Zoe Parker – Page 3

Have you heard of Giving Tuesday?

By Zoe Parker

Published 28th November 2024

If you find Black Friday and it’s no-holds barred, fight to the finish for the cheapest deal a drag – then Giving Tuesday might be the refreshing antidote you are looking for.

This year, over 4,400 UK charities, including Zest, the charity that host FoodWise Leeds, are participating in this meaningful event. We want to say thank you and express our gratitude to all supporters who help us create a fair community for everyone in Leeds. Zest empowers those facing disadvantages through people-led projects focused on hope and happiness.

You can support Zest projects by donating to our Just Giving.

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that promotes generosity and encourages acts of kindness. It highlights various ways to give, from volunteering time and donating money to raising awareness and opting out of spending. Here are some ideas for how people can enhance giving and promote equity in our communities in Leeds. You can find out more about the Giving Tuesday UK Campaign in this link.

text social change is a free effort
3 people at leeds cookery school part of zest wearing aprons and a pink jumper with cooking equipment

In this picture: Images 1 & 2 slogans courtesy of free images from GivingTuesdayUK. Image 3 courtesy of Zest Leeds website of Leeds Cookery School and Men’s Pie Club at Leeds Markets.

1. Support Local Community Initiatives ✨

There are loads of initiatives encouraging positive support of a range of communities. One excellent example, Mahogony Market. Founded in September 2020, Mahogany Market orchestrates events that showcase and create platforms for African and Caribbean culture. They connect the community with local independent businesses and there is a wide array of products and services. You can support local black-owned businesses by buying gifts at their next festive Mahogony Market on Dec 1 at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Also consider supporting Give-a-Gift a local grassroots organisation supporting the most vulnerable across Leeds. With support from volunteers and donations, they have supported over 2000 people with toys and emergency supplies. Other food aid across the city can be located on this brilliant new map.

2. Start a Community Garden and Cultivate Generosity 🕒

There are a whole host of global community garden initiatives and they don’t just cultivate land, they cultivate community and kindness too. Read more about this here. Below are some local community gardens. Examples in east, west, north and south of the city: Chapeltown, Killingbeck & Seacroft, Horsforth, Hunslet & Riverside and Incredible Edible Leeds, and a handy map to locate more good stuff here. More examples in this community garden directory.

3. Support Compost Collective Leeds🌿

Compost Collective Leeds is a city–wide community composting scheme revolutionising the reduction of food waste. Did you know 200 kilos of food waste is produced by the average Leeds household each year? And the good news is that 40% of this can be transformed into valuable free soil by being composted. Yet many homes aren’t suitable for home composting compost. Well. Compost Collective Leeds have the perfect solution.

What can you do to help build the compost revolution? Join, start or donate towards a new community composting scheme. Compost Collective is a city–wide community composting scheme that began as a pilot in 2022. Read more about our journey here.

Want more information? Click here.

Fancy watching something about Compost Collective? Click here

In this picture: close up images of the new compost bin build at Horsforth Community Composting Scheme (1) logo on side of bin (2)volunteers before it is built (3) tools and the bin lid being created (4) a person having a moment of rest with tools inn hand (5) wood parts being assembled.

4. Invest in your local community.🌍

Community Share offers are one example of ways you can support your local community by investing in them. Community Ownership allows local people to have control over spaces that are important to them and to use them in ways that meet the community’s needs. One current local example is Bramley Baths Share Offer Raise the Roof, where people in Bramley, Leeds and beyond can invest in a piece of local heritage, and the only remaining operational Edwardian pool in Leeds. More information here. Another national example is the Black Farmers Uk, who are a grassroots black-led food justice inititative in Croydon. You can donate in this link or sign their petition here. Another fun and festive themed scheme you can support is Rainbow Junktion‘s reverse Advent Calendar. For each day of december they have suggested items you can donate to build a donation package of 24 items to give to local people who need it, and for those looking for a cause to support more reguarly you can become a friend of Rainbow Junktion here.

tin of beans, pasta, packet of sweets, biscuits, crackers, cooking oil, tuna, tinned sweetcorn, crisps, tea, instant noodles, tinned tomatoes, tin of kidney beans, tinned meat, long life milk, sugar, box of cereal, dried lentils, rice, tinned sardines, pot noodle, instant coffee, toilet roll

In this picture: Reverse advent Calendar 2024 from Rainbow Junktion with 24 items you can donate.

