WELCOME TO THE NEW AND REVISED MAKING LOCAL FOOD WORK

NEWSLETTER - APRIL 2010

PEOPLE AND PLANET CONFERENCE 5th MAY 2010

We’re extremely looking forward to seeing everyone who has now secured a place at the Making Local Food
Work national conference – aimed at anyone interested in community food enterprises, taking place in
Manchester. Community food enterprises come in many different forms from farmers’ markets to community-
owned shops and community supported agricultural enterprises. The focus of this conference will be on
community food enterprises and their impact on the environment. This latest research will also be launched.
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk.

CALLING ALL BUDDING FARMERS!

A new BBC series wants to feature ten couples who would like the opportunity to change their lives forever
and run a farm. The programme will see the ten couples learn all the basics they need before decamping to a
farm in the beautiful British countryside where they will be challenged in all areas of farm life, from animal
husbandry to coping with the unpredictable summer weather. The series will culminate in the winning pair
getting the opportunity to live and work on their own small farm. The BBC is looking for couples of all ages
and relationships (married couples / siblings / friends etc.) who are serious about wanting to change their
lives and who will relish farm life. Whether it's a love of animals, a passion for gardening, an interest in
sustainability and food provenance or a general lust for all things outdoors, we want to hear from anyone who
thinks they've got what it takes to take on this lifestyle-transforming project. Please get in touch with Ishtar
Ujam by telephoning 0207 255 5401 or email him at IshtarUjam@splashmediatv.co.uk who is waiting to hear
from potential participants by 28th April 2010.

DEMAND FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE GROWS…

Chagford Community Agriculture is a small-scale CSA setting-up on a 3-acre field on the edge of Dartmoor
National Park. Just last month, they received planning permission from the National Park Authority for three
polytunnels and two sheds required for the scheme and are now eligible for £38,600 of funding from the
Local Food Grant programme. CCA already has 25 members from the local community ready to buy shares
in the first year of the scheme. Their plan is to supply weekly vegetable boxes to up to 50 local households
by 2012. CCA will be using a Dartmoor X Welsh Cob draught horse for as much of their cultivation as
possible, as well as delivering vegetable boxes to the village centre. Members are looking forward to their
first CSA delivery by June 2010. For further details on this visit: http://soilassociation.org/csa.
NEW CSA PROJECT STARTS IN GLOUCESTER
A New CSA in Thornbury is being started, between the local transition group and a Camphill community
which are care homes featuring biodynamic farms and where staff live with adults and children with
disabilities in a community with a strong shared binding philosophy concerning everything including finance,
diet and farming practice. Their main income comes from social services. Until now this established Camphill
Farm has supplied food for around 100 residents, but is now facing some financial threats and have been
advised to find another source of income which doesn’t have a commercial approach. The transition group on
the other hand has no land or farmer and a wealth of business experience and local networks. The Camphill
Farm will now extend its vegetable growing to feed an additional 100 families - using its own land and capital
for set-up costs. The transition group will develop a membership package and sign up people for a weekly
box and by paying the farmer's wage as of this July. For further details on this visit:
http://soilassociation.org/csa.

CALLING ON FOOD ENTERPRISES – GET PAID TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER!

Are you a community owned local food enterprise? Could you learn from visiting other enterprises? Would
you like other enterprises to visit you? The Plunkett Foundation, through Making Local Food Work is running
a fully funded study visits programme for community owned local food organisations to visit and learn from
each other. The programme is open to applications from 1st March 2010 for visits scheduled between April
2010 and March 2011. To Apply or find out more information, please visit
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/about/Enterprise_Support.cfm for an application form or call 01993
810730.

UK RESEARCH COMMUNITY UNITES TO ENSURE FUTURE FOOD SECURITY

The UK’s main public funders of food-related research and training in March joined to launch a new
programme aimed at meeting the challenge of providing the world’s growing population with a sustainable,
secure supply of good quality food using less land and fewer resources. The organisations will work together
through a new programme – Global Food Security – to coordinate and align their research interests. By
working together to develop strategy and identify shared goals the partners aim to harness the country’s
world-leading research base to help to deliver healthy, sustainable food for all.
Global Food Security will bring together the research interests of Research Councils UK, Executive Agencies
and Government Departments to deliver coordinated multidisciplinary research including agricultural
production, resource management, food economics, social sciences and nutrition.
http://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/news-events/releases/2010/100311-global-food-security-programme.html.
© Global Food Security
MARKET REPORT HELPS GET CASH FOR LOCAL FARMERS MARKET!
A Retail HealthCheck carried out as part of the support given by the Making Local Food Work project, has
helped Kent Farmers’ Market Association obtain a LEADER grant of £25k for promotion of farmers’ markets
throughout Kent. The Retail HealthCheck looks at the performance of a farmers’ market gathering data on
the number of people visiting, what customers think of the market as well as providing data on the economic
value to the local community. The check uses simple data gathering techniques that customers enjoy getting
involved with. Armed with the findings from the Retail HealthCheck report from Tunbridge Wells market Ben
Dent, and Bob Taylor, Directors of Kent Farmers’ Market Association, applied to LEADER for the funds. The
evidence in the report helped to support their case and the Directors were delighted when their application
was approved. Ben Dent, Chairman of the Kent Farmers’ Market Association commented about the Retail
HealthCheck. “This really impressed people. An independent, rigorous analysis that measures challenges,
backed up with evidence'. Read more at:
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/about/cfm/Check.cfm.
TRAINING AND EVENTS

FOR FOOD CO-OPS / BUYING GROUPS

Are you a local food buying group or co-op or somebody interested in connecting your community to food?
Then come along to the following event which will tell you how you can get more involved and to set-up your
own food buying co-op in your community - wherever you are on 28 April 2010, from 6pm – 8.30pm at BVSC,
138 Digbeth, Birmingham. (http://www.bvsc.org.) Booking is essential as places are limited so please contact
Pete Norton on 07974 447905 or email pete@sustainweb.org or Charlotte Muspratt on 0117 914 2453 or
email cmuspratt@soilassociation.org soon!

GOOD GOVERNANCE
The Co-operativesuk, good food, good governance team, as a partner in the Making Local Food Work
programme offers regional training workshops and bespoke training events. It also publishes good
governance publications including Simply Legal; it runs a dedicated telephone helpline and 1:1 advice for
governance and legal structures support, plus web resources and signposting. For more information, visit
http://www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk/governance or call Penny Claiden on 0161 246 2953.

The following workshops are full days from 10am to 4pm (including lunch) and are free for development
workers or anyone involved with a community food enterprise. Places are limited as the workshops are often
oversubscribed so please visit http://www.mlfw.co.uk/training to book your place or for more information.

SIMPLY GOVERNANCE
An overview of the structures, systems and processes concerned with running a sustainable community food
enterprise.
28th April – Northampton
24th June – Plymouth

SIMPLY LEGAL
All you need to know about legal forms and organisational types for community food enterprises - to tie in
with our new publication: Download your copy now!
23rd April - Manchester
26th May – Bristol
1st July – Oxford
28th July - Newcastle

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Learn the basic listening and communication skills to make yourselves and other people feel heard and
understood.
12th May - Manchester
MEMBERS, MEETINGS & DECISION MAKING
Workshops exploring the strategies for membership, meetings and decision-making.
16th June - Sheffield
24th June - Plymouth

STRICTLY BOARDROOM
Develop your knowledge and skills to ensure your governing body is more effective and accountable.
14th July – London