This week has been Urban Harvest 2021 as part of a campaign by Sustain’s Capital Growth project (www.capitalgrowth.org). Seems such a simple idea to grow your own fresh food, and organisations such as Sustain (www.sustainweb.org) are making it easier for people to have the opportunity.

I live in a flat, and my nearest space to grow anything are my two small window boxes. Conveniently placed by the kitchen window, I have a fresh supply of parsley and rocket to call on in one, and a reasonable collection of other herbs in the another. Freshly picked, herbs have been a wonderful addition to my summer salads and will also give me tasty options this autumn and winter, not forgetting a small mint plant for the best cup of tea.

The Capital Growth website has a wealth of information to help people to get involved, particularly if they don’t have access to a growing space. There’s also training and advice on offer from Capital Growth, along with many opportunities to volunteer. Volunteering is such a win win situation. You get to be involved with something that you’ve chosen to do, more often than not you’re helping others as well, and you get to meet a wide variety of people. And as variety is supposed to be the spice of life, you could consider it to be as satisfying as a window box full of fresh herbs. Keep an eye out for our volunteering offers in the next few months.

Sustain is the alliance for better food and farming, and with the rising awareness of food insecurity during the pandemic, there’s a growing movement to encourage more growing in cities and towns alike. Community led growing groups includes schools, with an increasing number creating areas of their grounds for planting. Inner city schools with little to no outdoor space, are using raised beds that can be improvised from discarded dumper bags, with the kids getting stuck in from initial seed planting, through to harvesting. It’s bringing all kinds of learning for them, many of whom have no idea about the process.

It’s funny what we take for granted, like water in our taps and the food on our plates. Did you know that it is also a human right to have a right to food, as part of the rights that make up our economic, social and cultural rights, alongside the right to housing and social security. So making fresh produce available can be seen as a basic human right. So thank you for your part in helping to put fresh fruit and veg on the tables of people in need, it makes a big difference.

Happy Eating!

Keith

P.S. You could also write to your MP asking them to better protect the right to food as well as a commitment to take action locally on food insecurity.

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