Norwich FarmShare Workday - 20 August

As we head into August we are celebrating our first full month of delivering our fresh locally grown veg to our members. The veg we've supplied during our first month has been delicious and we've had a fantastic range. It's amazing to look back on how the site looked only a few months ago and reflect on how far we've come.

It's been really nice to start to get to know each other as we meet up to collect our veg. Lots of people stop for a cuppa and a chat- we often end up swapping recipes and tips on cooking the vegetables. I learnt that broad beans are much nicer if you take the skin off as well as podding them! I've never liked broad beans before, but I've really enjoyed them this summer, especially in the falafel that Tierney gave me the recipe for.

We've been grateful for lots of volunteer help over the month, some people come every week, others as and when they find the time. There are lots of jobs we need help with: harvesting every Thursday takes several pairs of hands to make sure all the veg is ready to take to our distribution point; but the job that's really getting away from us at the moment is weeding. Some of the weeds are taller than the crops! If you've got time on your hands and you fancy some healthy exercise in the fresh air, we'd love to see you on the farm.

We have work days every Thursday from 9.30 for harvesting. As for weeding, to make it as easy as possible you're welcome to visit the farm any time you'd like: then all you need to do is look for our 'weed me' sign and get stuck in. Our next Saturday workday will be on 20 August, 11am to 3pm.

Weekly updates, veg recipes and details of how to get to the farm are on our website

Looking forward to seeing you there! Elena Judd

Norwich FarmShare renamed - Welcoming Laura

Norwich Community Agriculture has a new name: from now on we're going to be Norwich FarmShare. We changed the name because several people thought the old one was a bit of a mouthful. We hope you like the new name and feel that it sums up what we're about.

Also this month we welcome our new farm manager and grower, Laura Creen. Laura and her partner Dave have moved here from Cirencester, where Laura was a star student of the Soil Association's apprenticeship scheme. She learned her craft on an organic market garden supplying a farm shop. We know she's going to do a great job of managing our two vegetable growing sites, with support from William and the Environment and Growing Group.

We're looking for more helpers for a work day, likely to be on March 20th, where we'll be putting up a rabbit fence and skinning the polytunnel. Contact Erik for more information. And generally FarmShare is a hive of activity with the marketing, distribution, schools and environment groups all really getting into gear and making concrete steps towards producing and selling wonderful organic produce this summer. If you might be interested in subscribing for a weekly share of organic veg contact Tully (tully@transtionnorwich.org). Tully Wakeman

Norwich CSA - Tree Planting Day - 30 January

On November 24th nearly 20 people gathered to share their vision for the community supported agriculture and school farm, and more things that Norwich Community Agriculture could go on to do. The vision we created together was rich and resonant, and included our intentions for improving Norwich's food security, being inclusive, creating a strong community, taking care of and reconnecting with the land, and many other aspects. We agreed to meet again on January 13th to work out a plan for the projects that builds on this vision. Both workshops draw on the Dragon Dreaming approach to delivering projects, on which Transition Norwich is organising a training weekend in February.

Meanwhile the Growing and Environment Group have agreed a date to plant trees and hedges at the Postwick CSA site: January 29th and 30th. Everyone welcome! If you'd like to come and help contact Erik. We also agreed a plan for the trees based on Jason's excellent work, though it turns out we need to modify this slightly because of unforeseen planning permission issues.

Building on the vision we've now agreed, the Marketing group will be meeting with a branding expert to help work out how best to communicate the essence of that vision to other potential supporters. If you'd like to be part of that process contact Tully.

Also this month we've signed the incorporation documents for Norwich Community Agriculture, and agreed its constitution. We've taken delivery of a tractor, and a flour mill. We're still working on the lease and the irrigation. And we've had lots of good applications for the Farm Manager job. (Tully Wakeman)

FOOD PROJECTS - Breaking New Ground - 15 & 16 November

October has been a busy month for the food projects. The land at Postwick has been subsoiled and mucked, and the same was due to happen at the Hewett during half-term week. We've bought the flour mill, which is on its way from Austria. The school market garden got a good writeup in the Evening News and was mentioned on Radio Norfolk (25 October).

