Finding the Plot: Access to land for food growing groups in urban areas

Report and workshop notes from an event jointly organised by Sustain's Local Action on Food network and The Women's Environmental Network, organised to facilitate knowledge exchange and skills acquisition, for community groups and individuals that are facing challenges in finding land for community food production.

The day included:

• Talks from experts and keynote speaker Rosie Boycott, chair of the London Food Board and food advisor to the Mayor of London
• An exclusive tour of the Reading International Solidarity Centre (RISC) with its wonderful edible roof garden
• An afternoon programme of specific workshops and sessions covering issues such as planning constraints, site management, project sustainability and more.

Report contents

• Introduction: Myles Bremner of Garden Organic
• Keynote speech: Rosie Boycott, Chair of the London Food Board, reflecting on the benefits of food growing, and examining pioneering UK projects in the UK and abroad, including:
  • Capital Growth
  • Let’s Go, Let’s Grow: Edgware Estate
  • Global Generation at King’s Cross Station
  • Grant Park Vegetable Garden: Chicago
  • Project Buywell
• Presentation by Mikey Tompkins, University of Brighton: An edible urban landscape: Researching and testing the adaptation of social and physical space in contemporary cities
• Presentation by Vic Else, Director, Brighton & Hove Food Partnership: Using Local Authority Land
• Presentation by Jane Lucy, Land Share: Approaching Landowners
• Attendee presentations:
  • Leon Ballin: Grow Sheffield
  • Helen Wright: True Food Club
  • Mark Hillyer: Mortimer Green Group
  • Dave Richards: RISC edible roof garden and international education programme
• Workshop notes:
  • Access to Land for All
  • Managing volunteers
  • Site Sustainability
  • Training
  • Site Management
  • Planning
  • Landbanks