The Pros and Cons of Regenerative Farming

On Monday 27th January, Herefordshire Food Alliance (HFA), Sustainable Ledbury and ourselves joined together to host a showing of the film “Six Inches of Soil”. 

This was followed by a thought-provoking discussion with five local “growers” on the conclusions from the film and the challenges in adopting a more sustainable way of farming.

Cows grazing on grass

Thanks to the many who attended this sell-out event and to HFA for putting together the tasty food featuring local produce from local producers.

A report on the meeting and the outcomes of the discussions can be found at the HFA website at https://herefordshirefoodcharter.org.uk/blog/yet-another-sell-out-on-our-six-inches-of-soil-roadtrip.

You can sign up there to receive regular updates on the Herefordshire food scene and ways you can get more involved.

More about the film “Six Inches of Soil” is available at www.sixinchesofsoil.org/impact-campaign.

Six Inches of Soil

 

Ledbury Celebrates the Ledbury Big Breakfast

Last weekend (Friday 31st January to Sunday 2nd February) breakfasters were out and about to enjoy what was on offer at this year’s Ledbury Big Breakfast.
 
Becoming a “traditional Ledbury event”, we celebrated in winter weather far better than Ledbury has recently experienced.
 
Eggs Benedict at the Seven Stars
Eggs Benedict at the Seven Stars
17 Venues in Ledbury and district took part this time and most venues reported good business – a blessing for the many small businesses joining the event at a difficult time of year.
Dishes on offer for a sit-down breakfast stretched from the full English Breakfast through eggs in many ways, smashed avocado, banana pancakes, purple toast, kippers, Shakshuka and so much more.  What did you enjoy?
 
Dave Waller with the Pinwheel Sausage
Dave Waller with the Pinwheel Sausage
 
Both butchers in town – Gurneys and Wallers – created special breakfast products, and on the Friday, the Country Market served cooked breakfasts at the Burgage Hall.  Local Produce to buy for a breakfast at home also featured at a well-supported Hellens Produce Market on the Saturday, and from our delis in town – Ceci Paolo and Handley Organics.
Ledbury Community Hub added to the celebrations for the first time with a Boozy Brunch and Bingo on Sunday at the Hub.
 
High sheriff and Mayor visit Shell House Kitchen
High sheriff and Mayor visit Shell House Kitchen
The High Sheriff of Herefordshire Patricia Churchward joined the Town Mayor of Ledbury Councillor Stephen Chowns, County Councillor Liz Harvey, local resident Nat Hone, The Town Clerk and members of Ledbury Food Group for breakfast to launch the event.  The High Sheriff and the Mayor then visited a number of businesses taking part.  They also visited the Ledbury Food Bank to learn how this initiative supports those in need in and around Ledbury.
 
Preparing Sandwiches at Blooms
Preparing Sandwiches at Blooms
Our thanks to all the businesses who made this year’s Ledbury Big Breakfast another great success – showing off the quality and variety of Ledbury and district’s local food offering. Thanks too to all who supported the businesses taking part by coming out and finding your breakfast. 
 
Smiles after a busy breakfast at Trumpet Tearoom
Smiles after a busy breakfast at Trumpet Tearoom
Lastly, our apologies to those who were not able to get their first choice on Saturday – sadly there is a limit to capacity in town for this popular event.
 
Your Feedback is welcome at ask@ledburyfoodgroup.com.
  

Ledbury Food Conversation and “Six Inches of Soil”     

The Conversation – We promised to come back to you with the conclusions of an exciting session we held with Herefordshire Food Alliance and Sustainable Ledbury in June as part of the National Food Conversation and Ledbury’s Great Big Green Week.

A well filled Burgage Hall enjoyed a hearty snack of 100% Herefordshire soup, local cheeses, bread and chutneys put us in the mood.  We then got stuck in to conversation about our food system. A video set the scene and we then heard from two local producers about where they are in the ‘food system’.

What do people want? Well, after looking at many things working, and not working about food right now it was pretty hard to whittle down the very many thoughts in the room but a few themes seemed to run across all the tables and chats.

