Brixton farmer’s market – Brixton Station Road, Sundays 10am-2pm, http://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/brixton/

Franklin’s Farm Shop - 155 Lordship Lane. A variety of products from neighbouring counties – fruit, veg, cheese, milk, eggs http://www.franklinsrestaurant.com/farmshop/

William Rose Butchers – 126 Lordship Lane, http://www.williamrosebutchers.com/

Pretty Traditional – greengrocer. 47 North Cross Road

The Florence - pub/microbrewery, 131-133 Dulwich Road http://www.capitalpubcompany.com/the-florence/

Blackbird Bakery - 208 Railton Road, Ye Olde Bakery – 323 Railton Road, Kindred Bakery – 23 Half Moon Lane

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

Launch party: Sunday, May 9^th, 1-3 pm

Dig days: Sundays, 1-3 pm

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.

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

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.

The Friends of Ruskin Park, Lambeth Council, and Herne Hill Climate Action Network are pleased to announce the planning of a community vegetable garden in an unused section of Ruskin Park.  Our aim is to create a community hub that is a source of education and enthusiasm for growing.

Once we’re up and running, we will have weekly open gardening sessions.  We’ll also host workshops for both adults and children to introduce vegetable growing techniques.  And we want to participate in events already hosted in the park, such as the Summer Fete and the Big Draw.

Want to learn how to grow vegetables? Or share your knowledge of growing? Or have your kids experience the amazement of a seed turning into a plant?

If any of this appeals to you – digging, planting, party planning, running workshops, meeting some great people and getting dirt under your fingernails – please get in touch!  rpcg@hernehillcan.org

To read more about the garden, have a look here

The main point here is to buy less.  It takes a lot of fossil fuel to manufacture and transport goods. Before you buy something, ask yourself if you really need it. If you do, buy something that will last (e.g. not Primark). And if possible buy something that’s been ethically produced.  There is a Good Shopping Guide which has done the research for you. And on www.gooshing.co.uk you can make free ethical comparisons of over 250,000 products.

Or buy used – great furniture, cds, books, toys, and more are available on ebay.  Sign up to freecycle to give away your unwanted stuff or get someone else’s.

Buy recycled when you can. Recycled loo roll and paper means that no trees have died for you. I’ve bought recycled paper and envelopes from http://rps.gn.apc.org/.

There is a great 20 minute video about the environmental cost of consumption www.thestoryofstuff.com.  It talked about depletion of natural resources, fossil fuel consumption, toxic chemicals, and landfill. There were some particularly shocking bits – because of the chemicals in food, breast milk is the most toxic food there is.  Making stuff generates 17x the volume of waste as the thing produced.

The absolute best way to eat sustainably is to grow your own, but we can’t all do that. The next best way is to get a veg box and shop at farmer’s markets. Also, Franklin’s Farm Shop on Lordship Lane buys veg and other things from local farms.  If you’re shopping at Sainsbury’s, look for the British food labeling, but be aware that it still may have a lot of food miles. One eco team member has a farmer friend in Wales whose carrots were grown in Wales, packaged in Peterborough, then sold in Wales. And please, please don’t buy asparagus flown in from Peru, it makes me cry.

Fossil fuels and food

Fossil fuels are used to grow and transport food. The idea is to minimize the amount used in the food you eat by buying from producers who farm sustainably (without huge amounts of chemicals) and who aren’t a long way away.  Here’s a more detailed explanation:

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.¹

By adding transportation, processing and packaging to the food system equation, the fossil fuel and energy use of our current food system puts tremendous stress on the environment. For example, between production and transportation, growing 10% more produce for local consumption in Iowa would result in an annual savings ranging from 280,000 to 346,000 gallons of fuel, and an annual reduction in CO2 emissions ranging from 6.7 to 7.9 million pounds.²

Food processors also use a large amount of paper and plastic packaging to keep fresh food from spoiling as it is transported and stored for long periods of time. This packaging is difficult or impossible to reuse or recycle. In addition, industrial farms are a major source of air and water pollution.

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.³

Peak Oil/Food Security

We talked a little bit about peak oil.  “Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline.” Many people think we have reached peak oil. This means that there will be fewer barrels of oil produced each year, and that we have to think about how to live, and grow food, with less oil. (The transition town concept is based on the twin pillars of peak oil and climate change – how to adjust our lifestyle for these conditions).

The best way to guarantee that we have reasonably priced, quality food is to grow it locally.  London, broadly speaking, can grow 30% of its food requirements.  In order to feed ourselves using less fossil fuel, we need to produce as much as we can, but we also need to partner with farms outside London. Ideally those farms would be on train lines into London. 

Waste less

“If we didn’t waste food, it would have the same carbon impact as taking 1 in 4 cars off the road”

-          http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

One eco team member talked about she shops.  On Saturday, she asks her kids what they want to eat that week, makes a shopping list, and keeps to the list. She shops once a week, and freezes perishables like meat so it doesn’t spoil.  In our house, I see what turns up in the veg box then plan meals around it. If you shop with a list, you’ll be less tempted to buy 2-for-1 bags of oranges if you can only eat 1 bag before they go off. 

Meal planning and shopping with a list takes a bit of organisation but will save you money and you’ll probably eat better.

