Food Futures lottery funded training
FoodFutures, The Plot and Claver Hill are seeking people with a passion for growing food, flowers and community to attend free (lottery funded) training workshops this Summer and Autumn.
Have you noticed a patch or corner of land that would make an amazing community growing space? We would be delighted to offer you training in how to make it buzz with biodiversity, food and community.
This project will enable local residents to access local training to support them to plan, set-up and manage community growing sites, preserve food and save seeds - building community wealth and resilience.
Background:
Our current food system is responsible for around 30% of global carbon emissions and has additional negative impacts on people, other animals and planet. The climate impact of the UK food system, in particular, links to our dietary choices and food waste across our supply chains.
In North Lancashire we seek to address this. . Our Food Futures: a community food strategy for North Lancashire, lays out a path for creating a “thriving local food system that is healthy, resilient and fair”. It envisions a future where everyone in our District has access to healthy food - food that mitigates climate change and facilitates environmental and social regeneration.
This training programme takes forward a small part of this vision by providing skills and training opportunities for local residents interested in setting up new, or developing existing, community growing projects.
As the training is based at two local food projects, it will also build local connections, whilst celebrating progress and models that can work.
The project aims to raise awareness of the role communities can play in the face of the climate emergency and to empower people to create structures and networks locally that practically address the impact of food.
Seed saving, natural flood management, water harvesting and composting are key aspects needed to build resilience as weather patterns change as a result of climate breakdown. Skills and expertise in these areas will be key for local communities wanting to grow food.
What the training will cover:
This programme will be based at two local projects: the Plot - a market garden and FarmStart training centre, and ClaverHill community food project, a 6 acre site which hosts a range of growing projects.
The programme includes 11 half-day in-person workshops, targeted at groups/individuals who are interested in sustainable land management and food production, and those that are part of communities who want to set up local shared growing spaces. The programme will cover:
Site design and planning for climate resilient community growing spaces, including rain water harvesting and natural flood management
Project design and organisational models
Crop and site planning for a local northern climate
Working with community members to establish and develop a growing project
Plant propagation
Pest and weed management strategies
Harvesting, weighing and packing produce
Processing and preserving produce
Plants for natural dyes and medicine
Community composting
Intro into seed saving & evening bean feast
Each will also consider the impact of climate change on growing conditions and how we can adapt to the changing North Lancashire climate.
Aims and objectives:
Deliver hands-on practical workshops with lots of tools and techniques that can be directly applied to community land-based projects.
To increase skills and understanding in organic food growing in North Lancashire.
To enable participants to take the lead in planning and delivering practical activities and set up their own resilient community food projects.
Target audience:
FoodFutures members, community organisers and local people interested in food resilience.
Volunteers in existing projects looking to progress by demonstrating practical management techniques, facilitator skills and self-reflective learning. People interested in starting a new community resilience project.