Little Book of Local Food

What we choose to eat not only affects our own health but the health of other people; from our own household to the conditions and employment of food producers and people who work in the food industry. Our food choices also have an impact on the health of our planet (wildlife, nature, seas), although at an individual level it may not feel that way.

It’s not always possible to make a choice about what or how much we buy; but we can think about it. Some questions to consider include: where our food comes from, how it’s been produced, and how much money ends up in the pocket of the producer rather than a large corporation?

Choose local and seasonal fresh produce if you can

Not everything that we eat can be grown or produced locally in North Lancashire, e.g. bananas or rice. But if you have a choice, you may want to think about where your food has come from before you buy it. Choosing local and seasonal fresh produce can:

• Help build connections and relationships between ‘eaters’ and ‘growers’ and increase our understanding of where our food comes from, how it’s been grown and what is in season where we live.
• Help create and support local jobs in the food system – from farmers and growers, harvesters, packers and processors to food sellers, shops and markets.
• Help support farmers and growers to get a fair income for their produce. By buying directly from them or through much shorter supply chains (the number of people/systems that are involved in getting food from a producer to your kitchen). See section on: “Seasonal local delivery schemes”.
• Encourage more people to become food producers – as we see how and where food is grown. You may be inspired to  grow some of your own food or get involved with a food project.
• Help reduce transport miles and long storage/refrigeration times for fresh foods.

Organic labels and higher animal welfare standards

Organic labels are useful for highlighting foods that have been produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, or GM seeds. They are also useful for people seeking higher animal welfare products as ‘organic’ standards mean that animals must not be given any hormones, antibiotics or GMOs.

Look for the Soil Association logo, as this organic scheme sets even higher animal welfare standards than the EU organic requirements and is much stronger than other schemes, for example, Free Range. Visit www.soilassociation.org to find out more.

Vegans can also look for the Stockfree Organic certification, which was developed by the Vegan Organic Network and is certified by the Soil Association. Producers do not use any animal products such as animal manure.

Free range

Unfortunately, free range is not quite what it describes. Free range labelling varies for different animals. For example minimum free-range standards for eggs mean many hens are kept in vast, multi-tiered sheds typically with 16,000 or more other birds, and few ever see daylight.  Animals may also be routinely fed GM foods or antibiotics.

To ensure higher animal welfare standards it is best to pick organic produce. While all organic food meets free range requirements (and beyond), free range produce doesn’t have to be organic.

Vegan labels

If you want to avoid all animal products completely, the first step is to look out for the Vegan Society trademark logo that guarantees a product is vegan and not animal tested. For products not carrying the logo, look out for a ‘suitable for vegans’ symbol. The next step is to look at the ingredients or eat wholefoods!

Fairtrade

Unlike the term ‘organic’, fair trade doesn’t have a set definition under law. That means that brands can make fair trade or fairly traded claims without meeting any legal criteria.

One way to avoid false claims is to look for the Fairtrade certification mark from Fairtrade International. This Fairtrade mark guarantees a better deal for farmers, growers and small-scale producers. Find out more at www.fairtrade.org.uk

This certification guarantees farmers a minimum price for their product above the market value (which protects them from price crashes) and guarantees improved working conditions. It also shows that retailers are paying a ‘Fairtrade premium’ – a sum that is put into a social fund to be used by workers and farmers as they choose.

Look out for Fairtrade fruit, chocolate, tea, coffee, wine and other products in independent retailers, Oxfam and on supermarket shelves.

Lancaster District became a ‘Fairtrade District’ in 2004.  Lancaster City Council and other local organisations have since pledged to support and promote Fairtrade, and use fairly-traded products in their own catering.

You can find out more at: www.fairtrade.globallink.org.uk

Ethical Consumer Best Buy Label

Ethical Consumer Magazine has a Best Buy Label which helps you choose genuinely ethical products. Their team of researchers ‘follow the money’ – with each product and the company that owns it being rated on its environmental and ethical record. By evaluating the company first it ensures that their label would never be rewarded to a company selling a ‘fairtrade’ or ‘organic’ product if they are a controversial multinational corporation.

www.ethicalconsumer.org

Biodiversity

The ‘Fair to Nature’ food and farming certification scheme is run by the RSPB and is the only UK food and drink certification scheme with a focus on biodiversity and reversing the ongoing loss of nature.

Food brands and supermarkets who sign up to the scheme agree to buy from certified farms and can display the Fair to Nature logo on the packaging of certified products.

To meet the certification standard, farmers must make at least 10% of their farmed land available to a range of high-quality nature habitats. They must also manage soils and inputs more sustainably to better support and work alongside nature.

Sustainable Seafood

The Marine Stewardship Council’s label indicates seafood which comes from better-managed and more sustainable fisheries, but it has also been widely criticised and does not guarantee that certified fish comes without impacts on non-target species e.g. sharks, seabirds and whales.

Website: www.msc.org

Organic farming

The term ‘organic’ is protected by law. To legally call food sold ‘organic,’ you must be part of a certification scheme and follow their standards around the environment, animal welfare and workers’ rights.

See the What is ‘organic food’ and why choose it? section below which explains about organic food and farming

Regenerative farming

This term describes a wide range of farming practices that aim to restore soil health, clean water and increase biodiversity. There is no ‘regenerative farming’ certification scheme in the UK at present which means it is used by different people to mean different things. However it is often used to refer to some key principles:

• Don’t disturb the soil by ploughing or tilling. These practices damage the soil structure and living creatures (including bacteria and fungi) which are essential for soil life.
• Keep soil covered with plant-life to protect it from erosion and help feed the soil life.
• Grow a range of crops rather than one crop intensively and repeatedly.
• Graze with animals to boost soil fertility.

