Food Group

FOOD is a significant aspect within the Transition move to a  low-carbon, more self-reliant community. According to the Soil Association, food accounts for nearly a third of our climate footprint.

The Food Group is developing ways to grow more food locally, to involve more people in growing food and to help them develop their capabilities, and to encourage local people to buy from our many and excellent local suppliers. Preparing and eating food is important – another area for skill development, and a way in which we ‘live’ what we believe: many Transition social events include us sharing food which we have sourced locally and prepared ourselves.

In this way, the supermarket-dominated food chain will become less desirable as well as less relevant.

OUR PROJECTS

TALKS AND INFORMATION
Over the last year we have organised a series of talks promoting the benefits and ease of ‘growing your own’. These have included talks on Food Security, Community Supported Agriculture, Composting, Bees, and Mushroom Cultivation, and training courses on Permaculture. This year has also seen visits to the Agroforestry Research Trust, Dartington, Devon, to the Community Supported Agriculture project in Stroud and to a local food producer, Bath Soft Cheese at Kelston..  

Following the success of our Apple Tree Pruning Workshops in 2009 and 2010, we plan to make this an annual activity.

We network and partner with other local groups to offer information and training: key partners are Bath Organic Group (BOG) and B&NES Allotments Association.  

GROWING
We are involved in promoting the Bath Area Garden Share project (with BOG and the Allotment Association), starting a small Food Cooperative, and the planting of a new Community Orchard in Bailbrook. We are working with the National Trust to plant a community nuttery.
 
Transition Bath held a Big Event in late 2009, which inspired our members to follow the example of Incredible Edible in Todmordon, and use guerrilla gardening approaches to initiate micro-sites for vegetable, fruit and herb growing on small patches of neglected land (see guerrilla gardening project).
 
FOOD: BUYING, COOKING AND EATING
We are gathering information about our local food producers and will be arranging a series of visits to some of them. 

The Food Group has also bought equipment for pressing and then preserving apple juice. Training to use this equpment, which is available for hire, is on the Events page.

THE FOOD GROUP welcomes people who want to join these activities, or who have other ideas and would like support in carrying them out. Contact us at food@transitonbath.org