Wednesday 25 March 2015

Recipes for Community Growing

Edible York's Recipes for Community Growers event last Saturday (21st - SPRING!) was such an uplifting event, my feet have only just touched the ground again.

So many inspiring people in one room, all engaged in one way or another in helping to make their local communities - and the wider City - become healthier, and better connected.  When I say better connected, I mean mostly that people are better connected to each other, but also that they are better connected to the earth beneath their feet and the food on their plates, in their mouths, in their bellies.

I would like to capture the vibrancy in the room... but of course that's impossible.  So I'll have to make do with penning a list of the projects that spoke up during the day, that shared their plans, dreams and schemes:

Back to Front
We were so fortunate to have the fine people behind Back to Front with us on the day.  This ace project - most recently funded by Esmee Fairbairn - has worked with communities in Leeds to turn front gardens into productive spaces that bring people together.  You can read more about them here

Red Tower Project
This fab project has emerged from TIM in York, who are working with various partners to turn one medieval tower in the City walls (opposite waitrose on Foss Islands Rd) into a community space, with edible beds, a kitchen and cafe.  They're meeting at the Tower on March 29th, 11-2, and you can keep up to speed with this dynamic project on their Facebook page

York Real Junk Food Project
Are hunting out a venue from which they can run their ace project, which seeks to divert food waste from landfill and make real food more accessible to more people.  Keep up to speed on their facebook page, here

St Luke's Church
Have created a lively edible garden following funding from Edible York in 2013.  Their work as an edible-eco-congregation is going from strength to strength!

Grow & Cook
Are running a training course which is equipping people with the skills to grow and cook (it does exactly what it says on the tin...!), boosting employability skills in the process.  They're holding a celebration event on Friday May 1st (10-1pm at Door 84) and would love local food projects to come along, especially those that are on the hunt for volunteers!

Greenfields Community Garden
Is hosting regular work sessions at their bountiful Haxby Rd garden on: 1st Sunday of the month (afternoon) and 3rd Saturday of the month (morning).

York Rotters
John Cossham is looking to reform this talented group of composteers via a Facebook group... watch out for a link on EY's facebook group.

YorSpace
Updated us on their bid to redevelop Oliver House (South Bank) into an affordable CoHousing project - which would feature community allotment facilities.  CYC's decision has been deferred for a month - keep up to speed at their website

Phew!  You see what I mean when I say it was VIBRANT!?!?!  Added to this were updates from Edible York's marvellous public veg beds and Abundance project, and new projects emerging during the day as the kind of people that make things happen mingled and mixed (Foxwood, watch this space!).

Thanks one and all for keeping on keeping on with the Edible dream.

I think - I hope- Recipes for Community Growing served the purpose of nourishing us to keep our projects in motion.

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