Notice from Capital Growth - Local Lead Funding

Capital Growth Local Lead Funding

We have announced an exciting new opportunity for groups that already are, or would like to, run local food growing networks. Read on to find out more.
Applications from suitable organisations are invited, for a chance to receive up to £1000 per borough towards costs for being a Capital Growth Local Lead organisation. We envisage that this may fit with current activities for a number of organisations and enhance the activities you are able to deliver, or for others it may provide the opportunity to launch a network. 
In particular we are encouraging community-based organisations to apply and would expect suitable organisations to already have links within their local area or to have started to build relations with local groups.
Please visit the website for more information, guidance notes and to download the application form. Deadline for submission is Friday14th January but we will be inviting further applications later in the year for boroughs where suitable organisations have not been identified.
 
The Capital Growth team

The first rule of Fink Club is....

Last night I attended another NEF event at the Hub in Kings Cross. They previewed their latest animation entitled ‘Who will tame the giant vampire squid?’ (view the animation at http://www.neweconomics.org/press-releases/who-will-tame-the-giant-vampire-squid )

A catchy title, the evening was devoted to sharing ideas about the best ways to address the current economic malaise we find ourselves in. Some great ideas, passionate viewpoints and questions were aired during the debate but that is not what I want to draw attention to.

The discussion was called a ‘fink club’ and in common with many debates had some invited speakers to put forward their views on the subject to hand. But what was different about this format was they had a strict time limit to say their piece before a bell was rung and they had to give way to the next speaker. These invited speakers opened the debate but things were quickly opened up to anyone present to contribute. Likewise they too had a set amount of time to say what they wanted and then had to give way to the next person, although there was no obligation to use all the time available.

The event was chaired by Andrew Simms of NEF who did a great job of ensuring that all that wanted had a chance to speak. Each speaker came into a central space so they addressed their comments to all present and the audience gave them room to say their bit without being heckled or interrupted. If you wanted to say something you raised you hand and came into the centre when invited.

The event had a real energy about it with many great contributions but the important aspect was all contributors were treated equally. Even though there were invited ‘experts’ it was not just their views being aired and the direction of the debate was very much led by the audience. It felt truly democratic.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this format to facilitate lively but civilised public discussions. It does require a strong and attentive chair to ensure fair play but other than that you just need a space where the audience can hear the speakers and of course an enthusiastic audience. It is also important the atmosphere is positive and encouraging; it takes confidence to stand up in front of people so this should be made as easy as possible. It is important it remains ‘fink’ club and does not become ‘fight’ club.

I could see this format being useful in a number of situations and not just for debating opinions. It could equally be used for drawing out and capturing ideas or question and answer sessions.

So be warned, I’m up for another ‘fink’ club bout anyone fancy it!

Ooh ah Cantona

You may have read over the weekend about Eric Cantona's latest interview in which he called for people to withdraw their cash from their banks en mass. The Guardian reported it here. The film of the interview has become a You Tube hit and spawned a campaign for a protest withdrawal.

Some commentators have pointed out that such a protest would have little affect because of the limited funds high street banks actually carry and that it would have no impact on the investment banks that were instrumental in causing the current crisis. Fair point, but there is a clear piece of direct action you can take if you are disgruntled with you bank, assuming of course you bank with one of the 'big' names. Switch you account to an ethical based bank operating on a mutual or cooperative basis, or a local Credit Union. This is a clear message you can send out to support the move toward a responsible and fair financial system.

Supporting a Credit Union is particularly beneficial as it is their aim to bring affordable credit facilities to the poorer members of our communities who are often denied access to conventional banking and are forced into the hands of loan sharks and other forms of highly undesirable money lending outfits. There is a move to establish a Credit Union in Haringey and you can pledge your support for it here.

So go on strike a blow for fair banking, support your local Credit Union and put your money where your mouth is!

Church Farm, Ardeley's 'More than a Box' Scheme

There’s a farm called Misery, but of that we’ll have none
Because we know of one
That’s always lots of fun (Ha ha!)
And this one’s name is Jollity; believe me, folks, it’s great
For everything sings out to us as we go through the gate

All the little pigs, they grunt and howl etc, etc

 

Yes indeed, Church Farm is a jolly farm.  If you visit, you will meet the farm you once knew from childhood stories and games.  Animals graze on fields planted with a well tried mix of grasses and flowers, creating a rich mosaic of colour and textures.  Glancing through a hedge to the field next door, the contrast is striking: all there is to see is the uniform expanse of an industrial monoculture.

