Once again, WNW alumna Klaudia is here to share her endless knowledge on food sustainability! This week, she shines a light on the projects in and around Manchester that are doing great things to combat the social, economical and environmental impacts of food. Maybe you’ll be inspired to get involved!
The Trussel Trust experienced a 47% increase in the use of its food banks during the pandemic, while MPs recently voted down free school meals for students. The people are going hungry, while farmers leave fields full of veg to rot because Tesco thinks cabbages are too big or carrots too wonky. We grow enough food for everyone, so why are so many going hungry?
Clearly, something is wrong here, and we need large-scale structural changes in how our food is sold and distributed. In the meantime, here are some local projects around central Manchester that are reaching out a helping hand.
The Trussel Trust experienced a 47% increase in the use of its food banks during the pandemic, while MPs recently voted down free school meals for students. The people are going hungry, while farmers leave fields full of veg to rot because Tesco thinks cabbages are too big or carrots too wonky. We grow enough food for everyone, so why are so many going hungry?
Clearly, something is wrong here, and we need large-scale structural changes in how our food is sold and distributed. In the meantime, here are some local projects around central Manchester that are reaching out a helping hand.
Gleaning
Gleaning is the practice of going out to a farmer’s field and collecting surplus food that the farmer doesn’t sell. Tonnes of cabbage, kale and pumpkins have been saved from rotting in the fields in the past few months by our North-West gleaning crew and redristibuted between various Manchester organisations, including Milk and Honey Café, Manchester Central Foodbank and Fareshare. More hands are always welcome, so if you’d like to get involved, contact Tom at gleaning@wearemud.org.
Manchester Urban Diggers (MUD)
MUD are most known for the Platt Fields Market Garden, an organic community garden located in Platt Fields Park (near the skatepark). This spring, MUD launched a vegbox scheme which has been a great success, selling food grown on site as well as by other growers and makers in Manchester. Through the power of volunteers, the garden has transformed incredibly this year with more space acquired for food production and pollinator species.
Click HERE for more information on volunteering, vegboxes and other MUD projects.
Phacelia – an absolute pollinator magnet, and the leaves are edible too!
Sow the City
This organisation has been providing FREE webinars throughout the pandemic on all things related to growing (and I got to host two of them, yay!). Other than that, they run a variety of gardening volunteer sessions all throughout Manchester in order to encourage food growing in urban spaces.
Click HERE to find what webinars are coming up next and click HERE to find recordings of previous webinars.
Gaskell Garden Project
These guys are all about growing in ways that are efficient but also beneficial rather than harmful for the wider environment, following the principles of permaculture (which I would highly recommend to anyone interested in working with land). Currently located in Platt Fields Market Garden, they grow food for their Pay as you Feel Café, which offers three course vegan meals for the price of your choice. The group also collect surplus food from supermarkets, which they have been re-distributing during the pandemic. Although the PAYF Café is currently paused, follow GGP on Facebook for any updates.
Me (right) and a new friend making surplus food packages to be sent out later that day. This was after an herbal tea making workshop!
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