What’s the difference between organic and regenerative farming?

Organic farming can be regenerative, but not all regenerative farms are organic.

One of the main differences frequently mentioned is the approaches to soil management and what can be put on the soil. Organic farmers can plough and till their fields if they wish as part of their weed control system, but they cannot use artificial chemicals to spray for weeds or pest control, and they can’t use synthetic fertilisers for soil fertility. Regenerative farmers choose not to plough or use minimum soil disturbance techniques, but they can use chemical sprays for weed and pest control.

Many organic farmers do use regenerative farming practices however and choose not to plough or till the soil, and many regenerative farmers use minimal or no artificial chemicals/sprays.

Both approaches are moving towards more environmentally friendly farming, however, organic farms are audited to check this is happening and the organic certification also checks for animal welfare and workers’ rights standards

What is agroecology?

Agroecology can be used to describe organic and some regenerative farming methods but it also considers the whole human system around food and farming.  From improving food security, paying fair wages and working to ensure people have access to land for food production; to giving people more control over what they eat, and how and where it’s produced.

The above can be confusing but asking questions about how your food is produced will help you to understand what is important to you which in turn can shape how you grow your own food or which food you choose to buy or not.

The term ‘organic’ is protected by law. You must be certified by an approved UK organic certification scheme to call your produce organic. Organically grown food is grown without the use of synthetic chemicals such as artificial pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers. It does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), artificial colourings/preservatives and does not use antibiotics on animals unless there is a clear welfare reason to do so. Over use of antibiotics continues to be reported in some non-organic meat and dairy production which has been linked to increasing antimicrobial resistance.

Organic food is farmed and produced by methods that are sympathetic to nature, wildlife and ecosystems with benefits for the health of the soil. Organic farming also considers ‘better/fairer’ treatment of people and animals.

Organic food is produced to a strict set of standards ranging from the welfare of animals to a requirement that 95% of ingredients in organic food is from organically produced plants or animals. These standards are monitored and checked by a certification body (organisation). In the UK, organic farms and companies are inspected at least once a year.

For more information on organic farming see the Soil Association’s website.

Why choose organic food if you can?

Organic food is produced to high environmental and welfare standards, from how it is grown to how it is produced. It considers the whole food production system in order to benefit plant, animal and people’s health.

Where can you buy organic food?

1. Organic growers and producers that sell directly through a farm shop or box scheme
2. Local food delivery schemes (when shopping look out for the organic label).
3. Independent shops (look out for the organic label)
4. Larger supermarkets (search for the organic section or look out for the organic label on products).

See the Local Food Directory for local organic stockists.

 What to look out for?

Packaged organic food displays the symbol of the certification body (organisation).. Commonly displayed symbols are:

What foods can you commonly buy that are organic?

Commonly found organic foods include:: fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, herbs; meat, eggs, milk, butter, cheese and non-diary alternatives; pasta, noodles, rice, nuts and seeds; dried fruits, bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers and cooking ingredients; coffee, tea, cold drinks; sauces, jams and spreads……. There are also some more processed organic options. For example ready meals and baby food.

Why do companies greenwash?

At a time when awareness about environmental damage, climate breakdown and loss of biodiversity is growing, many people are looking for more ethical alternatives. Companies use greenwashing to try and capture this market and maintain a positive image.

According to an assessment of 500 websites by the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network, 40% of green claims made on the websites of clothes, cosmetics and food companies could be misleading consumers.

How to avoid greenwash?

The following questions can help you identify potential greenwash:

If a company is making environmental (or fair trade) claims, do these apply to all its operations and products?

As Ethical Consumer Magazine so brilliantly highlights, companies will often develop one sustainable product or brand and promote it widely whilst making the vast majority of profits from harmful practices. For example the vegan brand Vivera might look sustainable, but it is owned by JBS – one of the world’s largest meat companies that has been linked with massive deforestation of the Amazon.

How does a company define ‘sustainable’?

Ask a company directly for its definition of vague terms such as ‘sustainable’ or ‘natural’ and how it ensures these are upheld. Does their definition of sustainable align with your own?

Do they certify any of their products?

Try to look for third part certification that verifies claims. If something is certified, try to understand what the certification means in reality. Does this align with your own values?

How does a company compare to other similar companies?

If you have the time to, explore what other similar companies are doing and choose the one that best aligns with your own ethics.

Find out more about Greenwashing and how to spot it here: www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethical-shopping/greenwashing

Take a look at the FoodFuture’s seasonal food calendar via this link. This shares the typical season for fruit, salad crops, herbs and vegetables in North Lancashire.

If you are growing your own food, the food calendar can be used to help you plan what you can harvest throughout the year.

The growing season for each crop depends on many factors, including temperature, rainfall/watering, whether crops are grown under cover (e.g. in greenhouses or polytunnels) or grown outdoors and also the plant variety, so it can vary slightly each year. When buying fresh fruit and vegetables, the seasonal food calendar can help you check what is in season locally and within the UK.

There are several delivery schemes in Lancaster District that will bring locally grown (often organic) and locally produced foods to your doorstep or a central collection point for pick-up. Schemes range from ones where you order only the items that you want, to others that deliver a pre-packed “box” of selected fruit and vegetables at a fixed price that you select. Some schemes provide a mix of the above, so you have some choice or can order additional things on top of a pre-packed box.

