Sue Chant

Health Promotion Manager

Healthy Eating and Food Growing

13 February 2008

Aim of presentation

To set the scene for food and health work in Somerset

To provide practical examples of food growing projects across Somerset

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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