Eat Vegetarian

“Going vegetarian is the easiest and quickest way to lower your carbon footprint, reduce pollution, and save energy and water. That's because meat production requires staggering amounts of land, water, and energy, compared to plant foods. “

• It takes 16kg of grain to produce 1kg of beef
• It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef
• Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more

For more info:

-          http://www.michaelbluejay.com/veg/environment.html

-         http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/09/how-to-win-an-argument-with-a-meat-eater.html

Grow your own

Food Up Front helps people get started growing their own veg at home. www.foodupfront.org

Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth

A running tap uses six litres of water per minute

Have a refreshing shower instead of a bath

This can save over 300 litres of water per week.
But be careful - a power shower can use more water than a bath!

Fit a Save-a-Flush device to your toilet cistern

A bag of harmless crystals which saves one litre of water per flush
 Order a free cistern device

Fully load your washing machine

A full load uses less water than two half loads

Keep a jug of water in the fridge

Then there is no need to run the water until it gets cold

Don't leave the tap running to clean dishes or vegetables

Use a bowl of water instead

Fix leaking taps

A dripping tap can waste 140 litres of water per week

Order a water butt

Collect rainwater to use on your plants and lawn saves litres
of treated tap water
 Order a discounted water butt

Use a bucket when you wash your car

This uses up to 125 litres less water than a hosepipe does

Water your garden in the early morning or late evening

Minimising evaporation from the soil

There is lots more good information on the Thames Water site: http://www.thameswater.co.uk

Borrow an electricity meter

Boil only as much water as needed

Turn off lights

Put in low energy bulbs

Get a veg box to eat locally and in season

Get milk delivered – no plastic bottles

Call catalogue companies to cancel delivery of them

Buy yogurt from Brixton Market in reusable glass containers

Install radiator panels

Have lambeth collect moth-eaten woolens for recycling

Install secondary glazing

Put cling film on windows

Compost using bokashi box

Buy veg and fruit without packaging

Share rides

Do the school run by bicycle

Commit to limiting air travel to one roundtrip a year

Put in a front door curtain

Switch to a renewable energy supplier

Update on milk delivery to your door.

Press release from the mayor's office:

Blue Peter gardener lends support for campaign to recruit young growers

London's primary school children are being encouraged to grow their own fruit and vegetables by the Mayor, Boris Johnson, through a new Capital Growth schools competition launched today (Thursday 21 January).

The Mayor has written to all 2300 plus primary schools in the capital urging them to create thriving food gardens. Schools with existing gardens will be encouraged to start growing food, expand their plots or start planting food from scratch. The competition has the support of Chris Collins, the Blue Peter gardener, who will visit one of the winning schools.

Judging London’s top school gardens will be Rosie Boycott, the chair of London Food, Peter Holman, CEO of London in Bloom, Katie Law from the Evening Standard and a representative of London Food Link, the charity that manage Capital Growth.

There are three categories: 'Bugs and Slugs' (a garden focused on biodiversity); 'Collect and Create' (a garden encouraging the reuse and recycling of 'waste' items); 'Climate Cool' (a garden designed to cope with a changing climate). The top food growing schools in each category will win a visit by a celebrity gardener, cash prizes of £500, plants and a wormery. There will also be prizes for 12 runners up including fruit and vegetable packs and gardening tools. The first 50 schools to register will receive a Spring sowing selection of organic seeds from Duchy Originals.

Boris Johnson, said: 'What better way to bring alive elements of the school curriculum than through hands - on experience in growing your own grub. There is much top notch work taking place by green fingered teachers and pupils across the capital already, which I salute. We want to help cultivate this growing appetite for locally grown food, reward the top performers and bring more schools into the Capital Growth fold. Whether tending plots in some paint pots or on the perimeter of a playing field, food growing in our schools will help make London a more pleasant place whilst giving our kids a lifelong skill.'

Rosie Boycott, who launched the competition by helping pupils from Ambler School in Finsbury Park plant their new garden, said: 'It has been shown that kids who grow their own go on to eat more healthily and appreciate good, nourishing food. Many kids in London don't know the magic of seeing a seed flourish into an item you can eat, or even the names of common vegetables. This is what we want to help schools conjure up to create a city of micro farms.'

Chris Collins, said: 'I've been fortunate enough to engage children in the fine art of gardening for a number of years now. It is a subject that comes naturally to them. Let’s take advantage of this and use the vehicles of growing food and the school environment to improve their lives, both in terms of the food they consume and their physical and spiritual well being.'

By entering the competition schools can help meet Capital Growth's target to create 2012 community food growing spaces by 2012. Schools will receive a welcome pack, access to curriculum links, lesson planners, volunteers, practical support and advice, help with getting discounts on gardening items and free materials plus opportunities to apply for small grants.

Capital Growth was launched in 2008 by Rosie and Mayor, Boris Johnson, to boost grow your own in the capital. Managed by London Food Link, part of Sustain, it now has more than 160 spaces already being cultivated across the capital in a diverse range of places including schools and canal banks, roofs, private gardens open to the community and parks.  Capital Growth is also working with large organisations such as Transport for London and British Waterways along with borough food growing programmes such as Edible Islington.

Prizes and support for the competition are being provided by London in Bloom (www.londoninbloom.co.uk); Garden Organic (www.gardenorganic.org.uk); the Royal Horticultural Society (www.rhs.org.uk); Fiskars (www.fiskarsgarden.co.uk) Wiggly Wigglers (www.wigglywigglers.co.uk); School Food Matters (www.schoolfoodmatters.com) and Rocket Gardens (www.rocketgardens.co.uk)

For more information or to register, visit: www.capitalgrowth.org/schools

Methodist Church Hall, Half Moon Lane, Herne Hil

The Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes will be there to talk about Copenhagen and next steps. Also: "The meeting will also hear from councillors from Lambeth and Southwark on what can be done at local level to make sure we do our bit to address the climate change problem."