Not all the items in a fruit and veg box may have been grown locally, particularly in the early months of the year, but as the growing season gets going more local produce will be available.

If you are able, it is always good to think about what foods are in season and buy these from local producers if possible.

Local Markets

Markets generally happen on a regular basis and in a set location, so people know where to go and when the stalls will be there. A lot of markets take place in town squares. There can be a mix of stalls, selling both food and non-food things. Some stall holders may be there weekly and others less frequently, so do ask the producer when they will next be there.

Some towns have indoor markets, which have units that are permanently set up. Indoor markets may be open on certain days only or most days per week. These will often have food stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and diary and bread/bakery produce.

Why not find out if there is a market near you and pop along.

What markets are happening in North Lancashire?

This is not a complete list. There may be others near you. If you come across a great market with food stalls and want to let us know about it, do contact foodfutures@lessuk.org with the details so we can include it in the Local Food Directory.

• Lancaster Charter Market – Twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays
• Lancaster Seasonal Markets – 4 times a year (2nd Friday of March, June, September and December)
• Kendal Farmers Market – Fridays twice a month
• Garstang Outdoor Market – Weekly on Thursdays
• Kirkby Lonsdale Charter Market – Weekly on Thursdays
• Sedbergh Market – Weekly on Wednesday Morning

Food festivals and events in and around North Lancashire

Share the Harvest: A month long festival of events, workshops, apple juicing sessions and gleaning to celebrate and distribute the apple harvest.  Find out more at  Closing Loops: Share the Harvest – FoodFutures

Potato Day: An annual event in Lancaster on the last Saturday in January. An opportunity to buy seed potatoes, swap plants & seeds and meet members of community food projects. There is always a fantastic pop-up cafe selling potato based dishes.

Damson Day: Organised by the Westmorland Damson Association each year in April to coincide with the local damson orchards bursting into blossom – a breathtaking sight for two weeks throughout the Lyth Valley. The event seeks to celebrate everything damson on the day with artisan makers producing damson cakes, fudges, crumbles, sausages, damson spirits and cordials…and more. There is also a programme of entertainment for all the family and craft stalls.

Apple Day at Leighton Hall: Family Fun Day Celebrating National Apple Day in October. Includes demonstrations, makers market, cider, juices, bakes and preserves. Have-a-go activities including basket weaving, beekeeping, apple picking tasting, pressing and campfire cooking.

Why grow fruit, vegetables, salads, herbs?

• It can be enjoyable, rewarding and fun.
• Gardening is known to be good for mental and physical health as it links you to nature and the seasons.
• It can be sociable or solitary depending on what you need.
• You can do it with others, learn new skills and share your knowledge and enthusiasm.
• You know exactly where your food comes from and how it’s been grown.
• It will be local (very few travel miles) and totally fresh; picked and eaten by you.
• You can grow varieties that are not available in the shops and experiment with different flavours.
• Many edible plants are also very beautiful! Try growing red and white flowering runner beans up poles, or spectacular rainbow chard in window boxes, amongst flowers and herbs. Or how about purple sprouts or yellow courgettes for a change?

You can grow food in a garden or allotment, a communal space such as a community garden or ‘fruity corner’ in a park, in containers in back yards or on balconies and window boxes or even indoors. Think herbs, salads, fruit, vegetables, edible flowers…..the potential is endless.

Here are some useful links to get you started:

Fruit, vegetables and herbs ripen at different times throughout the year. You can do quite a few things to extend the growing season to make sure you have your own/local fresh fruits and vegetables available for longer through the year.

• Plant different vegetables and fruits to prolong the season. This takes some planning so that you sow seeds at the correct time and have space to plant them. Some vegetable crops e.g. leeks and brussel sprouts will survive over winter in the ground, so can harvest them in the colder months when summer vegetables have finished.
• Grow crops under protection e.g. in a greenhouse, polytunnel, cold frame or under horticultural fleece. Growing under cover can protect crops from colder conditions such as frost and help them to survive for longer. Crops grown under cover will need watering.
• Choose varieties of a crop that ripen at slightly different times e.g. early and late maturing varieties of carrots, sweetcorn or summer fruiting and autumn fruiting raspberries.
• Creating shade in summer e.g. by using shade netting, can prevent some crops from ‘bolting’ (going to seed) e.g. lettuces and spinach.
• Regular harvesting of leafy vegetables can prolong the season for some crops e.g. kale, spinach and chard.
• For quick-maturing vegetables such as salad leaves and radish, sow smaller amounts regularly, called “successional sowing”, to provide a regular supply, rather than having everything ready at the same time.

Buying Seeds

Some things to think about when buying seeds:

• Make sure that the seeds are healthy and fresh. A lot of seed packets will have a best before date. This is an indicator of when to use the seed by. After this date, the seeds can still be sown, however the germination rate may not be as good. National and international regulation helps to ensure that shop bought seed will grow into the variety the packet says.
• Plan when you buy and plant seeds. Some seeds packets give a rough indication of sowing dates or look this up if you are unsure. When you choose to sow your seeds will also depend on where you live, local temperatures, weather conditions and whether you are sowing under cover e.g. in a green house or window sill or directly outside.
• Store seed and seed packets in a cool, dry place. Remember to label seed packets clearly so you know what they are.
• Consider buying from small UK- based companies. Their seeds are mostly grown in the UK and sourced from small farms and horticulturalists. You may have to order in good time to ensure you get the seed you want. Some UK seed companies include: The Real Seed Company, Vital Seeds, She Grows Veg and Seeds of Scotland. Locally there is Robinsons Seeds and Plants in Forton (also known as the Mammoth Onion). 

