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The Fringe...
...the Festival
Martin Rowson
News in Brief
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Park Life
News in Brief
Dissent
Tapas Time
Back to the Fringe
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Royal Bengal
Handy Contacts
Summertime Blues
Summery Justice
Up the Junction
Books/Poetry
The Factory
Summer Allergies
Farmers Market
The Arts
Away Days
A Royal Visit
Coffee Corner
Surfing N16
Man in North Bank
XWord
View from the Lane

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p26

Ripple Farm Organics selling vegetables

A quiet revolution is taking place in Stoke Newinmgton, thanks to the vision and energy of the group of people who formed Growing Communities and established the Stoke Newington Farmers Market. Organic produce from farms within a seventy-mile radius, including vegetables from Growing Communities’ three Stoke Newington projects, are now on sale at the Saturday Farmers Market at the Old Fire Station.

Growing Communities believe it is important to buy local food. The transportation of food by lorry over long distances is a major source of the emission of greenhouse gases and leads to increased air pollution. The flavour of fruit and vegetables ceases to be a priority as farmers both here and abroad are obliged to place an emphasis on the production of varieties that stand up well to refrigerated long-distance transport.

Organic farming protects the soil and wildlife as well as helping rural communities by encouraging local employment, and we can through our local farmers markets talk directly to the farmers and producers about the produce we buy from them.

Growing Communities aim is to create organic gardens out of derelict and underused sites in partnership with the local community and supply local people with weekly bags of fresh organic fruit and vegetables. The neighbourhood foodgrowing project has already transformed a one-time rubbish dump and two scrubby gardens into flourishing vegetable plots. All three sites at Oaktree, Springfield and Clissold park have regular volunteers tending vegetables and contributing to the box scheme that presently supplies over 100 households in Hackney with organic fruit and vegetables.

Within three years the operation has moved from a chilly garage to an office in the heart of Hackney, during which time it has received the support of the New Opportunities Fund Seed Programme, the Esmee Fairburn Trust and the Bridge House Estates Trust.

Co-ordinator Julie Brown says ‘We are currently reliant on external funding but we want to move to being fully sustainable by enlarging a scheme that will eventually provide jobs, enhance the environment, bring organic food to more people, and offer inner-city Londoners the health benefits of gardening. We are currently working with the unemployed, schools and refugee groups. To make newcomers welcome we have a regular timetable for site visits, a welcome pack, induction sessions, and have a classroom at Oaktree and organised childcare to give parents of young children the chance to get involved’.

The Stoke Newington Farmers Market is Growing Communities’ latest venture. They want to keep the transportation of food to a minimum and for more people to find out where their food comes from and maximise the personal links with those who grow our food. The team has worked for over a year to find local organic farmers in Oxfordshire, Kent and Essex and encourage them to come to Stoke Newington.

Three-quarters of all organic food in the UK is imported. At the same time supermarkets have increased their hold on organic food sales to 80% of the market. There are dangers for farmers, the environment and customers if supermarkets control too large a share of the market. If we buy directly from our local farmers markets, the profits will go directly to the producers and we will ensure a greater variety of seasonal produce with greater flavour and make our contribution to the environment.

The Farmers Market is open every Saturday from 10am-2.30pm at the Old Fire Station, 61 Leswin Road off Brooke Road, close to the High Street.

For further information contact Growing Communities
on 020 7502 7588 or www.growingcommunities.org

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