We met up at Tully and Angie's in January for the Strangers' Circle meeting and the subject was FOOD. What we ate, where we bought it and how we cooked it.
Everything was on the table, as we spoke frankly about our food. We discussed the ethics and advantages of eating local food in season and how you enjoy the food much more knowing it's there for that time only.
Food is tricky to monitor since there are so many factors involved, not least the role fossil fuels play in the industrialised food system, from agricultural fertilisers and pesticides to global transport (let alone our eating habits that cause the destruction of the oceans and forests and thus affect the amount of carbon in the atsmosphere). The more local and organic and less processed our food is the more chance the soils and eco-systems of the world have to recover.
With this in mind Charlotte brought a list with full details of our weekly food shopping, Naomi told of her experience keeping chickens and sheep, Elena why she doesn't eat fish. Tully spoke of his supermarket habit and his meat and dairy reduction and we investigated where the flour in my sourdough loaf could have come from. William talked about the vital role of humus ('degraded organic matter') in any fertile soil.
Food is tricky to monitor since there are so many factors involved, not least the role fossil fuels play in the industrialised food system, from agricultural fertilisers and pesticides to global transport (let alone our eating habits that cause the destruction of the oceans and forests and thus affect the amount of carbon in the atsmosphere). The more local and organic and less processed our food is the more chance the soils and eco-systems of the world have to recover.
With this in mind Charlotte brought a list with full details of our weekly food shopping, Naomi told of her experience keeping chickens and sheep, Elena why she doesn't eat fish. Tully spoke of his supermarket habit and his meat and dairy reduction and we investigated where the flour in my sourdough loaf could have come from. William talked about the vital role of humus ('degraded organic matter') in any fertile soil.
For more on food check out the TN blog where I wrote about this meeting http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2010/01/people-in-room-three-meetings.html (22nd January) as did Tully http://transitionnorwich.blogspot.com/2010/01/today-i-burned-marmalade.html (28th January). (Mark Watson/Stranger's Circle) .
The Transition Circles meet regularly in people’s houses (see calendar for full details). If you would like to join a neighbourhood circle or start one up do get in touch with any of the following people. TN2 and Stranger’s Circle - contact Tully at tully@transitionnorwich.org. Transition Circle West (NR2) - contact Helen Wells heavenwells@mac.com . Transition Central - contact Christine at transition@innerspace.co.uk.
Carbon Conversations
January saw the start of two Carbon Conversations courses at Inner Space with a wide range of members from those who knew little about low carbon living to those who were already on the journey. In the first session we considered what a low carbon future might look like and our feelings associated with that. Ideas, books, dvd’s and energy monitors were shared and members left with a sense of enthusiasm and tasks to complete before the next meeting. The Low-Carbon House game played in the second session triggered such concentration and thoughtful discussion that everyone, including me, went away with new ideas for jobs to tackle around their homes.
I was pleasantly surprised to find both these groups oversubscribed and people from around the county contacting me about groups in their own area. At the moment only Tully and I are running groups but we hope to have more facilitators as people complete the course. We are now compiling a waiting list so if you are interested in doing the course or having one in your area please email: training@transitionnorwich.org with your name, phone number and where you live. (Christine Way/Core Group)
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