  • Policy change – regulating ultra processed foods, and supporting both independent and local food production. But a clear call for policy to be co-created by ALL of us!
  • Education – for everyone, really, but some talk of schools and also examples of where this is going well locally.
  • Change in supermarket practices – people shared stories of farmers being let down on crops, and prices they’re paid being too low – with a suggestion that changing their practices is something that customers do have some control over.Thanks to everyone who contributed to the conversation – we all learned something from the evening.  Special thanks to Herefordshire Food Alliance for moderating the evening.
  • John Davenport digging
  •  
  • What’s next?

We talked in June about how our food is grown and the fertility of the soil.

We are taking this theme further with a showing of the film “Six Inches of Soil” on the evening of 27th January at the Burgage Hall, Church Lane, Ledbury with partners Herefordshire Food Alliance and Sustainable Ledbury.

This film tells story of remarkable farmers, communities, small businesses, chefs and entrepreneurs who are leading the way using ‘regenerative’ farming techniques that work in harmony with, rather than against nature.  It focuses on local food systems and shorter supply chains.

There will be plenty of opportunity to follow up on the themes of the film with questions and discussion.

There’s more about this film at https://www.sixinchesofsoil.org/story-of-the-film.

Further details of this evening event will be posted nearer the event.

And also for your diary…

The Ledbury Big Breakfast will take place in and around Ledbury over the weekend Friday 31st January, Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd February.  Full details of participants and their offerings will be available here from mid-January.                        

 

Find out more about the National Food Conversation at https://thefoodconversation.uk/

 Ledbury Celebration 2024 beats the Weather!

Early morning rain disappeared in time for everyone to sample this year’s Ledbury Celebration last Sunday (7th July), Ledbury’s celebration of local food and drink with music, poetry and our historic heritage on the last day of the Ledbury Poetry Festival.  Only a short shower intervened.

Held in historic St Katherine’s, Ledbury, including the new St Katherine’s Square area, the event featured 17 local food and drink producers selling both street-food to enjoy on the spot and specialities to take home. 

The entertainment “menu” included poets Freddie Barker, Emma Clowsley and Johnny Fluffypunk.  The Poetry Busker spent the afternoon creating poems on demand on his 1930’s typewriter.

The music “courses” featured Four Crying Out Loud – Ledbury’s own fisherman’s quartet, The Hey Yahs Acoustic trio reviving old classics, Marie McMally enchanting with her sax, and The Banderos rocking the Blues as the start act of Ledbury Fringe week.

The Town Mayor of Ledbury, Councillor Stephen Chowns visited the event, meeting those taking part. 

For youngsters Kid’s Kitchen was on hand encouraging an interest in cooking and for Ledbury residents with good memories Ledbury Carnival mounted an exhibition of “50 years of Carnival” – a reminder for this year’s Carnival on Monday 26th August.

A raffle of prizes generously donated by local businesses raised over £60 for Ledbury Food Bank.

The day was brought to a colourful close by Ledbury Border Morris who demonstrated five traditional dances – in the sun!

This event was a partnership between Ledbury Food Group, Ledbury Poetry, and Ledbury Town Council.

Ledbury Food Group thanks everyone who made this year’s event a success – stallholders, volunteers, organising team, performers, funders and most importantly all those who came to the event.

We welcome feed-back and ideas for this event for the future – contact us at ask@ledburyfoodgroup.org or phone 01531 633637

Celebration 2024 footer image

This event is organised by Ledbury Food Group, Ledbury Poetry and Ledbury Town Council with help from Ledbury Fringe.  It has received £1,500 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  We are also grateful for financial help from Ledbury Town Council and the Herefordshire Community Foundation.

Four Crying Out Loud start the fun
« of 17 »

Ledbury Celebration 2024 – A Date for your Diary 

Ledbury Food Group with its partners Ledbury Poetry Festival and Ledbury Town Council invite you to join us at this year’s Ledbury Celebration on Sunday 7th July.

