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 met for its first meeting on Tuesday 3rd June, in the Methodist Church on Bishop Street in Leicester city centre. A report from the meeting can be read here.

A second meeting was held on Monday 30th June at the Phoenix Arts Cafe in Leicester. We worked on some of the points that had emerged from the brain storming session we'd held on the 3rd of June. The exciting projects and ideas that came out range from jam making and food preserving workshops to organising a Harvest/Food celebration Event in the Autumn, as well as planting fruit and nut trees - hopefully - and running 'grow your own' classes. For a report of the meeting and a full list of all the creative ideas, please click here.

At the third meeting on Wednesday 30th July, the group made plans for the Harvest Inspiration event in the Autumn and two wild food walks. Minutes from the meeting are here.

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 27th August, at the cafeteria at the Phoenix Arts Centre, Newarke Street, Leicester, from 7pm. All welcome.

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