YOUR COMMUNITY GROUP
Name of group: Food 4 Macc Your mission?: We aim to engage the community to develop local food supplies using strategies from the Transition Town movement (a movement focused on grassroot community projects that promote self-sufficiency):
Encourage the growing of food at home, in allotments, on borrowed land, public spaces and local farms.
Support local food producers and those who sell or distribute local produce.
Raise awareness of the consequences of Peak Oil on our food prices.
Increase cooperation between groups working on different facets of the Climate Change and Peak Oil problems. What are the benefits of growing your own food?: Growing your own food is a good physical activity. You gain control over what goes into your food, it’s fresher and it can be eaten within minutes of harvesting. It’s also a life skill that can be passed on from parents or grandparents to children – who love planting things and watching them grow! Why is it important to buy local produce? Back in 2009, we were concerned about the fragility of the food supply chain, about the lack of certainty of where our food came from and how it was processed. We expected food prices to rise quickly as oil prices pushed up distribution costs, giving local food an economic advantage. The recession, and the increase in use of shale gas has kicked that problem further down the road, but we still believe it is important to help to keep our local food producers in business until we really need them. Tell us about Food 4 Macc’s community garden sessions?: They started out as demonstration areas – borrowing from the ideas of Incredible Edible Todmo Todmorden. den The They a are e valual able informal learning experiences where new gardeners can pick up tips from more experienced gardeners. Volunteers often bring surplus seeds from home to the garden working parties to swap. Then produce of the community gardens is shared among volunteers. What is the Garden Share scheme? With the increased interest in food growing, Macclesfield has a big waiting list for allotments. We are encouraging home owners with under used vegetable gardens to allow our members to cultivate them in return for a share of the produce. Find our more from our Garden Share coordinator, Bill Pettipiece via garden share@food4macc.org or 07710 878348. How does Food 4 Macc support the community? We set up fruit and veg gardens in schools. This year we’ve built raised beds at the leisure centre and donated £200 to HollinHey Primary’s gardening club. How can our readers get involved?: Become a member for £9 a year, get your hands dirty in our community gardens or, if you’re an experienced gardener, get in contact with us to share your knowledge. Donations (money, plants, fruit bushes, compost, etc) are always welcome and gratefully received. How can our readers find out more: Visit www.food4macc.org or email food4macc@ gmail.com. Search for @food4macc on Facebook.