Newsletter April 2007
Fairchild's Green Shop - a new shop selling organic, fair trade and environmentally friendly goods
Fairchild’s Green Shop sells organic fruit and vegetables, with as much as possible being sourced locally and seasonally. It also stocks a wide range of organic and/or fairly traded food, drinks, clothing and bedding, plus environmentally friendly household products.
There is also a delivery service within the Scarborough area; for a small charge, customers can have their order delivered to the door in an LPG-powered van.
Owner Chris Fairchild says that the aim is to supply people with as much organic and fairly traded produce as possible under one roof a one-stop green shop if you like, helping to leave a smaller footprint on the environment.
The shop is open from 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday with delivery available on Friday.
Fairchild’s Green Shop is at 35 Victoria Road, Scarborough (near The CheeseBoard).
Tel: 01723 - 381000
Campaign to stop GM spuds - petition and rally
Three years ago, the British public won the battle against Genetically Modified (GM) crops being grown in the UK. Our countryside is now free of GM crops, but one company is attempting to recommence GM field trials here. This spring, the German-based chemical company BASF, intends to plant GM potatoes at two locations, one at Girton in Cambridgeshire and another at Hedon, near Hull.
To maintain the successes achieved over the past decade, it is vital that these two trials are stopped. There is no room for complacency. If we act together now, we can keep our fields GM free, but if we allow the trials go ahead unhindered the commercial growing of GM crops in the British countryside is very likely to follow
Its time to tell the biotech companies there is still no future for GM in the UK.
Hedon Against GM is a local group campaigning to stop this happening. Visit http://www.hedonagainstgm.org.uk to find out more about the campaign, sign a petition and join the email list to be kept informed.
GM Free Potato Picnic - 21st April
Meet at Preston Road Community Centre at 1pm to hear speakers and then walk to the proposed trial site where there will be an organic picnic. www.mutatoes.org
Some of us will be going to the Rally on Saturday. If anyone would like to travel to Hull with us, do get in touch. 01723 37 55 33.
Local food and Scarborough Borough Council
The Final Report of the Sustainable Procurement of Food and Beverages Task Group was accepted at the Corporate Strategy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 21 March. This is excellent news because if means that there will be more fairly traded and local food available in the Scarborough area. The following recommendations are of particular interest to us:
Recommendation 5
That future tender procedures incorporate a weighted assessment to ensure that the use of local food, Fairtrade products and other sustainability issues are evaluated and considered in the tendering process.
Recommendation 6
That future tender processes proactively enable small local businesses to put themselves forward for consideration, e.g. by splitting contracts into smaller lots and by organising pre-tender workshops for potential suppliers.
Recommendation 9
That the potential for an “open day” for suppliers and buyers, which could be held at the Scarborough Spa Complex in the autumn of 2007 to help with the promotion of local food use, be further investigated.
Many thanks to Councillor Jonathan Dixon who chaired the committee and pulled this report together. You can download the full report, which includes the very encouraging recommendations about adopting fair trade goods.
Local Food for Free
Now's the time to forage for some fine fresh green leaves.
Nettles.This is a good recipe for young nettle tops. Ricotta and Nettle Gnocchi - http://www.rivercottage.net/SeasonalRecipes/Default.aspx?artid=711&cid=140
Ramsons (sometimes know as Wild Garlic) are abundant in the woods and excellent in omelettes, salads, and peanut butter sandwiches.
Happy eating
Madeleine