Saving Seeds

Saving and swapping seeds is important and also fun. Once you are growing vegetables, you can think about saving seeds from them so you don’t have to buy any more.

Why is seed saving important?

It can give you more control over your food, what you grow and save you money too. It also keeps local/heritage varieties of plants. This is very important for biodiversity and keeping a reservoir of variation in species. Most seed companies are owned by a small number of multinational chemical firms. Many seed varieties have been bred to suit large-scale commercial growing and are less suited to smaller scale local conditions.

Some things to think to get started;

• Save seeds from the plants that did best. The seeds and therefore plants that come from them will be better suited to your conditions.
• French beans and peas are easiest to start with. Just leave some of the pods on the plants to mature and dry. Other plants that grow and die in one year are often easy, but you have to keep the plants going until they flower and have produced seed.
• Root crops (e.g. carrots, parsnips) and brassicas (e.g kale, cabbage) flower in their second year, so you have to keep the plants alive over winter, let them flower and then save the seed. You also need to isolate them to ensure they don’t cross with other varities (attend a seed saving training session to learn more!)
• If the plants are “F1 hybrids” (look at the seed packet), their seeds will not grow as expected and may not grow at all.
• Research how many plants you need to grow to stop them becoming inbred (poor quality seed), although this is not so important if you are learning.

Local seed saving and swapping initiatives include:

• Lancaster Seed Library grows 6-8 crops each year for seed saving and always welcomes people who want to help out and learn more. The Library hosts a seed swap every year on the last Saturday in January at Lancaster’s Potato day and has  a seed swap box in Lancaster Library.
• Grow Caton run a seed swap box at Caton Institute
• Bolton le Sands Horticultural Society run a seed swap in the village and in Carnforth

If you have a yard or window sill, it’s still possible to grow your own food in containers, raised beds and window boxes, so why not have a go? Back yards are very sheltered and may be right outside your door!

Using containers or raised beds

Plants need to grow in soil, so you will need some sort of container e.g plant pots, grow bags, buckets, even old dustbins. You can make raised beds or window boxes (remember to fasten them on the window sill). The bigger the container, the larger the plants that can be grown. Root vegetables, like potatoes and carrots need deep soil, while salads and small herbs with shallow roots need less soil.

Watering and drainage

All containers need watering, sometimes daily. The smaller the container, the more quickly it will dry out. Containers need drainage holes in the bottom, so make some if needed. If your pots are standing in water, raise them off the ground with bricks to help the water to drain.

Soil

If you have access to garden soil this can be used or shop bought multi-purpose compost. Think about using organic peat-free compost if possible. Mediterranean herbs, e.g. sage, rosemary, thyme and lavender like very well drained soil, so if possible mix in some washed fine gravel or use “vermicilite”.

Using your walls

Walls can make great places for growing tall plants such as runner/climbing beans, outdoor cucumbers or flowers such as sunflowers. Remember to tie them up something as they grow e.g. a cane or trellis. How about a wall-mounted shallow greenhouse for starting your seedlings off in and later for tomatoes and cucumbers?

Pests

Watch out for slugs/snails, unfortunately they do like a container or fresh veg!

1. Lettuces: Choose small varieties like Tom Thumb or Little Gem.
2. Mixed salad leaves (come ready mixed in packets) and rocket: Summer sowings produce leaves in about four weeks. You can cut some larger leaves each time and the plant will continue to grow.
3. Radish: Crop in just a few weeks. Sow little and often, as they can quickly grow woody in the centres.
4. Tomatoes: Small bush varieties are best and can produce lots of small sweet fruit. They need plenty of sun to ripen, so if we have a cold/wet summer they may not do so well.
5. Dwarf Runner Beans: Choose compact varieties and make sure you keep them well watered.
6. Peas: try growing ‘mange-tout’ varieties, where you eat the whole pod, deliciously sweet and less plants needed than traditional peas.
7. Courgettes: Choose compact varieties and allow space for foliage and air circulation. Choose a disease resistant variety to avoid powdery mildew.
8. Beetroot: Easy to grow and you can use a few leaves in salads too. Modern baby varieties are best suited to pots and containers.
9. Carrots: Grow in deep tall containers to get long carrots and prevent carrot root fly (a low flying insect pest that loves carrots
10. Potatoes: Easy to grow in large containers. Keep adding more compost around the plants as they grow. Choose an early producing variety or waxy salad variety.

Herbs

Most herbs will grow well in containers e.g. mint (keep well watered), parsley, thyme, rosemary, lavender and lemon balm (which makes a refreshing lemony herb tea)

Fruit

Strawberries grow well in containers. They need sunshine and water and watch out for slugs. Fruit bushes, such as blackcurrants and gooseberries can be grown in large containers. Certain varieties of fruit tree will also grow in a container, these will take some time to mature.

Why not:

• Help a friend or neighbour who grows fruit or vegetable in their garden or on their allotment?
• Landshare – by agreeing to use a patch in a friend or neighbours garden to grow fruit/vegetables and then share the harvest with them. “Land share schemes” can be bigger, more organised schemes running in communities or simple informal arrangements with someone you know. It’s all about linking someone with some growing space with someone who wants to grow food.
• Get involved with a community growing project. These can be a great way to learn food growing skills, connect with others in your community and grow an abundance of food together.

