Template:365news This project is a collaboration between Communigrow and Sustainable Malling to co-create a book with the same title.

Notes from our first workshop

Our first workshop took place on April 11, 2015. Although we listed reasons under separate headings at the workshop we may just want to have simple numbered list to start with. Adjustments for duplication can be made later.

365 Reasons

  1. Excitement of first green shoots
  2. being outdoors
  3. graded exercise for health and fitness
  4. learning about what grows well where, locally
  5. knowledge of growing techniques
  6. invoking wonderment, reawakening a sense of wonder in the natural world (quote FWD c77?)
  7. seeds burst forth
  8. mental wellbeing
  9. seed collection
  10. conservation
  11. harvest, and abundance
  12. sense of community
  13. groupwork
  14. meeting new people
  15. productive, unpressurised way of socializing
  16. generates sense of belonging
  17. mindfulness
  18. awareness and appreciation of seasonality
  19. knowing, or getting to know the producers or growers
  20. being able to trust the provenance of produce
  21. growing confidence
  22. building self esteem
  23. learning and sharing knowledge
  24. shared kinship with local growers across the country (UK) and worldwide
  25. enhancing the environment
  26. enhancing environment quality
  27. free stuff: foraging, blackberries
  28. helps biodiversity
  29. keeps open spaces
  30. composting is a form of recycling
  31. reusing old pots and containers
  32. getting stuff to reuse from the wider community
  33. promoting localism which also helps road safety
  34. lower carbon footprint in growing the food
  35. lower carbon footprint in distributing the food locally
  36. encouraging cycling, several members cycle to the plot
  37. encouraging local schools and others in partnership working, which fosters social inclusion eg there is currently a group doing work experience with Communigrow
  38. local food projects can help build local communities online
  39. local food projects generate community involvement
  40. Communigrow's plans include solar water heating
  41. working with local food projects can combat depression and reduce anxiety, there is a lot of evidence-based research on the impact of the environment on health and mental wellbeing
  42. fresher food
  43. tastier, more flavoursome food
  44. healthy eating - you are what you eat
  45. the challenge of creative cooking
  46. the fun of devising recipes
  47. experimenting with different combinations of herbs in cooking
  48. learning to make use of abundant crops eg "What can I do with 50 globe artichokes!"
  49. Preserving food to extend the season
  50. sharing local food
  51. local food can offer greater variety than can be found in shops
  52. preserving diversity of crops and varieties
  53. local food can cost less and be better value
  54. local food purchasing can also increase awareness of fair trade and ethical consumerism
  55. seeds can be used in art projects
  56. crops can provide materials for local crafts
  57. an involvement with local food projects can lead to learning more about wider food issues such as the value of organic farming, food security and food justice
  58. participating in a local food project can increase your learning curve, there is always something new to learn, new challenges
  59. contact with nature
  60. community activity: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
  61. unpolluted or less polluted food
  62. food with less packaging
  63. shared meals, including outdoor meals
  64. discovering new tastes
  65. the scents of growing crops
  66. birdsong out in the fields
  67. seeing more wildlife
  68. finding new varieties of fruit or vegetables
  69. experimenting with different growing methods
  70. learning about history through local food
  71. practising ingenuity
  72. using appropriate technology
  73. learning more about appropriate technology
  74. devising new appropriate technology
  75. appreciating ugly veg
  76. developing relationships with farmers market traders
  77. conviviality of farmers markets
  78. surprises in vegetable boxes
  79. welcoming rain
  80. getting youngsters to appreciate real food
  81. teaching cooking skills
  82. appreciating sunsets when still out in the fields
  83. learning about the importance of using water wisely
  84. learning about sustainability, more generally
  85. learning about how to keep soils healthy
  86. learning about how to do more with less
  87. learning about your own local community
  88. getting food without having to get in the car, or travel other than on foot
  89. enjoying community food events
  90. helping set up community food events
  91. learning about seed saving
  92. the joy of nurturing living things
  93. encouraging and discovering the the joy of sharing more generally
  94. more vitamins from fresher food
  95. doing stuff for others with others boosts happiness
  96. the pleasure of shelling peas in the garden on a warm sunny day
  97. finding crops to harvest even in early spring
  98. sitting in the growing field, just listening to nature
  99. being up with the lark, literally
  100. returning to an overwintering crop for the first spring crop
  101. learning the patience to wait for the right or auspicious time for planting
  102. being involved with local food projects helps you learn about and appreciate local distinctiveness
  103. ...

What might the book include?

sections can include more than one contributor

  • tips on propagating
  • how to start off, setting up a local food growing group
  • cultivating
  • growing-the basics
  • recipes, which ties it all together
  • how to grow and how to use, side by side
  • why it'd be good for you
  • what to do with unusual crops
  • promoting the positive aspects, of growing, finding and eating local food
  • how it'll make you feel better
  • tips to provoke, think for yourself, explore, pose some questions
  • pictures or photos
  • drawings or artwork
  • quotes or soundbites to break up the text
  • a year in the life of Communigrow, highlights of the year
  • stories, anecdotes
  • local food in the context of sustainable communities - Phil
  • whatever might interest, inspire or be useful to other community food groups
  • facts and figures, as long as presented in a fun way, eg Laurence talks about how many miles of potatoes
  • what you can do, information both for other local groups and for individuals
  • overcoming pitfalls
  • historical or heritage context eg what local foods were traditional in Kent?
  • a brief history of Communigrow
  • local food and allergies
  • other food projects in Malling, Kent, South East England, rest of the UK - Phil
  • a flavour of community food groups in other parts of the world (100 mile diet) - Phil
  • local food and local walks - Phil (West Malling area)
  • more reasons, the scarier stuff! (to be right at the end of the book, if we include this) - Phil
  • where to find out more - Phil
  • feedback from readers, leading to a 2nd edition

How could we create content for the book?

  • request ideas and comments from the wider group of Communigrow supporters, eg on a specific topic, every once in a while
  • partner organisations or groups maybe interested in helping with the design of the book
  • write ups of shared meal and other Communigrow events eg the field kitchen last October
  • use of local hall for bring and share food events
  • chat to family and friends about local food
  • review other books about local food or community food projects
  • write up experiences of volunteering with the project
  • taking or finding suitable photos
  • sketches or artwork
  • keeping a small notebook to jot down ideas as they arise
  • practice writing short anecdote or story about local food

Resources and references

other books about local food - local libraries - could we set up a small Communigrow library? - Inspiring quotes - relevant websites concerning local food - any forthcoming video about Communigrow

(links to follow)

  • Incredible Edible (the book)
  • Local Food, Transition Network
  • Common Ground

More about the project

The book will be drafted on the Sustainable Community Action wiki (on Appropedia) and will be published under a creative commons license.

Editorial group

(as at April 2015)

Helen: Why I enjoy eating fresh food

Richenda: Using local produce and seasonality

Danielle: Wellbeing aspects of local food

Brett: Growing local food, putting up solar tunnels

Phil: Co-ordinating editor

Contributions of suitable material from other members and supporters of Communigrow or Sustainable Malling most welcome!

See also

Interwiki links

Wikipedia: Local food, Low Carbon diet, High carbon and low carbon food choices, Community Supported Agriculture, Food miles

External links


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