5. Buy an Experience ✨

Another alternative to Black Friday deals and a way to take part in #GivingTuesday is buying an experience to share with loved ones – local foodie and cultural experiences include – Leeds Cookery School Vouchers or why not go see a theatre production such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at Leeds Playhouse and Leeds Food Tours run delicious tasting foodie tours which often includes a taste of the amazing chillis at the Chilli Shop right here in the heart of Leeds.

the lion witch and the wardrob 18 nov to 25 jan leeds playhouse image of a multi coloured lion

In this picture: Courtesy of Leeds Playhouse – a poster of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

6. Buy Nothing 🌿

What might be a refreshing change or flip of the coin, is to buy absolutely nothing. The Buy Nothing Project is a global network of community groups that encourage people to give, lend, and share items instead of buying new ones. The Buy Nothing Project was founded in 2013 by Rebecca Rockefeller and Liesl Clark in Bainbridge Island, Washington. It started as a Facebook campaign, but now also has a website and standalone app. The project has over 128,000 communities around the world. Features of the scheme include:

Giving: Members freely give or request items without obligations.

Sustainability: Rehoming items is eco-friendly compared to disposal.

Community: The project fosters trust and empathy among members.

Awareness: Highlights the negative effects of overconsumption and benefits of buying nothing to your mental health, bank balance and more.

To find out more or join up for FREE click this link.

7. Support Local 💚

When you buy local, you’re not just purchasing a product; you’re investing in a story. Each item at a local market has a history and a heart. The artisan who crafted that beautiful ceramic mug, the farmer who grew that squash in the field down the road. It helps build stronger communities, is more sustainable, and is often unique and high-quality products. Here is a list of some of the local artisan, Christmas and Farmers’ Markets coming up. You can also check out our map for some of the #goodfood initiatives happening across Leeds. From Little Veg Libraries to community gardens and farmers markets, find out what is happening locally.

It’s truly heartwarming to see the variety of ways we can connect with our local community and support one another. From organic veggie boxes, which include more affordable solidarity options to ensure everyone has access to fresh produce, to incredible dining experiences that celebrate locally sourced ingredients, there’s a genuine sense of care and community spirit in Leeds. And let’s not forget about the joy of fresh locally sourced organic meat, or the delight of picking out a locally grown Christmas tree. Each of these options not only brings quality into our lives but also supports our local farmers and artisans. It’s definitely worth exploring and supporting these wonderful local initiatives. Take a look at a few we have listed ( titles are click throughs): Eat Your Greens including their new greengrocers in the CITU: Climate Innovation District, Leeds Veg Box Passion 4 Plants Meanwood Valley Farm Kirkstall Valley Farm Swillington Farm and last, but not least The Swine That Dines. This is just a hint of the flavour of the #GoodFoodMovement in Leeds. You can find out more on our website here and we will be sharing more about the amazing work happening in Leeds soon!

Eat Your greens text over a photo of the restaurant eat your greens people tables

In this picture: Courtesy of Eat Your Greens website.

Support Compost Collective Leeds

By Zoe Parker

Published 25th November 2024

🌱 Compost Collective Leeds, is a city–wide community composting scheme revolutionising the reduction of food waste.

🌱 Did you know 200 kilos of food waste is produced by the average Leeds household each year? Yet 40% of this can be transformed into valuable free soil by being composted?

🌱 IMPORTANTLY not everyone can compost in their homes, and community composting is the solution.