The shadow Board met twice, and we hope that the Financial Services Authority will approve Norwich Community Agriculture (the new co-op) by Christmas. The growing and environment group met three times, including a visit to the Postwick site (pictured), and is figuring out the details of how to make the site an exemplar of how biodiversity and organic methods can coexist with commercial viability.

And NCA has started its own blog at http://norwichcommunityag.blogspot.com/. Many of TN's fabulous members are pouring their energy, expertise and creativity into these projects, so they're bound to be a big success. (Tully Wakeman)

The group looking at how the NCA will be 'marketed' (for want of a better word) are meeting on 1st November at 19.30 at Take 5. The Board is meeting at The Guild on 15 November. The Growing and Environment group is meeting on 16 November upstairs at Take 5 at 19.30. There will also be a key Visioning Session on 24 November at the Baptist Church, Duke St (RM 5) at 19:30. Don't miss this unique opportunity to shape the future of the NCA.

Please contact Tully if you want to know more at tully@transitionnorwich.org or just turn up on the day.

Community Supported Agriculture gets under way - 1 November

About 20 Transitioners met at the United Reformed Church on Monday September 13th to start making preparations for the CSA. The money is in place, the land is ready for us, and we've bought a tractor.

As Tully explained to the meeting, some aspects of the project are set out clearly in the funding application, but others are much more open for CSA members to determine.

Among the things that are clear are, for example, the plan to employ a full-time farm manager (shared betwen the CSA and the school farm) as well as more casual or part-time staff. Also the short-term role of East Anglia Food Link in helping to get the scheme established. EAFL's staff (William and Tully) are already working on getting the land subsoiled and mucked, drawing up the lease, buying the tractor, polytunnel and equipment and so on.

But other aspects are very much for the CSA's members to decide. At the meeting we agreed to set up working groups focusing on recruiting more members; arranging social events to build a sense of community and ownership in the CSA; finding the best arrangments for distributing the produce, for example through drop-off points around the city and beyond; and overseeing production to maximise environmental benefits, biodiversity and natural pest management. The meeting felt very strongly that the CSA needs to be Organic.

We have secured the services of The Guild (a Norwich-based consultancy specialising in social economy organisations) to help us to set up the new not-for-profit business (probably a co-op) which will run the CSA. Around 12 people have agreed to meet with The Guild to find out more about being on the Board of the new organisation, and to drive forward the process of setting it up.

The "Board" meeting is on October 5th and the "growing and environment" meeting on the 7th. The Marketing meeting on November 1st. If you're interested in joining any of these, please sign up to the Food Googlegroup and you'll get all the up-to-date information.

The business plan and budget that were used for the funding bid have been posted on the googlegroup too. If you're interested in reading in detail what's been promised to the funder, do have a look. (Tully Wakeman/Food and Farming)

Join the TN Community Supported Agriculture Scheme!

We're crossing our fingers that, in the spring, we'll get the funding we need to start work on our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme, as well as the School Farm and the flour mill milling local flour.

So now it's time to find the people who want to sign up for the CSA - and we're hoping that's you!

The idea of a CSA is that currently there is very little commercial vegetable production in or immediately around Norwich (the HFG farm shop business being the main exception). One good way of returning veg production to Norwich (and Organic production at that) is to get 100-200 people to jointly own a farming operation. The plan is to rent about 4 acres of land at Postwick, employ a farm manager, and grow a range of vegetables which members collect as a "share" from one of a number of pickup points around Norwich. Members pay an annual subscription which entitles them to their share (likely to work out at £12 a week for a family-sized share down to £5 for a one-person share). Some members might choose to help in other ways - for example getting the veg to a pickup point each week - but that's optional.

If you feel you're likely to sign up to the CSA, please let us know now by filling in your details here. And tell your friends! We do need to recruit the first 100 members before we go ahead with this.

Read more about the scheme in the EDP front page article (March 17) and listen to this interview with Tully Wakeman on Radio Norfolk.