There are 24 allotment sites across Lancaster District. Most of the allotment sites have their contact details displayed on the Lancaster City Council (LCC) allotment webpage, although not all the sites are displayed: Allotments – Lancaster City Council webpage

How do you get an allotment?

Send in a request for an allotment plot to the site/sites that you are interested in.

Waiting lengths for a plot

Most allotment sites have waiting lists for a plot. These vary in length from a few months to several years on average (one Lancaster site has a 7+ year waiting list).

Requesting new allotment sites

Did you know that if six or more registered voters or council tax payers make a written request for allotments (new sites), then the council must consider this request under The Small Holdings and Allotment Act (1908). This legislation still applies today, although it does not impose a requirement to provide new allotments, or give any timeframes or specify what a “sufficient number” of allotments is for an area.

It is however something that a relatively small number of people can do, to express their interest in getting more allotments locally and raise awareness of the demand for allotment plots.

For more information on how to create new allotments, take a look at the “Creating new allotment sites” pages (39-44) in the Lancaster District Allotment Review Report.

Size of plot

Most allotment sites offer half a traditional allotment plot to new allotment holders as these are more realistic to manage and this also helps to keep waiting lists down. A few sites offer smaller “starter plots”.

Facilities on allotment sites

These vary from site to site. Things you may want to think about/prepare for are;

• Is there access to mains water or not? Not all sites have mains water
• Is there vehicular access or access nearby (for getting large items/deliveries on and off)
• Are there any shared facilities/assets e.g. toilets, access to manure/wood chip, a social space
• What are the site rules? e.g. for putting up sheds/greenhouses, percentage of a plot needed to be in production, bonfires
• What is the rent?

Planning your plot

• Talk to other allotment holders about what grows well/any particular problems.
• Grow things that you like to eat.
• Start small and be realistic about your available time
• Prepare for successes and also some disappointments
• Get help and advice from friends, family, other plot holders, books…..
• Talk to your site committee if for whatever reason you are less able to look after your plot

Claver Hill – is a community food growing project on the edge of Lancaster near Central High School. Many different groups work on the site including Spud Club where members grow food together across at least 50 no-dig beds.  Find out more here: www.sites.google.com/view/claver-hill/

Summerhouse Community Farm – A three acre site situated of Ashton Road in Lancaster. This land was recently purchased by LESS to set up a community farm. Find out more about how to get involved here: foodfutures.org.uk/about-us/collaborative-projects/summerhouse-community-farm/

The Plot at Summerhouse Community Farm – provides local seasonal organic vegetables in North Lancashire. It offers horticultural training and volunteering opportunities
foodfutures.org.uk/the-plot/

Microgardens Morecambe – The Microgarden in the West End of Morecambe was set up by the Good Things Collective to give local people access to outdoor space to gather and grow things (www.goodthingscollective.co.uk/microgardens)

Scotch Quarry Fruity Corners –  An edible forest garden and raised beds in a corner of Scotch Quarry park in Lancaster. Monthly gardening sessions are a good way to get involved (www.facebook.com/ScotchQuarryPark/)

Wider links:

Incredible Edible – A movement to grow community fruit, vegetables and herbs.
Incredible Edible

Sprouted seeds, beans, pulses, grains and legumes are super tasty, highly nutritious and often tolerated well by people who are sensitive to unsprouted beans.

What you need

All you need is a clear jar or transparent plastic pot, a cover, water and sunlight.

How to get started

Puy, green lentils or mung beans are easy to sprout. When you are confident with these, why not try some more intensely flavoured smaller seeds like broccoli, radish and kale.

What to do

• Use 1-2 tablespoons to begin (the sprouts expand a lot!).
• Put the dried pulses in the jar or pot, fill with water and leave to soak overnight.
• Next day, drain the water thoroughly from the beans and rinse four times with clean water, pouring off the rinse water in between each rinse. This removes the phytic acid, an “anti-nutrient” that stops the pulses from germinating and can irritate the digestive system and prevent the absorption of vital nutrients, especially iron.
• The cap on your jar can be a piece of muslin or net that onions and garlic are often packaged in, secured with an elastic band.
• Rinse your sprouts 3-4 times per day making sure they’re well drained, they won’t tolerate standing in water.
• Place the jar in a light place but not strong direct sunlight.
• Once the sprouts are the same length as the pulse they’ve grown from, they’re ready to harvest, although you can leave them to grow longer and even grow the tiny “micro-green” leaves on many varieties.
• Most sprouts are ready to harvest after about 5 days, longer in the wintertime.
• When you’re ready to stop the growth, make sure the sprouts are as dry as possible and store them in a tub in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Use your sprouts raw, in salads or add to soups and stir fries.

It’s important to be aware of how to forage safely and sensibly, including;

• Being 100% sure of what you are picking. “If in doubt leave it out”.
• Only pick from plentiful supplies and never pick “rare” plants
• Don’t pick near busy roads or dog walking spots!
• Always leave plenty behind
• Ask permission to forage if needed from the landowner
• Never damage an area or dig plants up when foraging

(see guidance for safe foraging link below for more information)

Why not give foraging a try?

Here are some suggestions:

Nettles 

Wear gloves. Snip off the young light green top leaves. Avoid eating the older leaves and don’t eat too much. Use to make: nettle beer, nettle saag aloo (curry), in soups, omelettes and pesto.