The farm covers 175 acres which includes 30 acres of woods, 10 acres of orchard, and 2 acres of nesting grounds.  There are around 150 sheep, cows and pigs, and the farm, which is also a family business, prides itself on its long tradition of rearing rare breeds.  The number of poulty is in the thousands, but here again the hens and turkeys are allowed to range freely in designated places such as the orchard. One of the delights of the farm is the piglets, who can be seen playing and scrapping with each other in the feeding area. As the visitors leave, the hope is that they will have been reminded of the very real connection between land and food.

In the meantime, there is a farm called Misery.  It hasn't been built yet but the planning permission for Nocton 'Mega Dairy' in Lincolnshire was passed yesterday, with the concession that they will have 3,770 cows instead of the 8,100 of the original proposal. These cows will rarely see a blade of grass. The intensive system leaves them open to many health problems, including lameness, mastitis and bacterial infections.They will be expected to produce 10,000 or more litres of milk each per year.  In energy terms, that is the same as a human being running a half marathon every day for ten months of the year.

Compassion in World Farming are running a campaign to raise awareness of this first attempt at industrial farming and you can contact them on the address below.  But you can also choose to source your food from a place whose aim is to 'treat the land, wildlife and animals, as they should be treated, and grow great food'. 

You can find out more about the Church Farm and Crouch End box scheme by popping into the Haberdashery, Middle Lane on Thursday between 5.30 and 7pm.

For more information on the Church Farm Box Scheme: http://www.churchfarmardeley.co.uk/farmstoreandcafe/gallery/tailoryourbox.html

For more information on the Nocton Dairies:
http://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/beef_and_dairy_farming/nocton_dairies_new_application.aspx
The lyrics are from the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.

Apprentice RCA Meadow Orchard - a personal view

Unfortunately I wasn't able to come to the splendid bonfire the night before but I was there for the presentation the next morning. On Monday night Richard and I had talked to the RCA students and listened to their ideas so far: for example, an arch to take visitors into the different areas. We discussed the rich diversity of the site and told them how Mary Hogan in her nature walks was so successful in encouraging us to pause and quietly experience the different spaces. We all felt that a sign, listing what could be seen, was too prescriptive and it was more magical to have a hint of the wildlife that could be found. We also mentioned the Table on the Marsh (see separate blog) which was such a wonderful image of community coming together.

When I came in daylight on Saturday I loved so much of what they had done. For me, peeping at the Meadow Orchard through the outer door is like looking into a Secret Garden. Viewing the fire pit and seating area, framed by the willow arch, kept that sense of mystery but at the same time invited me in. The table had been moved to beneath a tree, and a chandelier, made from jars and a bicycle wheel, suspended from the branches. Its new position beside the fire pit (or kitchen area) for me strengthened the idea of a living and working space.

The map at the entrance made from recycled wood and roofing felt indicated the different areas and led us to wonder what the Wishing Tree or the Wilderness would be. As we toured the site, we noted the practical use of fencing to make a wood store, reflecting the site ethos of recycling and resourcefulness. But what enchanted me most were the features that made me pause. The Wishing Tree was indeed magical: made from slices of oak and strung with hempen twine, it reminded me of the trees beside wells in Ireland which are hung with pieces of cloth (sometimes made of material that will not biodegrade in a hundred years). And there were chairs to sit on and swing on, allowing us to rest and observe. We finished by going out through another living arch, that ended the tour and completed the journey.

So well done RCA students, Bethany and Jo. The Meadow Orchard Project is such as multifarious site, but it seems to me you have succeeded in communicating its special quality through the features you have added and the journey you have created.

Where did our money go?

I was recently at an event organised by New Economics Foundation (NEF) entitled ‘Where did our money go?’ It was most refreshing to be among so many people that are not only talking about the problems with our economic system but are also interested in real solutions. This was a discussion going way beyond the stock answers of how to stimulate the economy; how to get people to buy more stuff and the never-ending mantra of pursue economic growth at all costs.
It got me thinking about what is at the heart of Transition and what is the primary issue and the expression that came to mind was ‘it’s the economy stupid’. Much effort is devoted to relating Transition to climate change and peak oil and these are important issues, but are they the issues that matter most to the majority of people? They may become issues that loom large in all our lives in the near future, but right now is this the best way to engage people in the debate of how our future societies should look?
Most people’s primary preoccupation is the economy. It is in the news everyday; it determines if they will still have a job in the future; how much their food will cost; what quality of life they can expect for themselves and their loved ones. If we want to have a conversation that is relevant to most people, then it needs to focus on these concerns about the economy. We need to offer alternative views that challenge the status quo. Argue that the system we are all tied into is a form of collective madness that we have become so used to, we seem incapable of questioning it. Like the consequences of keeping cider in lead lined storage jars before we became aware of the dangers of brain damage, we are all wandering around like global village idiots, grateful for anything that is dished out.
We need to come to our senses and see the true picture; it’s not enough for a few of us to opt out of the system when that is not a viable option for everyone. We need a new economic model that works for everyone and these are the options being researched and advocated by NEF. It is my belief that anyone involved in Transition Initiatives should make the effort to acquaint themselves with these ideas. Promoting these concepts may well be the best opening gambit with the majority of people whose main concern in life is how to make ends meet.

