the www.chagfordhub.typepad.com so please get involved or send your ideas to" growchagford@gmail.com

Best wishes, Susan Harley

Chagford Garden/Landshare Share Scheme

Calling all residents in the Chagford area that have gardens, plots of land or orchards that are underused, or neglected possibly due to a lack of time, interest, or physical mobility. There are local  residents who have no access to land and who would love the chance to grow their own food, herbs and flowers.

With food shortages, rising prices and the overall question of our future food security, this is an ideal opportunity to start a garden /land share scheme in Chagford. This is a local initiative linking  up people with  unused “plots” on their garden or land  with committed growers.

Get Involved

If you want your unloved plot to grow cabbages, connections – even friends! The benefits for the garden owners  include a share of the produce, the pleasure of seeing a lovely developing vegetable plot and being part of a sharing, growing community.

Sowing the seeds 
If you want the chance to grow  tasty veggies and vastly reduce the cost and food miles involved in your food or if you have a garden/land plot that you would like to offer to a local grower, then  please contact Susan for more information on 01647 432309 or email chagfordlandshare@gmail.com
Supported by the South West Counties Allotment Association

Chagfood have land!

Chagfood have found two and a half acres of land to use for CHAGFORD GROWN FOOD.

If you have any questions or queries 
then please call Chinnie on 07908 683 401, Ed on 07821 583 595

Common sense is starting to GROW!

It is absurd to import thousands of tons of apples from New Zealand while equally good apples lie rotting in English orchards. It is patently ridiculous to export about as much butter as we import, and there is no excuse for inflicting unnecessary cruelty on animals by sending them abroad while simultaneously importing meat from Argentina.

This is a quote from www.wholesome-food.org.uk If you wish to read more, simply click on the link.

SD

Time to start your allotment

I always think, that far from the time of year to put your allotment to sleep for the winter, that this is the time to start things growing. Garlic, autumn onions and Broad beans are all good as are a whole range of seeds, oriental salad crops such as mizuna, mibuna, komatsuma some lettuce, even rocket can be sown. Alternatively it is a great time to clear up any uncultivated ground by putting down a barrier mulch. Cut down any growth and cover with cardboard, or whole newspapers etc then cover that with any organic matter you might have to hand. you can then broadcast a green manure seed into this, mustard is good. Then your ground will quietly get itself sorted out by springtime and you will be able to make a flying start.

NS

Home Grown- let's produce food locally.

Support for community food growing projects!
‘Home Grown – Community Owned’ will be a 3 year project, which will work with over 30 different communities across Devon to develop new projects, assets, skills and opportunities that enable local people to grow their own food.
For rural residents on low incomes, the prospect of ever rising fuel and food costs is alarming. ‘Home Grown – Community owned’ will work with these people in developing local projects.  For others, the reason for getting into growing food may be driven by health concerns or wanting to do more to cut down their “carbon footprint”. ‘Home Grown – Community owned’ will build on country traditions.  These include the creative use of resources, working together, and self-sufficiency.
The project will work with up to 60 local groups or organisations. These could be: Parish Councils, Village Hall Trusts, community organisations, campaigning groups, or initially just a few individuals keen to work together.
You get:
. •    Advice: Support from an experienced project worker, to advise upon development of their local project, help mobilise local support and act as advocate /negotiator on their behalf from the germ of an idea to fruition. 
. •    Cash: Communities will get up to £250 as a seed fund towards their planned activities. 
. •    Training: Understanding local needs and helping find and pay for relevant training and mentoring will be an option if wanted
. •    Professional expertise with initial fees provided. For example, a solicitor to draw up an occupancy license for land, or a permaculture designer to help plan the plot lay-out.
. •    Networking: To be part of network of growing projects who can share experience, skills and seeds!
‘Home Grown – Community owned’ is a partnership project of Community Council of Devon, Devon Association of Parish Councils, Devon Association of Community Buildings and the Devon Playing Fields Association.  In discussion are major landowners and the Primary Care Trust.
Interested Contact Dawn Ekhart Tel: 01392383681  Email dawn@devonrcc.org.uk

LOCAL FOOD =THE BEAUTIFUL CHAGFORD ALLOTMENTS.

GARLIC AND BROAD BEANS

SD

local food funding

A consortium of five organisations, including the Soil Association, have recently been awarded a £10m Big Lottery Fund grant under the banner 'Making Local Food Work'. Under the new stream of funding communities can apply for funding to promote all aspects of local food production, marketing and retail. The scheme intends to kick-start over 650 local food initiatives across the UK over the next five years.

For more information see: www.cuco.org.uk or www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk
EH

The Power of Community.

If anyone missed this inspiring film it is available from Nicky Scott for private or public viewing.E mail the HUB via the Home Page or Phone Nicky's office on 01647 432880. Click on image for pop up info.         SD