Some definitions and background taken from Wikipedia and http://www.sustainabletable.org.

Local food

Local food is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place" and is considered to be a part of the broader sustainability movement. It is part of the concept of local purchasing and local economies, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. Those who prefer to eat locally grown/produced food sometimes call themselves locavores or localvores

Local food systems

Local food systems are an alternative to the global corporate models where producers and consumers are separated through a chain of processors/manufacturers, shippers and retailers. As the food industry grows, the 'middle man' is increasingly able to control the quality of food. Conversely, the local food system redevelops these relationships and encourages a return of quality control to the consumer and the producer respectively. These quality characteristics are not only in the product but in the method of producing.

Definitions of "local"

Practically speaking, local food production can be thought of in concentric circles that start with growing food at home. The next ring out might be food grown in our immediate community - then state, region, and country. For some parts of the year or for some products that thrive in the local climate, it may be possible to buy closer to home. At other times, or for less common products, an expanded reach may be required.

Local vs. global

At its roots sustainable farming benefits the local community and local economy while supporting the environment by enriching the soil, protecting air and water quality, and minimizing energy consumption. Industrial food production is entirely dependent on fossil fuels, which, when refined and burned, create greenhouse gases that are significant contributors to climate change. The biggest part of fossil fuel use in industrial farming is not transporting food or fueling machinery; it's chemicals. As much as forty percent of the energy used in the food system goes towards the production of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Small, local farms are run by farmers who live on their land and work hard to preserve it. They protect open spaces by keeping land in agricultural use and preserve natural habitats by maintaining forest and wetlands. By being good stewards of the land, seeking out local markets, minimizing packaging, and harvesting food only when it is ready to consume, farmers can significantly reduce their environmental impact. In fact, studies show that sustainable agricultural practices can actually increase food production by up to 79% while at the same time actively reducing the effects of farming on climate change through carbon sequestration.

Herne Hill CAN has a few things planned for Green Drinks in the coming months, so please save the dates!

Wednesday, August 25 at 7:30 – Let’s talk about Local Food. Did you know that you can buy East Dulwich honey at the greengrocer’s?   What other local products are available? What is local – 5 miles or 50 miles? Why choose local? Please bring your local food tips so we can compile a list.  

Tuesday, September 28 at 7:30 - TheQuietRiot.com Comes to Green Drinks - Local Home Energy Expert to Explain How to Save 20% or much more on Home Energy Usage. We are really lucky to have Martin Hoenle, an energy expert with lots of experience working on old homes typical of local housing stock, coming to give a presentation about how to reduce home energy usage. We will meet upstairs at the Prince Regent, 7:30 for an 8pm start. www.thequietriot.com. Read more about the talk: http://www.hernehillcan.org/dates/thequietriot-com-comes-to-green-drinks-local-home-energy-expert-to-explain-how-to-save-20-or-much-more-on-home-energy-usage

Wednesday, October 27 at 7:30 – All about Eco Teams.  Anna from Eco Teams is coming to talk about how to start an eco team, and team leaders and members from local eco teams will talk about their eco team experiences. Eco teams is a way to “Join up with other people to make smarter, greener choices that reduce your environmental impact and household bills.” www.ecoteams.org.uk

Hope to see you at the Prince Regent!

Time: June 13, 2010 from 10am to 5pm
Location: Roots and Shoots
Organized By: Onion Shed Ann Bodkin

The Ruskin Park Community Garden is thriving! Thanks to the support of an amazing group of volunteers, we have surpassed our initial goal of having one bed dug and planted and now have several beds already bursting with life. We've planted a wide variety of vegetables including: spinach, rocket, chard, tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, crown prince squash, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cavolo nero, broad beans, corn, beetroot, carrots, lettuce, basil, coriander, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.

Come see for yourself as the garden is open every Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00. And if you want to volunteer there's still plenty of ways to get involved. You can come share your passion for homegrown food or if you're just learning, it's a wonderful chance to get your hands dirty and learn how it's done. We still have more beds to dig, prepare, plant and water. It's also a great way to introduce your kids to the wonders of growing food. And don't forget to visit our stall at the Ruskin Park Summer Fete June 26th.

For the latest news on what's been done and to see some photos check out www.ruskinparkcommunitygarden.org or contact, info@ruskinparkcommunitygarden.org for more information. The garden will only grow from here!

If you missed the Eco Team leader training in April - you can still start an Eco Team in your neighbourhood. Everything you need is on the new Eco Teams website here:

www.ecoteams.org.uk/partner/lambeth

Why not recruit an Eco Team at your Big Lunch if you are having one? Or at the school summer fair, or at your local cafe. Everyone comes out in the summer and its great time to get chatting. The Eco Team format would help you keep your conversation going.