Any vision of a sustainable future needs to be one that can be seen by all and not the private fantasy of a few long term greenies. Without that popular appeal no real change will happen. The more people there are talking about these ideas the more interesting it all becomes to the media and consequently to our political leaders. We need to generate that grassroots demand for change and a different way of viewing the world. It would be naïve to think we can achieve this social shift without the political establishment being behind it just as it would be naive of them to think they can promote policy that does not have popular support. In order to attract the interest of the political establishment we need to capture the attention of the media and in order to attract the attention of the media we need a critical mass of people engaged with the Transition concept.
So the question is: how do we get enough people interested? For me, the initial hook should be that the alternative solutions we are proposing make economic sense to people. They need to be able to afford to make these changes. There is little point suggesting growing your own food to someone who has to work 60 hours a week just to pay the bills. They need to address the work issue first so for that person viable employment options in a local green economy are of far greater interest than volunteering on their local community growing project. A second and equally important way that we may be able to capture people’s interest is on the wellbeing issue. The alternatives we are proposing will lead to healthier and more fulfilling lifestyles and I get the distinct feeling there is an appetite out there for more meaning and value in peoples’ lives.
We need to be ready with ideas and solutions that make sense to others so it is imperative we think beyond our own lives and concerns and put ourselves in the shoes of the people we hope to convince. Unless we have clear answers ready that resonate with those people’s lives and concerns, then the conversation will not last long enough to secure their attention.

So my advice is get acquainted with these alternative economic ideas, talk them over with other people involved in you Transition initiative and let's be ready with some convincing answers when those conversations occur. Anyone up for an economics workshop? Don’t all rush at once!


Read more about NEF at: http://www.neweconomics.org/

Read about the above event and listen to an audio recording at: http://neweconomics.org/blog/2010/10/28/podcast-where-did-our-money-go-at-the-southbank-centre

Waste - the New Weed

Skills Share - Sunday 7 November 2.00-4.30

Tottenham Chances, 399 High Road 

We're going to be knitting plastic bags on Sunday!

Some frightening facts about Plastic

• Worldwide, plastic bag consumption = 1 million bags per minute
• Approximately 7 billion pounds of plastic trash floats about 500 nautical miles of the Californian coast, creating its own little island of filth.
• An estimated 12 million barrels of oil are required to feed America's hundred-billion- plastic-bags-a-year fix.
• Plastic bags are not biodegradable.  It takes a thousand years for one plastic bag to break down.
• Every year, hundreds of thousands of sea animals die from ingesting plastic bags mistaken for food.

Source: AwareKnits (Howel and Armstrong, 2009)

So plastic bags are bad. 

But work done by the NGO Kare4Kenya in Kawangware, one of the many slum areas of Nairobi, tells a different story. The aim was to clean up the area and use the plastic bags to make beach bags, thus creating part-time work for mothers, who were normally unemployed. 

A YouTube video shows the women scouring heaps of rubbish for plastic bags to empty, sort and clean, not an easy task as you can see from the pictures. (Due to the lack of communal toilets, many of these bags are likely to have contained human waste.) Yet at the end these nasty, manky pieces are transformed into stunning crocheted hats and bags.

When the women go to the rubbish dump, are they scavenging or foraging?  Is their life so despicable, this unseemly, dirty activity is their only way of living?  Or it might just be that they actively value what is so easily discarded; it is a free resource which actually earns them money.

Perhaps it is the placing of the plastic that is the problem.  In organic gardening, a weed is just 'a plant in the wrong place.'  The same can be said of waste.  No one would want to rifle a rubbish tip.  Yet plastic bags and bottles carefully stashed for creative ventures are a different matter. 