What can you do to help build the compost revolution?

Why not ‘Pay it Forward’ and donate this Black Friday?

Inspired by the best and brightest from across the UK, we’ve designed a city-wide community composting system that already has 9 successful composting schemes sprinkled across the city.

In these images: (1) Compost Collective Hunslet bin with 3 people (2) Compost Collective Chapeltown with 4 people smiling holding caddies (3) 6 people at Compost Collective Horsforth at Drury Fields (4) Four children walking towards a compost bin

If you ‘Pay it Forward’ this Christmas, more communities across Leeds can compost their food waste.

How your donation helps:

💚£10 pays for one compost caddy for volunteers

💚£30 pays for the eco-stain to weatherproof the bins

💚£50 pays for 1 hour compost training for up to 12 volunteers

💚£75 pays for stencils and info panels for the bins

💚£150 pays for all the equipment you need to make one community composting bin

💚£900 pays for all the equipment you need for a full Compost Collective scheme for your community! With your help we can build a greener, climate-friendly Leeds.

Send your donation to: https://www.justgiving.com/zesthealthforlife

More about Compost Collective here: https://foodwiseleeds.org/community-composting-success

You tube playlist for short videos about Compost Collective schemes and Community Composting in Leeds

Community Composting Success

By Zoe Parker

Published 13th November 2024

Compost Collective Leeds is at it again, spinning straw into gold— or rather, food scraps into fertile soil!

Compost Collective Leeds, set up with communities, is a city-wide community composting project that transformed the way communities work together to put food waste to good use. With the support of FoodWise Leeds, 9 sites were set up creating thriving local community composting schemes across the city. Here’s more about individual schemes.

Compost Collective Hunslet & Riverside is a community composting scheme have filled their first compost bin, and are thrilled to be starting their second. You can join the scheme if you live locally by contacting Friends of Hunslet Moor on their facebook group. Meanwhile, Compost Collective Gipton, based at the Old Fire Station in Gipton, are enjoying their very first batch of soil. This is really exciting as their is a community garden and lots of use for free good quality soil.

The two newest sites are at Feel Good Factor in Chapeltown and and Drury Fields in Horsforth and both are remarkable.

You can read more about the successes of community composting in Horsforth by clicking this link or check out this little film about Horsforth Compost Collective building a compost bin by clicking this link. Or watch this film about Feel Good Factor’s Compost Collective Chapeltown in this link.

If you would like support to set up a community composting scheme, or are interested in joining one of the already thriving schemes, contact Annie Whitehead for more information.

🌱 Thanks for reading! We’ll leave you with a picture of a community composting scheme member and their rather fabulous canine friends.

What’s Cooking in Leeds this Autumn?

By Zoe Parker

Published 14th October 2024

Temperatures may be falling, but Leeds is cooking up a storm this Autumn. Here’s a taste of what’s on offer.

three pumpkins carved on a leafy grass outside area

Compass Festival 2024 – bringing a signature flavour this Autumn Season

If Leeds was a Sauce, what might it taste like? Find out with Leeds Sauce a week of events from 1-8 November. From locally harvested rhubarb, rose petals and local beer, join the Popeye Collective in collaboration with the people of Leeds. The events will encourage conversations over food as a catalyst for new culture, inspired by plant-based food systems. Take a look at the full programme of Compass Festival 2024 which runs across between Leeds from 1–30 November 2024.

Also part of the festival is Leeds’ Low Carbon China Town. This two-week installation at Kirkgate Market showcases an experimental food farm and data pop-up store, in collaboration with UK-based East and Southeast Asian migrant communities and the architect-artist Ling Tan. Visitors are invited to explore a myriad of sustainable ingredients, cooking techniques and food sources that, in combination, still retain a core essence of Chinese food culture. They’ll be housing locally grown ingredients that will be used in a not-to-be -missed one off Supper Club hosted by Leeds Cookery School at Kirkgate Market on Friday 15 November, 6.30–8.30pm.