Blackberries 

From hedgerows during August and September. They freeze well. Use blackberries to make: stewed blackberry (cooked with a small amount of water and sugar), blackberry jam and crumbles.

Wild garlic or ramsons 

In damp woods from March to May. Leaves, bulbs and flowers are edible. Positively identify by the garlic smell of its crushed leaves. Use to make: pesto, steamed as a vegetable and in soups/salads.

Elderflowers and elderberries 

Elderflowers; in season from the end of May into June. They smell of cat urine! Use to make: elderflower cordial and elderflower ‘champagne’.

Elderberries; in season in the autumn. Use to make: elderberry jam and syrup.

Both flowers and berries are traditionally used to treat colds and flu.

Sea beet 

A wild ancestor of spinach, chard and beetroot. Eat the glossy bright green leaves in spring. Use like spinach in salads, curries or tarts.

Marsh samphire 

Grows on saltmarshes. Pick or cut with scissors. It has a crisp texture and tastes of the sea. Rinse in clean water, then lightly steam and serve with butter. Goes well with fish or poached eggs.

For more seasonal foraged foods

See the FoodFutures Food Calender

Food Calendar – FoodFutures

Other ways to get involved

Why not go on a foraging course or join a foraging group to learn more?

Increasing numbers of people across the UK are struggling to feed themselves and their families.

The number of people using food banks has increased since 2020, following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. There are lots of reasons why people are going hungry, including loss of income, illness, benefit delays, domestic violence, debt, family breakdown and the additional costs of heating during winter.

What’s the difference between a Food Bank and Food Club?

Food banks and food clubs work to provide food support for people struggling to afford food.

• Food banks offer emergency food support for individuals or families in crisis by providing short term food parcels for free. To access a food bank, people usually need a referral from another service like the local council or local Citizens Advice Bureau.
• Food clubs offer memberships to community members, and for approximately £5 a week, members can purchase a food parcel that contains approximately £25-£30 worth of food. Food clubs are aimed at supporting community members to regularly access food and prevent the use of emergency food banks.

The Lancaster District has a network of food support (Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership) that includes two food banks and 12 food clubs that work together to reduce food insecurity across the district. A typical food parcel at a food club includes: bread, milk, eggs, two meat items, two tins, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and other cupboard items (depending on food surplus and donations).

The Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership also has partner organisations like Citizens Advice North Lancashire, CVS and the city council, to offer wrap-around support at food clubs such as energy and benefits advice. Some food clubs also take place at community centres where members can meet up with other community members and attend other wellbeing sessions as well as going to the food club.

How can you get involved?

Donate food: Local food banks welcome donations of non-perishable food (or money!), our food banks regularly update their website with items that they are in need of.

• The Olive Branch: https://the-olivebranch.org.uk/support
• Morecambe Bay Food Bank:  https://morecambebay.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/

Volunteer: Lancaster District’s food clubs rely on volunteers to collect surplus food, organise food into food parcels, and serve customers. If you would like to volunteer please view the Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership (LDFJP) website below, to find out where your nearest food club is and get in touch with them.

Want to join a food club?

The LDFJP website details where and when all of our food clubs are on and has details on how to become a member and how to volunteer and get involved:
Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership – FoodFutures

For local and seasonal recipes visit foodfutures.org.uk/local-seasonal-recipes/. Here you’ll find recipes organised by season as well as recipes that can be adapted for use throughout the year. You’ll also find seasonal foraging articles from the THRIVE magazine and lots of advice and recipes for preserving and fermenting.

Regional food across the UK reflects the history, landscape, community and farming practices of that area. There is a wide variety of foods produced across the country from “stargazy pie” in Cornwall to “cranachan” in the north of Scotland and much more in between. Regional foods often have a long social history going back generations which can be interesting to explore and understand.

Some famous Lancashire foods include;

Lancashire cheese – several varieties can be bought all with a distinctive slightly sharp taste

Lancashire hot pot – a slow cooked thick stew made from lamb or mutton and topped with sliced potato

Butter pie –  a pie filled with sliced potatoes and onion and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper

Morecambe Bay shrimps – tiny sweet shrimp from Morecambe Bay, cooked and served in spiced butter in pots

Parched peas – dried peas that have been soaked and cooked, often served with vinegar

Chorley cakes – similar to an eccles cake but much less sweet and sometimes eaten with butter or Lancashire cheese

There are lots of livestock farms in North Lancashire and plenty of local butchers, farm shops and some farmers’ markets where you can buy locally reared meat. Many farms have websites where you can find out how they rear and sell their animals and also learn about the farm and farmers themselves. It is also possible when visiting farm shops and farmers’ markets to speak directly with the producer and find out more about how the animals were reared and slaughtered. You can also ask butchers for advice on meat, whether it is local/locally produced and how it has been reared.

Things that you may want to think about when buying meat are:

• What welfare standards have the animals been reared/lived and slaughtered in?
• Has the meat been produced locally? – supporting local farmers, reducing livestock transportation and air/shipping miles

Organically reared animals usually have the highest welfare standards, this includes their access to outside space, what they are fed and how they are slaughtered. See section “What is organic food and why choose it“

Free-range animals (usually a term only applied to pigs and poultry which otherwise would be reared indoors) have access to the outdoors and are also given more space when inside, however there is no legal definition of exactly what this means.

Note: free range eggs are from chickens that are kept in legally defined welfare conditions.