And with diminishing oil resources, plastic may well become a precious commodity.  So as in the recent Transition Crouch End blogspot about chutney, it all comes down to a question of value.  To return to the women of Africa, that value can be monetary. In our society, knitting plastic gives people a chance to acquire new skills, using material that is essentially expendable.  Mistakes don't count and the experience is invaluable.

We may revile a global inequality that means people have to resort to rubbish for a living: while we play with plastic, they work.  Nevertheless their ingenuity and resourcefulness reminds us that 'waste' is a value-laden term.  It is a label that can be easily soaked off.

What price a jar of chutney?

Here's a problem.

We sold chutney at our recent Apple Day.  It was made from donated apples, store cupboard ingredients and green tomatoes from the HVCC Kitchen Garden that otherwise would have gone to waste. A jar of the same quantity of locally produced chutney retails in Budgens at £2.   

These were the options:  

0.00p - the ingredients were all free (donated or waste)

£2.00 - the same amount of chutney as the Budgens' jar, therefore the same price

£2.50 - same as above but with a recipe included

£3.00 - the chutney was made with love, care and attention.  Also we know where the ingredients come from - note a Belgian beer is twice the price if it comes from a particular monastery.

£1,00- being handmade is not necessarily a good thing - was a strict hygiene regime followed?

0.50p - we made too much - sell it off!

So what do you think we should have charged?  And why?  It did taste nice...

Steering Group Minutes 28.10.10

Transition Crouch End (TCE) Steering Group Meeting

Thursday 28 October 2010, The Maynard

Present: Rebecca, Richard, Andy, Gillian, Tilly, Bethany, Jo

Apologies:  George, Rachel, Cathrina, Kate

Minutes of last meeting agreed

Agenda

1. Apple Day Debriefing
2. Growing Spaces – Stroud Green Library and Hornsey Vale Kitchen Garden
3. Church Farm CSA
4. Apprentice RCA
5. Up and Coming Events
6. Governance
7. Communications
8. Any other business

1. Apple Day at HVCC on 16 October 2010

What went well -

the numbers (approx 400); the timing – a seasonal event just before Halloween; the variety of apples; John Selborne’s  talk and Sarah Moore’s, cookery demonstration; the sale of  produce;  the sustainable values in the café; Food Programme’s Sheila Dillon’s presence, the pre-event apple pressing in Crouch End, possibly at the Town Hall.  The event, after café monies were divided three ways, generated £179 for TCE Funds.

What didn’t go so well-

There was some confusion over allocation of tables.

The position of the apple press in the centre of the room was a little hazardous.

It was difficult to hear the demonstration.

The café signage and pricing could have been clearer.

Action:

Next year’s Apple Day will be Saturday 15 October 2011 with a public apple pressing in Crouch End on Saturday 18 September 2011.

 TCE will lead on the organisation of Apple Day, including the refreshments, layout of the space, with a quiet zone.  The map should be used to book tables before the event.  The apple press will be placed either in a corner or another room. 

2. Growing Spaces

Stroud Green Library

A regular group meets on Saturday and records tasks completed or to do in a logbook.  Fifteen different types of salad have been planted and the shady area mulched; there are plans to grow food in tractor tyres from the farms.   The library have been very supportive and offered a notice board to display transition events.  The project featured  in the 21 October edition of the Ham and High.

Hornsey Vale Kitchen Garden

Due to bookings in the centre, it has been difficult to set up a regular monthly workday.  Once this is established Rachel has offered to leaflet her street to muster more interest. Tilly has researched the cost of signage and a noticeboard.

Note there is a workday at the Harold Road Community Garden (the Police Station Plot) on Saturday 30 October 10-1pm.

Action:

Both projects intend to apply for Capital Growth grants:  the deadline is Monday 8 November. Tilly and Richard will finalise HVCC bid after the Management Meeting on Thursday 4 November.

3. Church Farm CSA

There are fifteen weekly boxes delivered to Crouch End but the scheme needs 25 to be sustainable.  One problem is potential customers would prefer to have the boxes delivered.  The social side of the CSA has been successful and Rebecca and Church Farm’s Becca have talked with Haberdashery Café about meeting there till 7pm.  Massimo is also happy to let people use the garden for stalls.

Action

Talk to Food Cycle about sharing delivery scheme. (Rebecca, Gillian)

Encourage at least one other person to join the scheme.

Create a membership scheme, possibly paid or a Googlegroup.

Organise a designated CSA meeting to discuss this.

