The first Sunday Community Market has been judged a great success by stallholders and customers alike. Several stalls completely sold out of their home-made bread, pies and Indian food by lunch-time! There was also locally produced meat, mushrooms, ice-cream, blended teas, bedding plants, craftsmen and women, as well as a team of flag-makers. Most stallholders were happy with their takings and promised to be back at the next market on Sunday 5th August.

Fee's bee's came for a day out to Marlbough in a closed hive, much to the interest of their many customers. Her bees collect nectar from flowering plants that are growing on nearby organic farms. The honey is processed naturally, without using heat and tastes delicious. 

The cheese lady came all the way from Glastonbury: Green’s have been making cheese for four generations on the Somerset levels in the small village of West Pennard within site of the legendary Glastonbury Tor. They make Cheddar, Double Gloucester and goats cheese.

Hiro and his family grow their vegetables using the Shumei Natural Farming method, which involves planting carefully selected seed, without any inputs at all. These vegetables are grown on part of Yatesbury Biodynamic Farm, near Calne.

A huge 'thank you' to Ellie for working so hard to make it such a success.

Nine meals from anarchy

The protestors’ blockade of fuel refineries and distribution depots which brought the country to a near standstill in 2000 revealed just how vulnerable reliance on a few very large chain retailers has left our local economies and communities. The fragile foundation of our over-reliance on oil and highly centralised distribution systems lay starkly exposed. Another three days of protests, supermarket bosses claimed, would have left their shelves empty. We were, in effect, only nine meals from anarchy.

To read more, go to http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/food/supermarkets.aspx

Venue:  Trinity Hall, St Laurence School, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon BA15 1DZ 

Time:  7:30pm             Date:  Monday 16 April 2012

All welcome.  It is free to attend, but they will be asking for donations on the evening to help cover the cost of this venue.

Speakers:  Helen Browning, Director of the Soil Association and Toby Quantrill, Head of Public Policy, Fairtrade Foundation

Helen Browning was appointed director of the Soil Association in 2009 and also has her own farm in north Wiltshire run, obviously, fully organically.  Helen and her family also run The Royal Oak pub, situated on the farm.  Out of about 450 restaurants, hotels and pubs, the Sustainable Restaurant Association has awarded The Royal Oak Three Gold Stars for its sustainable practices joining only three other establishments in the country in the top bracket of the SRA's league table, so Helen brings an extraordinary breadth of knowledge to the subject of the evening. 

Toby Quantrill joined the Fairtrade Foundation in June 2009 as Head of Public Policy.  The Public Policy Team aims to create wider social change, in pursuit of Fair Trade principles, through supporting and leading advocacy in a number of key areas, including trade justice, sustainable consumption, climate change and public procurement.

THIS RE-LAUNCH HAS MOVED TO THE SCIENCE

FAIR THAT WILL BE HELD AT ST JOHNS SCHOOL ON

SATURDAY 17TH MARCH, BETWEEN 11AM AND 3PM -

SEE YOU THERE!

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

This year's Fairtrade Fortnight is 27 February - 11 March.  Why not take the opportunity to taste a new Fairtrade product?

There are increasing numbers of products sold under the Fairtrade banner, including coffee, tea and chocolate, bananas and many more.  Try one today!

Would you like to be able to:

• Bulk buy / share with friends?
• Eat organic products more affordably?
• Source ethically traded goods from a co-operative?
• Be part of a food group (other products also available)?

It's very simple and MCP have run a pilot group for 3 years.

If you'd like to know more, please contact me by FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2012

Note!  This does not commit you to anything, but by replying it will enable us to book an appropriately sized venue for a 'How it works'meeting.

VegShares

Can you think of a small patch of land that doesn't seem to be used?

Ever thought that Marlborough could follow the example of many other towns and start shared growing?

Want to know more, share ideas, and create a map of possible plots?  Please come to an initial meeting and see how we might start growing vegetables, herb plants and bee-friendly flowers.

Thursday 23 February 2012 at 8pm at Wesley Hall, Oxford Street

Food security is being talked about more and more, as rising energy costs and climate change impact on global food production.  To counter this for our community, we can see how much we might be able to grow in unlikely spots and use this as a 'growing' illustration.

We have a tree in our garden which this year has produced large quantities of hazelnuts.  Lovely, but what to do with them? 

I looked at a book - THE FRUIT & NUT BOOK by Helena Radecka, published by Sphere Books Ltd, London, 1989.

To find out more...

An alarming statistic states that 90% of applies grown in Marlborough gardens go to waste.  Bearing this in mind, we thought we would pass on the contact details for a local juicer.  We have heard that John Tuck, who many people have used in the past, is rather overwhelmed but Richard Paget in Little Bedwyn is still OK.  He will press your apples, pasteurise, bottle and label it in 75cl bottles with your house name on the label!  These are delicious and make very acceptable Christmas presents. 

Phone:  01672 870 194 or 07825 372225

Email:   richard at pagets.org.uk

Don't waste those apples - recycle them!

10 December 10am–2pm at Marlborough Town Hall. 

MCP (Marlborough Climate Pledge) have again organised an expanded, festive version of this much-missed Market.  Order your free-range local turkey and shop for artisan breads, Christmas cakes, and Christmas craft presents, as well as organic vegetables and eggs, and award-winning meats.  MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW.

The Food Group will have a stall to share our ideas for action in 2012 and beyond, and welcome any new ones.  Come and help us colour in our large map of Marlborough with:

(a) details of any spare ground where fruit trees or bushes could be planted; and

(b) details for a Garden Share - linking people who want to 'grow their own' but do not have access to a garden or allotment with those who have the garden but are no longer able to maintain and care for it.