The Best Guide for the West Somerset & Exmoor Area

TMA: Food & Cooking Aims

  FOOD GROWING

• Future need to feed people with local produce and to support local producers.
• Reduce Food Miles
• Return to mixed farming.
• More self sufficient rather than more imports.
• More people involved in food production e.g. allotments and backyard growing. ( Friends and family Allotment in Alcombe jointly set up and run by TMA and HH group - PCT and WSDC)
• Veg. Box schemes (Toucan runs one).

Lack of locally grown veg and arable crops.  Local meat production is sheep and beef.

"Bred local, fed local, dead local" Can slaughtering and butchering be done locally to reduce food miles?
Real cost of food from Farmers market versus Tescos?
Promote local food production and linkages between commercial and amateur producers and the public to reduce food miles.

Potential projects:
Garden share (brokering), Community Allotments, Seed and Plant swaps, WSCC Horticulture Unit .
Food co-op - commercial distribution, bulk buying to keep costs low and maintain quality.
Campaign for more allotments and for new homes to have growing space.

COOKING

Deskilling has happened - cooking is no longer taught in schools or by parents.
The Community College provides vocational training in food production and cooking (meals for the public on Wednesdays)

The local Healthy Community group (Health visitors, school nurses and volunteers) has promoted healthy food in all West.Somerset first schools and is running healthy cooking courses at the Children's Centre.

• Cooking should be taught to children from a very young age.
• Schools could develop classroom kitchens
• Promote seasonal and local food- Country market and Farmers Market on Fridays
• Reduce meat eating by encouraging Asian and other low meat cuisines. Courses at Adult learning?
• Also arrange foraging/eco cookery courses.

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