Apple Feast – a celebration of many flavours!

If cooking is more your passion, why not join Fruit Works Co-operative at LILAC in Bramley for a celebration of the many things you can eat with apples? This free event is inspired by the “The Flavour Thesaurus” books by Niki Segnit which highlights 56 ingredients that pair well with apples! All they ask is that you prepare a dish featuring one of the flavors they list. More info and sign up here.

Let your Inner Child Loose to Play this Autumn!

Festival of Play and Creativity festival brings you a collection of events happening across the city. It is a chance to celebrate Leeds as a place that knows how to Play, happening 25 Oct to 3 Nov 2024. From spooky crafts and putrefying potions, to Coco Rave‘s and a spooky splash with BoomChikkaBoom at Bramley Baths. Read about all the playful happenings here.

Market Scavenger Hunt Cooking Experience

Embark on a foodie adventure through Europe’s biggest indoor market with Leeds Cookery School! This is an experience like no other. First you will be treated to a food tour around Kirkgate, gathering ingredients from the market stalls, from local bakeries to fresh seafood. Next, you get to bring your spoils back to Leeds Cookery School and take part in a cooking competition – winner gets a bag of goodies! The Market Scavenger Hunt Cooking Experience is running at Leeds Cookery School in Kirkgate Market on October 26th 2024.

As the night falls, get wrapped up and experience the city in illuminated splendour. Leeds Light Night returns this year with all sorts of delights to add a glow this Autumn. Our pick is NocturnHog: The Enchanted Wanderer. A seldom seen hedgehog emerges from the shadows, now large and illuminated for all to see. Taking up residence in Leeds City Bus Station, its intricate details are captivating. Light Night Leeds 2024 is happening across the city from Thu 24 Oct 2024 – Fri 25 Oct 2024.

Just a small selection of the delights on offer this Autumn. So wrap up warm and enjoy the flavours of the city.

Feed Leeds’ Get Growing Leeds

By Zoe Parker

Published 24th September 2024

Call out for your Growing Stories and Photos 🌱🌱🌱

In more #GoodFoodStories, there is a Feed Leeds’ Get Growing Leeds project has been an enormous success with over 300 seedlings handed out and over 24 events across Leeds. We are celebrating what people have grown. We’d love you to send us any photos of the veg you grew.

We’d love to hear you if you came to an event, took home some seedlings or ran an event.

🌾 What did you grow and how did that go?

🌾 What are you planning on growing next year?

🌾 Any recipe recommendations you used things you grew in?

🌾 Send us recommendations, top tips or other growing stories.

📷👉Could you send us photos of what you have grown from the free seeds / seedlings.

We would love you to share your stories and photos with us. Huge thanks to those of you who already have. Send via email to Zoe: zoe.parker@zestleeds.org.uk

Not heard of Get Growing Leeds? Read more here. Want to know more about Feed Leeds other projects like Little Veg Libraries Sow a Row Xtra or Good Food Awards?

500 Food Actions for a Slice of Silver

By Zoe Parker

Published 18th July 2024

As FoodWise Leeds, we work with people from across the city to deliver the Leeds Food Strategy. In 2019, Leeds was awarded a Bronze Award from Sustainable Food Places (SFP). More about these awards here. Our aim is for Leeds to achieve the Silver Award and eventually the Gold.

But we can’t do it without you.

The next step in achieving these aims, is to reach our target of 500 Individual Good Food Actions.

Will you help us do that?

By telling us about the good food actions you are taking, we can know the impact we are making collectively as a city. Whether you are reducing food waste, eating healthier food or learning how to grow your own veg, every action matters.

And we want to know about your actions.

Every Action Counts and gets us one step closer to our goal.

As an example of how simple it is to get started, I thought I’d share my own food story.

