Transition Leicester Food Group
Why a food group?
At present, the food supply for our city is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Conventional farming uses oil-based pesticides, fertilizers made using natural gas, and oil-based fuels for machinery used to work the fields. Food is imported into Leicester from other parts of the country and other parts of the world, using fossil-fuel-based transportation.
As fossil fuel availability begins to decline over the coming years, we need to urgently develop the infrastructure and skills that will allow Leicester to feed itself in the future. This will mean developing local and organic food production, starting urban agriculture projects, planting fruit and nut trees in the city, teaching people the skills they need to grow food at home - there's lots of work to be done!
What's happening?
The food group has just launched a one-year photography project. Read about it and about how to get involved here!
The Food group met for the first time on Tuesday 3rd June, in the Methodist Church on Bishop Street in Leicester city centre. A report from that meeting can be read here.
Other meetings have followed more or less monthly and have focussed on organising jam making and food preserving workshops, 'bramble ramble' walks. In October 2008, we organised an event called Harvest Inspiration, which took place at Bishop Street Methodist Church in Leicester.
We've also had information stalls at recent food related events in and around Leicester, like the Good Food Fair at Belgrave Hall on 20th and 21st September and the Brocks Hill Grow-Your-Own event in Oadby on 27th September.
The first Transition Cafe on Sat 27th Sept also saw the Food Group busy baking, serving drinks and generally chatting about Transition-related matters.
Possible ideas for the future include planting fruit and nut trees, running 'grow your own' classes, seed swap events, garden dating and hopefully promoting a similar initiative to the Abundance projects in Sheffield and Manchester here in Leicester.
Next meeting
- Thursday 6th November, 7pm in the Cafe at the Phoenix Arts Centre, Newarke Street, Leicester.
We'll be looking at plans for the forthcoming season. If you'd like to join us, please just come along.
Minutes from previous meetings
Food Group Meeting 2: 30th June 2008.
Food Group Meeting 3: 30th July 2008.
Food Group Meeting 4: 27th August 2008.
Food Group Meeting 5: 10th September 2008
Food Group Meeting 6: 1st October 2008
How can I get involved?
For more details, or to register your interest in getting involved with the Food group, email Lisa Michael on lisam183 [at] hotmail.com or Dani Pattuzzi on pattuzzi [at] tiscali.co.uk