Grass-fed animals are reared on grass and forage-only diets, however as there is no legal definition of “grass-fed” this can range from a 100% grass diet (foraged outdoors all year round) to just over 50% of their diet, with the rest made up of grains. “Pasture for Life” is at present the only certification scheme in the UK that certifies 100% pasture fed livestock.

There are various schemes that certify how farm animals have been reared and the meat produced. See guide from Compassion in World Farming Your Food: Making a Difference for Farm Animal Welfare

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What is sustainable fishing?

Sustainably sourced fish and seafood come from fishing that leaves enough fish in the oceans to maintain healthy numbers (not reduce numbers) and using fishing methods that have minimal impacts on marine habitats and ecosystems.

What is unsustainable fishing?

This is fishing that uses methods that take fish and seafood out of the ocean at rates that are too great for populations to recover, so their numbers keep going down and down as they are “overfished”. Unsustainable fishing also refers to the methods used to catch the fish e.g. trawling and longlining, which can destroy habitats and marine ecosystems, leaving them unable to recover.

See link here from the Marine Conservation Society
Fishing methods explained | What you can do | Marine Conservation Society

Measuring Sustainability

Measuring how sustainable fishing practices are is not simple. There is a spectrum of activities and at present some “better practices” can take place on boats that are also fishing for other species using “unsustainable methods”. Debate continues about the level at which sustainability is set on certification schemes and the cost of assessment can also prevent some small-scale sustainable fisheries from taking part in schemes.

What can you do when buying fish?

If possible buy fish and seafood from certified schemes, bearing in mind the above issues. Schemes include;

• The Marine Stewardship Council  ‘blue tick’ covers the sustainability of wild seafood.
• The Aquaculture Stewardship Council covers the sustainability of farmed seafood and fish
•  The Soil Association for organically farmed fish
• Freedom Food – RSPCA monitored fishing schemes
• Mix up what you buy – 80% of seafood eaten in the UK is from just 5 species (cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns), which puts even more pressure on these species. Why not choose other fish and seafood and have some variety?
• Avoid buying “red-rated” seafood. This is seafood that is endangered, overfished or stocks are depleted.

See link here to the Marine Conservation Society “Good Fish Guide” which explains their colour coding systems (red,yellow, green) and provides lots of information about fish and the choices that you can make.
Good Fish Guide

UK bees

256 different species of bee have been identified in the UK although some of these are now thought to be extinct. Bees fall into 3 main groups:

Solitary bees (over 200 species): including mason, miner, carpenter and leaf cutter bees. These bees live on their own and lay their eggs in individual holes in the ground and in wood, stone or brick work.

Bumble bees (24 species). Individual queens raise small colonies of around 150 bees. Often described as “fat and hairy”.

Honey bees (1 species in the UK). These live in large colonies which range from around 15,000 bees in winter to around 50,000 in the summer. They are usually maintained in bee hives by beekeepers and are the bees that produce the honey we eat.

Why are honey bees so important?

Whilst all bees help to pollinate wild flowers, shrubs and trees, honey bees pollinate over 60% of all the food we eat including fruit, vegetables and commercial crops such as sugar beet and oil seed rape.

Are honey bees thriving?

UK honey bees are in decline due to loss of habitat resulting from changes in land usage and farming practices, the extensive use of pesticides, climate change and the importation of diseases and parasites such as varroa.

What can you do to support bees?

Grow bee friendly flowers and shrubs, that is ones that produce pollen and nectar.

Leave “wild” areas in your garden as habitats for solitary bees.

Consider taking up beekeeping.

Buying honey?

Much of the honey on sale in UK shops has been bulked out with cheaper sugar syrup. To ensure honey is genuine, check the label and opt for honey produced in the UK, other single origin EU nations, or to buy from your local beekeeper.

Want to take up beekeeping?

Contact your local beekeeping organisation for advice before doing anything else. They will explain what is involved, visit your proposed site and advise on its suitability, and can provide appropriate training.

Chickens are fairly easy to keep in most back gardens, once you have learnt about their habits/needs and how to look after them. Before you decide to keep them and certainly before buying any, it’s important to think/find out about;

• If there are set restrictions on your house or any bylaws in the area which prevent you from keeping chickens. Some allotments allow chickens to be kept on your plot.
• Do you have the time and resources (money, knowledge, interest) to look after them, particularly if you are away.
• Since 2024, it is a legal requirement that all poultry e.g. chickens (even a single bird), are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency within a month of keeping them. This is to help prevent diseases and receive updates/guidance. See link below.
• You may be allowed to keep chickens in your garden, but keeping a cockerel could cause noise level issues for you and your neighbours. The early morning cockerel call!

Chickens need:

• A safe, clean place to live and to roost at night such as a coop or shed – this needs to be cleaned regularly.
• A space that is secure from foxes and other predators.
• A nest box with clean straw or wood shavings to lay eggs in.
• Special chicken food to ensure a balanced diet (see link below)
• Chickens can eat a variety of foods eg insects and leafy greens but do check as some foodstuffs can be harmful
• Fresh clean water.
• An exercise place or ‘chicken run’;
• Light and space
• A place to take ‘dust baths’ – helps keep parasites such as mites/lice under control. Check your chickens and their housing regularly for parasites and treat if needed.
• Daytime shelter from sun and rain.

Choose a breed of chicken that is going to meet your needs, some people give a home to ex-battery hens. Hens lay more frequently in the spring and summer months, when you can get an egg a day per hen if you are lucky! In the Winter months this goes right down. Chickens also stop laying when they replenish their feathers (moulting) and as they get older.

Nearly a quarter of all food bought in the UK is wasted (WRAP, see link below).