I stumbled upon FoodWise Leeds about a year back during an event at Leftbank Leeds. At the time, I was intrigued and perhaps a little daunted by the idea of growing my own veggies, and so I decided to attend a workshop organized by Feed Leeds. At that point, I had just about been able to keep all my indoor plants alive for a whole year (and I was pretty excited about that!)

The workshop turned out to be a game-changer for me. I was really inspired by Feed Leeds. It was such a large network of growers across the city and they introduced to us some brilliant ideas: like ‘Little Veg Libraries’ and #SowaRowXtra – simple schemes that I thought had the potential to really help new growers like me get growing. I left that session with two free tomato plants and enough growing ‘know how’ to get me started. And that was just the beginning of my food journey.

Now I grow my own salad veg, and herbs, as well as climbing roses that the bees absolutely adore. This all grows in pots and old tyres in what was an ugly unused area in a communal concrete yard. A real transformation with very little effort – now the space is peaceful, pretty and a nice place to sit and watch nature.

I‘ve taken many more actions since that first tomato plant: like eating more fresh and locally sourced veg, wasting less food by using it up in home-made soups; and switching to locally made compost. I’m now beginning my own bokashi composting system and am considering community composting to turn my food waste into nutrient-rich soil for the local area. I could never have predicted a year ago where one free workshop would lead.

You can help us reach our target of 500 by telling us about the actions you are taking and encouraging others to take action. We’d also love for any organisations or food businesses to join us in taking action too! For more examples of what we’re looking for, take a look at our Take Action pages for individuals, organisations and food businesses.

Together we can create a healthy, sustainable and fairer food system for everyone in Leeds.

New Chair of the FoodWise Advisory Group

By Zoe Parker

Published 4th July 2024

We are absolutely delighted to introduce our new Advisory Group Chair, Juli Thompson. With her extensive background as a seasoned Chief Executive Officer at Inn Churches in Bradford and lead for the Food Savers Network, she is poised to bring a wealth of knowledge and a unique outlook to propel us towards success.

“I am thrilled and honoured to step into the role of chair for FoodWise Leeds. Our city has made remarkable strides in creating a more sustainable and equitable food system, as evidenced by our bronze award from Sustainable Food Places in 2019. However, I believe we have only scratched the surface of our potential.

As chair, I am excited to build on our strong foundation and lead our diverse coalition of partners towards our silver and even gold award goals. I’m particularly passionate about advancing our six focus areas outlined in the Leeds Food Action Plan. From improving food governance to promoting planet-friendly food choices, each aspect of our mission is crucial in transforming Leeds into a model food city.

This is a wonderful opportunity to bring together people from all walks of life – from local businesses and government officials to community organisations and individual citizens – in our shared vision of a healthy, sustainable, and fair food system for everyone in Leeds. Together, we can cultivate a thriving food culture that nourishes our community, supports our local economy, and protects our environment.

I look forward to championing FoodWise Leeds’ initiatives, inspiring more individuals and organizations to become FoodWise, and showcasing our city’s innovative approach to food sustainability on a national and global stage. Let’s make Leeds a shining example of what a truly food-wise city can achieve!” I like our chances.

Juli chairing our Advisory Group meeting at Rethink Leeds

Community Composting in Horsforth

By Zoe Parker

Published 1st July 2024

Want to know more about Community Composting?

We are offering FREE training 11 July at 7pm at St Margarets Church in Horsforth for community composters at Drury Field, the latest Compost Collective being set up in Horsforth.

DATE: THURS 11 JULY 2024

TIME: 7pm – 8.30pm

Why Join?

Did you know 200 kilos of food waste is produced by the average Leeds household each year and that about 40% of that is suitable for composting?

If you join our community compost collective you will:

Learn new skills, get a free caddy, receive free compost
Learn composting basics, share knowledge, get support.
Divert your food waste from RERF (Leeds Recycling & Energy Recovery Facility)and be taking positive climate action.

WANT MORE INFO?