4. Apprentice RCA

MA students from the RCA are on a weeklong two-site project:  looking at communication  between the Meadow Orchard Project and Hornsey PCT, and working with traders in Wards Corner, Tottenham.  The project will run from Monday to Saturday and will be based in the GreenLens Studio, N4. 

Action:  Richard and Gillian will participate in the Monday evening presentations.  Rebecca will collaborate with the students on Bonfire Night .

 Everyone is invited to the final presentations on Saturday 6 November at the Meadow Orchard Project.

5. Up and Coming Events

See link to Google Calendar- https://www.google.com/calendar/render?tab=mc

Just log in as Transitioncrouchend@gmail.com and use the normal password.

We would also like to offer a fundraising event, a table top sale. early next year, with the possibility of a café space for people to share ideas about community projects.

Gillian is also planning a ‘Not the CV’ workshop looking at skills needed for a post peak oil future.

Action: Confirm with George, if projector is needed for Transition Uncut

Tilly to confirm date of Table Top Sale with HVCC

6. Governance

      Good idea to have an AGM with a communal lunch, either in January or February next year to reform    
     the core group. 

Action: Arrange date with HVCC

7. Communications

There needs to be a meeting to discuss the website and other issues around communication.

Action: Gillian and Tilly to convene, with possibly Jo Angel

8. Any other business

 Foodcycle have now opened a community café at the Station House on Stapleton Hall Road.  They  open Friday 12-2.30pm.

Date of the next meeting:  7pm Monday 6 December  2010 – venue tbc

Table on the Marsh

I have just been inspired by a table and chairs! Not an expression you hear every day but it’s true.

Just off Coppermill lane on Hackney marshes a new feature has been added to the landscape. Called the Table on the Marsh, it takes the idea of alfresco dining to a whole new dimension. It is a dining table complete with benches and chairs that can sit 20 people, but it is not just any table and chairs. It is a thing of beauty. Hand crafted by carpenter Giles Thaxton and designed by architect Tabitha Pope, with design element informed through workshops with local people. The idea for the project came from Alexandra Parry and was achieved through funding from the Lea Valley Park and UnLtd. See their website: http://www.tableonthemarsh.co.uk/dining_table_home.html

I just think this is such a delightful concept, a piece of functional community art that doubles as a communal gathering space. It is the sort of thing every community open space would gain from and I would love to see something similar in my local park.

I am not advocating replicating the object but taking inspiration from this project. Each community would come up with a design that suited their desires and the space where the table was to be sited. The finished object would be a focus for the pride of that community and a physical representation of the collaborative spirit that exists. Furthermore it would provide a venue for community and private celebrations as well as a local landmark.

So if like me you are inspired by this idea and would like to see something similar in your local community space, why not try and make it happen? It could be just the project your community has been waiting for to involve people in.

See more pictures of this table here: http://picasaweb.google.com/mr3peaks/TableOnTheMarsh?feat=directlink

Paste this link into your browser to view this web album.

We are all in this together; whether we like it or not!

With the release of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review the media is full of talks of cuts and speculation on how different social groups or individuals will be affected. Appropriately there is concern expressed across the media on how the poorer sections of society and particularly those on welfare benefits will fare as a result of these public spending reductions. However what I want to consider is not what these cuts will mean to your economic circumstances but how they will affect your wellbeing.

Unless you are living ‘of grid’ and totally removed from the wider society or as thick skinned as a Hippo, your wellbeing is likely to be compromised. Even if your circumstances remain unchanged you will be witness to others misfortune. Being social animals we find it impossible to ignore the sufferings of others, even if we choose to do nothing about it. So the prospect of significant job losses, removal of benefit entitlements and the loss of vital public services is surely going to leave all of us the poorer, emotionally if not economically.

This being the case, it begs the question why do we place so much importance on material wealth let alone remain fixated on evaluating ourselves on an individual basis. These cuts, we are continually told, are necessary to get our ailing economy back on track; to eradicate the deficit. But what measures are we putting in place to ensure we never again find ourselves in the position of having to impose so much misery on our fellow citizens? We need the economy to grow so we can then all enjoy prosperity and stability. But how is that going to be the case? Is that what we had before the current financial crisis? I have lost count of the number of recessions and economic upturns I have lived through, so why is this event any different? Surely we are just regrouping until the next crisis befalls us. The need here is not to rebalance the economy but to fundamentally rethink both how we organise it and what it is for.

It is a very basic concept; we live on a planet with finite resources and we are very well aware of that fact, but we persist with a system that is based on the premise that we can carry on growing our economy indefinitely with that very growth dependant on the everlasting supply of natural resources. It doesn’t make sense and it’s time we admitted it.