In 2021, over 10 million tonnes of food was wasted, 60% of this came from households and the rest from farms, manufacturing, hospitality (food outlets, catering) and retail (selling food items).

Where does food waste go?

Domestic food waste in Lancashire no longer goes to landfill but is made into a compost like output. It is contaminated with other small materials in your general waste, limiting its use. It can be used for landfill restoration. From April 2026 when weekly curbside food waste collections start, wasted food put in these bins will go to an anaerobic digester creating  methane-rich biogas fuel and digestate used as a fertiliser. On farms food not harvested is often ploughed back in.

The cost of food waste

In 2021 it was estimated that food waste cost each person £250 per year, which is £600 for the average household (2.4 people) and £1,000 per year for a family of four.

That’s a huge amount of waste, both in terms of cost and the amount of food that is disposed of.

What you can do

• Buy loose (unpackaged) fruit and vegetables if possible, so you can choose the quantity that you want. This also reduces packaging waste.
• Think about how/where you store food to keep it fresh for longer
• Make sure you know the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates on food (see below)
• Plan meals and shop for specific ingredients and quantities
• Find tasty recipes for leftovers or food that needs eating quickly

Understanding ‘use-by’ and ‘best-before dates’:

‘Use-by’ dates are to do with food safety and show the date that the food can be eaten up to (midnight on day of the use-by date), unless the food has been cooked or frozen. The food needs to be stored according to the instructions on the label.

‘Best before’ dates are about the quality of the food (not safety). After the ‘best before’ date, the food will still be safe to eat but it may not be at its best. The food needs to be stored  according to the instructions on the label.

You can extend the availability of many foods by preserving them. Perhaps the most obvious method is freezing food, which can be quick, simple and easy to do, e.g. with soft fruit, apples, fresh beans or  tomatoes. There are also many other ways of preserving food to maintain a year-round supply. Here are just a few:

• Bottling/Jarring/Canning (preserving in glass jars, bottles or cans), e.g. fruit.
• Drying, e.g. herbs, apple rings, prunes, tomatoes.
• Salting, e.g. beans, fish.
• Fermenting, e.g. cabbage, cauliflower, root vegetables.
• Preserving in alcohol, e.g. fruit.
• Pickling, e.g. onions, cucumber.
• Making jams, jellies and chutneys (with most fruit and vegetables).
• Storage in dry sand, e.g. carrots, celeriac. A traditional method for large quantities of vegetables, before refrigeration was common.
• Freezing (as mentioned above) e.g. peas, beans, fruits, vegetable puree, soup, some cooked meals.
• Smoking, e.g. fish, garlic.

Why not look up the links below and have a go. You may be surprised at the results

What is “gleaning”

Gleaning is the ancient, traditional practice of going into fields to gather up leftover crops after the harvest. Nowadays, gleaning is often used to harvest any fresh surplus that has been missed or left in fields on farms, in orchards, even allotments and provide this food to those in need.

The Lancashire Gleaning Network

The network is hosted by Eggcup, a local charity that redistributes food to those on lower incomes.

How does it work?

With the agreement of the farmer, coordination and planning; interested volunteers are taken to farms that have surplus crops that either cannot be sold or harvested. These crops are picked and then sent to be redistributed through the local food support network, free of charge.

Eggcup (Eggcup) has sites in Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth, where members come to collect groceries. The “gleaned” crops are offered as part of the fresh groceries. If there is surplus beyond this, it is either distributed to other local groups or sometimes regionally, to charitable partners in Blackpool and Manchester.

What crops are commonly gleaned in this area?

Brasiccas (cauliflower, kale, spring greens and brussel sprouts)

Fruit, particularly apples in autumn

Pumpkins after Halloween

And more………

Why is food on some farms surplus or not harvested?

Not all farms produce a surplus. Where there is a surplus however, it can be due to many things, including;

• changes in popularity of certain varieties
• farmers planning for a poor growing session and therefore growing more than they can sell or are contracted to sell to their buyers
• unrealistic grading requirements from buyers (particularly with large commercial supply contacts)
• farmers not having enough staff, time or money to harvest everything that has been grown, so they may harvest from their most productive fields only and leave the rest

Getting involved with the Lancashire Gleaning Project

To get involved as an individual or work/college group, please get in touch with: jay_cl@eggcup.org. (Jay Godden – Closing Loops Gleaning Coordinator at Eggcup).

Composting harnesses natural processes to turn your unavoidable food waste into a useful compost for soil and plants. There are many ways to compost, from simple plastic bins, hot bins, tumblers, wormeries and fermenting food waste before composting it. There are approaches great for domestic settings, where the compost can be put back onto your garden; or for composting with others in your neighbourhood with community composting schemes.

Reducing food waste is key. This can save you and the council money. Everything we put in our bins has to be collected, processed, distributed and then put somewhere. This carries a financial and environmental cost (see Food Waste section). A lot of food waste can be composted, onion skins, fruit and vegetable peelings and other kitchen scraps can go into a compost bin to be recycled and returned to the soil without travelling far. It can be a win win for you and the soil health of your garden, allotment, window box…….

Composting produces a rich living material great for soils and plants. Another chance to save some money. Compost helps soil and plants in both drought and floods, provides nutrients and sequesters carbon into the ground.

For inspiration on how to start composting visit one of North Lancashire’s composting demonstration sites where you can see different composting methods in action. Each is based in a different setting across the district (see link below). There are also lots of online guides to composting included.