Find out about Inspirations Nursery who have set up a ‘Community Composting’ site already in Horsforth to inspire children about the importance of composting. Read more: here

Not in Horsforth but want to get involved in composting? We have 6 other collectives across the city. Find out more about Compost Collective Leeds: here

Drury Field is part of Horsforth Compost Collective and Horsforth Climate Action Hub. Find out more about your local climate action hub: here

drury field in horsforth four people and a pran by aroad in residential street

GET IN TOUCH

Email: Annie.Whitehead@zestleeds.org.uk or if you prefer give Annie a call on 07713 647770

Google Maps Link

You can also locate the site on the app what3words: menu.branch.bless

Feel free to download the poster to share.

Eat ‘Just One More’

By Zoe Parker

Published 17th June 2024

Just One More is a local campaign to encourage people across Leeds to eat ‘Just One More’ portion of vegetables every day. It has been running successfully for the past 3 years and will be popping up throughout 2025 and back in May 2026.

Why is it needed?

Almost half of the adults in Leeds eat fewer than five portions of fruit or vegetables per day. When good food is hard to afford and access, our health and wellbeing suffers. By encouraging more people in Leeds to eat a healthy, nutritious diet that aligns with the NHS recommended EatWell guidelines, we can help improve their health and wellbeing. And because diets that are good for us tend to be better for the planet too, doing so will accelerate our journey to become a net zero city.

Why eat more veg?

Studies have shown that increasing vegetable consumption can lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Vegetables are rich in essential nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that support overall health and immune function. More veggies in your diet has also been linked to improved mood and performance at work and in study as well as improved weight management.

Choosing locally sourced and organic vegetables also has a positive impact on the environment with plant-based foods having lower carbon emissions, reduced emissions to transport goods, as well as supporting the local economy.

3 images beans and lentils nutrient ricj cheap and good for the planet a man with veg behind 3 ppl growing food in a community garden

A Thank You

Thanks to all of you who have got involved already, sharing posters at work, taking part in activities and commenting. Below two of the top veg tips and comments shared on social media.

“Love baked beans. They pack a mighty nutritional pinch for very little money. We surveyed yum pantry users a few months back about baked beans and they said the best brand by far was Bransons. ”

“Keep frozen vegetables on hand for quick additions to any dish & what about puree cooked vegetables like cauliflower or sweet potatoes to create creamy base for soups without adding dairy or tomatoes, peppers, carrots & spinach into pasta sauces, curries, or gravies. #justonemore“

“Just canvassed the team and we’re loving chickpeas. They’re a great addition to soups stews salads sandwiches you name it & a great vegetarian protein source. And if you like chickpeas, you’re going to love roasted chickpeas…try it! Drizzle, roast, eat, repeat.”

Why not get involved in the campaign by running your own work Veg Bingo, share pics of what veg you are eating, or simply get involved in the conversation on social media.

Want to know more?

We have loads of brilliant resources on the our website under Just one More. Follow our Instagram and facebook for some brilliant vegtastic food reels: from pickled cabbage (Sauerkraut) to more masterful culinary delights packed full of veg. You can also check out recipes on our website.

Some further useful resources, campaigns and research articles below. Click each heading for further information.

Food Foundation / Peas Please – research and statistics about veg consumption and it’s impacts. Peas Please campaign did impactful work to improve veg consumption nationally.

Eat them to defeat them Eat Them To Defeat Them is the award-winning campaign from Veg Power and ITV that gets kids eating more veg. This website is packed full of fun, expert advice and useful resources to help schools, caterers and families to get their children eating more veg.

Leeds Food Strategy The Leeds Food Strategy sets out our vision for the future of how we produce, consume, and dispose of food across Leeds. At the heart of this strategy is a vision for Leeds to have a vibrant food economy where everyone can access local, healthy, and affordable food that is produced in ways that improve our natural environment and embrace innovation.

Healthy Start The Healthy Start scheme helps families on low incomes to buy fruit, vegetables and milk (with vouchers). In Leeds, we aim to ensure all families have access to healthy and affordable food.