According to the EcoTeam webiste People taking part in EcoTeams typically reduce the rubbish they throw away by 20%. They recycle more & improve energy & water management. And cut CO₂ emissions by 17%. They also save on average £170 a year per household.

What is an EcoTeam?
EcoTeams makes looking after our environment fun.
Get together with friends, neighbours, colleagues, or even make new friends with like-minded people in your community. Simply follow us through a series of action-focused topics and meetings. Together we'll look at key issues such as rubbish, shopping, energy, water and travel.

By taking part in EcoTeams you'll have all the tools and knowledge you need to make a difference.
Get started today and take positive steps toward a greener way of life.
According to the EcoTeam webiste People taking part in EcoTeams typically reduce the rubbish they throw away by 20%. They recycle more & improve energy & water management. And cut CO₂ emissions by 17%. They also save on average £170 a year per household.

Garden Organic are very pleased to announce the launch of their Master Gardener programme in south London. The Master Gardener programme is a volunteer food growing network.

We are recruiting our first south London Master Gardeners for training on the 19 and 20 June (two-day course). We are looking for enthusiastic people with some food growing experience and a passion to help others have a go at growing their own. The south London programme is across Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark.

For more information please contact Sarah, the south London volunteer coordinator for the Master Gardener programme.
Website and contact details below. 

Sarah Cannon
South London Volunteer Coordinator
Master Gardener Programme

My usual working days are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays

Garden Organic, Coventry, CV8 3LG
Mobile: 07584 343847
Email: scannon@gardenorganic.org.uk
Web: www.mastergardeners.org.uk

Master Gardener Programme - volunteer network supporting people and
communities grow fruit and vegetables in their gardens and on local
communal land

I was astonished and appalled to find asparagus airfreighted from Peru in Sainsbury's today, less than 2m away from a big pile of British asparagus. What are they thinking!?!

Please post photos of other examples of garish disregard for the environment by local shops - airfreighting, excessive packaging, etc  - maybe we can shame them into better behaviour.

We are very excited to be able to announce the creation of a community vegetable garden in Ruskin Park.  The Friends of Ruskin Park, Lambeth Council and Herne Hill Climate Action Network (CAN) have worked together to make this happen.

The mission of Ruskin Park Community Garden is:

to create a community hub that is a source of education and enthusiasm for growing vegetables.  Our aim is to encourage inner city gardening with a view to reducing the carbon output involved in food production and transport.  We intend to host workshops for both adults and children to introduce vegetable growing techniques. We also intend to host several events each year to expose the wider community to what vegetable gardening looks like, to build a community of volunteers, and to have fun.  Our ethos is sustainability - reduce, reuse recycle – and inclusiveness – we want garden users to reflect the diversity of the neighbourhood.

Launch Party

The launch will take place Sunday, May 9^th, 1-3pm We will have live music, refreshments, and the opportunity to plant a seed in a recycled container to take home. Several local groups will be present to hand out leaflets about their activities. The launch is being co-hosted with the Friends of Ruskin Park and is timed to coincide with the Five Parks Walk.

Dig Days

We intend to hold open dig days every Sunday 1-4pm, starting May 2nd. We will eventually have tools for people to use but for now, please bring gardening gloves and a spade.  This Sunday we will be staking out the raised beds and lifting the turf.

Our plans

In the immediate future, we will be creating the first of the raised beds and planting out the containers donated by the Royal Hospital via Growing Southwark. We will be meeting with the 1 O’clock Club to plan activities for the children there. We plan to participate in the Ruskin Park Summer Fete and to combine a Harvest Festival with the Big Draw. We also will be organizing vegetable growing workshops. We need volunteers! If you know how to grow, organize, publicize, or just want to help, please get in touch.

For more information and to sign up for our mailing list, please visit www.ruskinparkcommunitygarden.org. To contact us, please email info@ruskinparkcommunitygarden.org.

We are delighted to have received grants from Capital Growth and the Lambeth Community Action Fund. We were nominated for funding under the Lambeth Community Action Fund 2009/10 by the Herne Hill Ward Councillors.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8630058.stm

Very good, well researched article......imagine

Forming an eco team with your neighbours is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, meet your neighbours, and save money. There are already a few eco teams running in Herne Hill - have a look on http://www.hernehillcan.org/projects/eco-teams. If you want to start one, go along to the free training later this month.

Eco Teams Leaders Training Event

Saturday 24^th April

9:30-14:30

Lambeth Town Hall

This is a free event open to all those wishing to become Eco Team Leaders, and set up their own Eco Teams. 

Together with heaps of online resources, this event will equip team leaders with the tools to set up and recruit their Eco Teams, conduct meetings and discussions, collate baseline data and measure actions, ensuring the successful completion of the programme. Eco Team Leaders must be aged 18 or over. People can sign up at: http://ecoteams.org.uk/events

 Free lunch will also be provided on the day.