February 2, 2010
Nourishing times ahead
Last year we reported on Scotland’s first gathering in Dunbar of groups and individuals with a shared passion for local food – be that growing, selling or just plain eating it. Since then a small group have been working up proposals to launch a new national network which aims to build on all the enthusiasm from the first gathering. NOURISH – Scotland’s sustainable food network is about to be launched
Calling all local food enthusiasts: Nourish – Scotland’s sustainable food network
Stirling on February 26th and 27th.
Since the recent local food gathering at Dunbar in October 2009, a temporary steering group has been working to take forward the consensus that there should be a national network linking people and organisations with an interest in sustainable food. The network is called: Nourish – Scotland’ sustainable food network.
Nourish is open to all who are actively growing, selling and eating locally produced food in Scotland – be they farmers, gardeners, Transition food groups, local markets, chefs, artisan pie-makers or just keen eaters of good local food.
The network will be a source of knowledge and encouragement for members but additionally will be able to consult and engage with its members to inform and contribute to food policy as this is being developed at local and national level in Scotland. For Nourish to have a voice and be a force for change, we need you to come and join us.
Our first public meeting will be in Stirling on February 26th and 27th.
On Friday the 26th there will be an informal programme of visits and discussions in the afternoon, followed by a meal in the evening.
On Saturday the 27th we will be discussing both how to strengthen our local food culture in Scotland and how to organise the network effectively.
Nourish is interested in all aspects of sustainable food production, distribution and consumption in Scotland, and the workshop topics include:
• Skills and jobs – who will grow, cook and sell our local food?
• Connecting consumers and producers – sourcing, labelling, distribution, co-operation
• Social justice – how does local food address inequality and food poverty
• Modelling a low carbon resilient local food system
The full programme for the event will be circulated shortly. We are very keen that this process should be truly collaborative and democratic, so please come along and share your views, energy and enthusiasm, to make sure that we collectively build a network that can help us share our good practice, speak on our behalf to government, and make real our vision of a robust, localised food infrastructure for Scotland.
We hope you can come and join us and help make Nourish work.
If you would like to book a place at this event, please contact:
Lesley McLaren
Falkland Centre for Stewardship
The Stables
Falkland
Fife
KY15 7AF
01337 858838
lesley@centreforstewardship. org.uk
Support for travel expenses and overnight accommodation is available from TSS, so please don’t let finances stop you from coming along.
Please pass this email invite onto anyone you think should know about this new network.
With best wishes,
The Nourish temporary steering group:
Alan Brown Linlithgow Climate Challenge
Eva Schonveld Transition Scotland Support
Eleanor Logan Soil Association Scotland
Jane Gray Lets Live Local, Moffat
Jim Mullen Larderbytes
Jo Hunt Highland Local Food Network
Mike Small Fife Diet
Pete Ritchie One Planet Food
Ron Gilchrist Greenway Consulting
Shelagh Young Sustainable Development Commission