Prashad Yorkshire’s only Michelin Bib Gourmand & 2 AA Rosette awarded restaurant. Gujarati & vegetarian menu. Convert a Carnivore is a recent campaign challenging meat eaters not to love a free meal of vegetarian Indian Cuisine

Get Growing Leeds

By Zoe Parker

Published 22nd April 2024

As part of our #GoodNewsStories, we wanted to share that Feed Leeds is launching #GetGrowingLeeds for 2024. Feed Leeds, is a sustainable food growing network dedicated to promoting sustainable food practices and has been hosting the #SowARowXtra campaign annually since 2021.

The campaign aims to inspire individuals with food growing skills to cultivate extra seedlings to share with others. These seedlings can be distributed among friends, neighbours, or through a network of Little Veg Libraries ( LVL), dropped off at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm or at Oakwood Market Garden.

Previously, in collaboration with Season Well, Feed Leeds organised workshops to assist those new to gardening or lacking access to growing spaces and resources. These workshops were well-received, with participants expressing enthusiasm and eagerness to begin their own growing projects. The initiative has not only fostered a sense of community and has helped individuals develop valuable skills in sustainable food production.

This year we wanted to grow the campaign by providing edible seedlings to more groups. We are doing this by linking up with existing community food growing events to provide seedlings, raise awareness of the importance of food growing and to celebrate the amazing community food growing projects across the city.

Growing your own food has so many benefits. Firstly, it benefits your health. Growing your own vegetables not only provides you with fresh, organic produce, it also gives you more control over the growing process, ensuring that no harmful chemicals or pesticides are used. This results in healthier and more nutritious vegetables that are free from harmful residues. Additionally, gardening can be a great form of physical activity, helping you stay active and reduce stress levels. The act of tending to your garden can also improve mental well-being and provide a sense of accomplishment. Furthermore, consuming freshly picked vegetables can lead to a higher intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are essential for overall health. Overall, growing your own vegetables can contribute to a healthier lifestyle and improve your overall well-being.

It helps create a sense of connection with the natural world around us. It offers opportunities for people to share skills and knowledge and to meet new people whilst becoming part of new growing communities. It helps us connect with the origins of food and increases access to affordable, healthy produce. Additionally, engaging in practical climate action through growing food can help us appreciate the value of food and reduce waste. By creating compost from food scraps, we can also contribute to good soil health.

Join the movement, reap the benefits, share your skills and expertise and ‘Lets #GetGrowingLeeds!’

You can share this image and this article with your friends and communities who may be interested in getting involved. Get out for latest updates for this and other projects by subscribing to our newsletter or this website.

Film Screening: Six Inches of Soil

By Zoe Parker

Published 19th April 2024

FoodWise Leeds and Feed Leeds are collaborating to present a special screening of the documentary film “Six Inches of Soil” – a story of courage, vision and hope.

This film showcases the incredible journey of British farmers who have taken a stand against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food. Through their innovative practices, they are to healing the soil, benefitting our health and providing for local communities. The screening will be held at HEART on Friday, May 10, with doors opening at 6pm. The film will start at 6:30pm, followed by a panel discussion where attendees can engage with experts and discuss the important themes presented in the documentary and how we can do things differently here in Leeds. This is an opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture practices and be inspired by the positive impact farmers can have on our food system.

Six Inches of Soil follows three new farmers on the first year of their regenerative journey – Anna Jackson, a Lincolnshire 11th generation arable and sheep farmer; Adrienne Gordon, a Cambridgeshire small-scale vegetable farmer; and Ben Thomas, who rears pasture-fed beef cattle in Cornwall. As the trio strive to adopt regenerative practices and create viable businesses, they meet seasoned mentors who help them on their journey. They’re joined by other experts providing wisdom and solutions from a growing movement of people who are dedicated to changing the trajectory for food, farming and the planet. Find out more about this incredible film and dig deeper into it’s impact here.