It is my belief that at the heart of this dilemma is how we value ourselves. We have confused material wealth with wellbeing and focus too much of our (non-renewable) energies on trying to attain it. But more importantly, it is not just the pursuit of wealth that matters. It is our relative wealth in comparison to those around us that is the most vital yardstick. Material wealth and material poverty are inexplicably linked and logically you cannot eradicate poverty unless you also eradicate wealth. It’s a battle we simply can’t win.

So what is needed is for us (as a society not just as an individual) to redefine what we mean by wealth and what it is we value in ourselves and others. That takes us back to the beginning of this piece where I suggested how we shall all be affected by the proposed spending cuts. As social animals what we should be valuing is how well we relate to our society. We gain much more from acting collectively than as individuals and it more than compensates for any compromise to our individual freedom. Most of the benefits we enjoy as humans come from our ability to cooperate and collaborate so why do we persist in measuring ourselves by such an arbitrary gauge as material wealth. The people we aspire to emulate should be those who enjoy the greatest satisfaction from their lives, not those who have managed to accumulate material wealth by whatever means.

We should value ourselves (and others) for how we contribute to our communities and our connectedness with our families, friends and neighbours. For as social animals, it is through this route we gain genuine wellbeing. In addition it is through this collaboration that we are most likely to create the opportunities that will take us toward the sustainable future we need to bring about to ensure our collective survival.

When I mention I am part of a Transition Initiative I am often asked what is ‘Transition’. Well for me it is that process that we must go through to reassess our value judgements and redefine what we mean by true wealth. While this will inevitably lead to some personal soul searching, this is not something we can do as individuals. We must share our thoughts and ideas and listen carefully to the thoughts of others. What may then emerge is a collective solution to the threats we face, which is based on a collective wisdom.

Listen to BBC Radio 4 Food Programme every week!

I was shocked to learn that several sustainable food enthusiasts do not listen to the Food Programme, the usual explanation being that they never listen to radio. I find it hard to imagine how different my life would be if I hadn't followed this informative and stimulating programme for many years. I prefer radio to TV because you can do other things at the same time. It's every Sunday at 12.30, repeated Mondays at 4pm. If you're more into listening to iPod on the bus, you can download the food program via iTunes.

Anyway, the programme's presenter, Sheila Dillon, kindly accepted my invitation to pop in to our Apple Day. She stayed for almost two hours, met and talked to several people, and I think was impressed and interested. She is now in Italy for a few days attending an international Slow Food event, as is Sarah Moore, and also Sam Henderson of our CSA "More Than a Box Scheme". Let's hope they all find each other there.

Apple Day 2010

Crouch End's second annual Apple Day on 16 October 2010 attracted over 400 people.  They came to drink apple juice, fresh from the press, and to taste over a dozen different varieties of English apples and pears.  Children were encouraged to press their own juice, take part in the Longest Peel Competition and make vegetable monsters, which could later be turned into nutritious soup. 

Other attractions included a cookery demonstration by the sustainable caterer, Sarah Moore.  Her first demonstration used green tomatoes from the Hornsey Vale Kitchen Garden, a vegetable garden grown entirely in recycled car tyres.  Her second was a delicious recipe, made from quince from Blackmoor Farm, who also provided the tasting apples, and fifty examples of older varieties.

John Selborne, the owner of the estate, provided the highlight of the event.  His talk on the origins of the apple showed how all the apples we eat today come from just one species of wild apple in the Tien Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan.  Previously it was thought that modern apples were the result of hybridising between different wild apple species, but recent research has discovered that  our domestic apples such as Golden Delicious are indistinguishable from the wild apple, Malus sieversii.  The wild apple is polymorphous, which means it can adapt easily to circumstances, a very useful trait, since the mountain terrain is unstable and the climate can be  harsh.  A good example of this resilience is the sweet, red apple, which emerged because bears like eating that kind of fruit and their digestive systems provide a fine fertiliser...

In this Year of Biodiversity, John Selborne made an important point about protecting the millions of trees that form these ancient apple woods.   Cutting down the trees to fuel factories and developing land for crops all threaten this rich resource.  John Selborne emphasised the point:  ‘If you are looking for a breeding programme, where we can exploit the diversity of the apple, we must above all protect these original apple woods.’

The overwhelming turnout and enthusiastic response to the talk are indications of Crouch End’s residents’ appetite for food, that is diverse, distinctive and above all things, local.