Sonja Woodcock, FoodWise Leeds says:

“We are really excited to showing this film and engaging in conversation about how food is grown and produced in Britain. It is so important that we shift towards more regenerative, agroecological practices to ensure a more resilient food system. We look forward to welcoming you to watch this important film and engage in conversation about how we can do food and farming better here in Leeds and the surrounding area.”

Book Your Free Ticket – We are asking for a £9 donation on the door which you can pay via a QR Code using a card or you can bring cash. All profits will be split between the film makers and the charity Zest Leeds.

You can scan this QR code or click the link below to make your donation: https://apiv1.voilo.co.uk/r_Ukye7dsnv

Trailer for Six Inches of Soil

From Coops to Bulk Buy

By Zoe Parker

Published 4th April 2024

Good News story about new models for emergency provision. This article shared via Sustainable Food Places was written by Andrea Gibbons, and shared as part of our #GoodFoodStories series.

Seventy people from within and outside our network of existing Sustainable Food Places members recently joined us for a pop-up webinar entitled From Co-Ops to Bulk Purchasing: Models for Emergency Food Provision. It was inspired by the wealth of thoughts and responses to a simple question posed to the network email forum by their coordinator, and our very own Sonja Woodcock of FoodWise Leeds. Her question:

“I’m keen to know what areas have food buying co-ops in place to support food purchasing for food aid provision? I’m surprised at how much food is currently being bought in Leeds and am interested in how a food buying co-op might work. Any insights would be welcome. I’m particularly keen to know how small food aid providers could be included.”

A similar and parallel discussion was simultaneously being had within one of the Soil Association’s My Food Community programme cohorts, led by Hull Food Partnership coordinator Darren Squires. They therefore teamed up to create a joint panel discussion on this topic.

Our session opened with thoughts on how and why coops and bulk purchasing are of value in supporting access to food through; consistency, quality, autonomy, control, empowerment, and cost control. The ensuing discussion touched upon, not only, food coops and the mechanisms of bulk-buying, but we also discussed; mobile food vans, the potential of social supermarkets, issues surrounding combining purchased and surplus foods, and how to tackle supply chain issues in urban and rural settings.

Our speakers were:

- Kelly Fritzsche – Co-op Food Project Manager for Plymouth on their experience, including the model and mechanics of Food Co-ops and the roles within them, and their many benefits.
- Ian Smith – Food Plymouth Core Enabling Team and CIC on their journey as a food partnership working on food access and insecurity towards food co-ops and social supermarkets, and the multiple cooperative connections and partnerships emerging from this work
- Anna Route, development officer for Hull Food Partnership talked about their work with the council to optimise the spending of the Household Support Fund by accessing the council’s dynamic procurement bulk purchasing account with Turner Price to buy food for distribution among their network of foodbanks and pantries
- Robert Garland, Bassetlaw Food Bank on their mobile van community shop, which provides access to rural communities to affordable food cupboard staples, fresh produce, and a range of toiletries and cleaning products.

The audience also brought a large amount of expertise to enrich the discussion, they included insights from:

- John Westwood of Baobab Bach; with their network of food pantries and mobile van in the Southern Welsh valleys
- Mary Vickers, community food coordinator for North East Lincolnshire, on their transition from foodbank to food pantry.

This conversation will continue as WE with Sustainable Food Places work towards food justice and access for all in our communities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4hHYEDQY_8&t=4s

Watch more here on Sustainable Food Places youtube channel.

In this webinar : three different models for sourcing food 1) Co-operatives, 2) group purchasing and 3) small-scale bulk purchasing. Find out what is involved when you move from receiving donations to making purchases. Chaired by Sonja Woodcock from FoodWise Leeds and Darren Squires from Hull Food Partnership, the panel will include: • Ian Smith: Food Plymouth • Kelly Fritzsche: Food Co-ops Plymouth • Robert Garland: Bassetlaw Food Bank • Anna Route: Hull Food Partnership