          

This year’s event will again be held in the historic setting of St Katherine’s, Ledbury by our very special 15th century Master’s House and including Ledbury’s new Town Square area.  The event will include (subject to confirmation):

  • An outdoor food and drink market featuring the best of local produce and street food from the Three Counties for you to enjoy at the event or take home. We hope for as good a show as last time when nearly 20 local vendors took part.
  • “Al fresco” poetic entertainment provided by Ledbury Poetry as part of their festival
  • Outdoor musical entertainment featuring local musicians
  • Other stalls and attractions

It’s the last day of Ledbury Poetry Festival so there’s lots going on.

The event will run from 11am to 4pm with entertainment from 12 noon.

As in previous years the Ledbury Celebration will be a free public event thanks to grant funding by benefactors, including Ledbury Town Council.

If you are a locally based food producer or local street-food vendor using local produce and are interested in a stall at the event please contact us at ledburycelebration@gmail.com.

       

Please contact us if you would like to help us setting up, stewarding or setting down after the event – Griff at 01531 633637.   Your help makes these events smooth-running and successful – even an hour or two helps.

More information about the food market, other attendees, performers and the performance schedule will be available on our website nearer the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apples are big in Much Marcle! Harvestime is here…

Cider presses are gearing up for action in this corner of Herefordshire, and Big Apple venues are standing by to welcome visitors to the Marcle Ridge on  Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th October

The apple harvest will be in full swing – no matter which way you turn in Much Marcle, apples are everywhere!  Not to mention pears – perry pears of course. 

Nine familiar Big Apple venues, including Woodredding, Lyne Down, Pope’s Perry, Hellens, Gregg’s Pit and Awnells Farm, alongside regular attractions at Westons Cider, are waiting to welcome visitors to enjoy the orchards, see, hear and smell cider being made and taste many different varieties of apples, local ciders, perries and apple juices.  And don’t miss apple teas at the Memorial Hall! 

This year’s highlights include:

  • The ever popular ‘high-altitude’ tutored cider tastings on the Marcle Ridge
  • Giving a hand to press perry pears from the ancient avenue at Hellens Manor
  • Wheeling along with the Big Apple Bike Ride.
  • The National Fruit Show Education Team making their first visit, tickling taste buds with an apple challenge at Hellens.
  • Practical sessions on tool sharpening, the chance to buy refurbished garden tools and a talk from agronomist Matt Greep on apple pests and diseases – a ‘must’ for those who like to do things for themselves
  • Bill Laws sharing some of the pomological secrets behind his forthcoming book about the Herefordshire Pomona.
  • Tasty food offers and musical interludes including Uke Can’t Be Serious and Leominster Morris will be found in and around the orchards.

Apples on tree

Full details of venues and special events, and advance booking where required, can be found at https://www.bigapple.org.uk/harvestime/

The Big Apple is delighted to be working alongside others this year to place apples right at the heart of Herefordshire under the umbrella of Hereford AppleFest.

Go Gleaning with Sustainable Ledbury this October

Sustainable Ledbury has been involved in setting up a fruit gleaning project with Herefordshire Food Alliance.  The aim is to make use of fruit which is not harvested for various reasons.  There are two locations for the project, one Ledbury based and one Hereford based.  Details are as follows.

1st October – Ledbury picking day 11am – 3pm. Sites in and around Ledbury to be confirmed.

6th October – Hereford Picking day, Lower House Farm, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust reserve near Cock of Tupsley, HR1 1UT. 11am – 3pm

8th October – Ledbury preserving and community cooking day, preserving the harvest for Ledbury Food Bank at Pot and Page community hub, New Street 11am – 3pm

14th October – Hereford preserving and community cooking day at the Living Room, 10 Commercial Road, HR1 2BB 11am – 3pm

Lunch will be provided on each day.  Please bring your own mug for soup on the picking days as there won’t be kitchen facilities available! 

Red apples

Transport to venues:

Transport will be provided from Ledbury to go to the picking locations away from the town.

Lower House Farm Orchard, Hereford is accessible by public transport with the 420, 469 and 476 from Hereford bus station stopping at the Cock of Tupsley pub, a 10 minute walk from the orchard. There is also a car park for those coming by car. The Hereford community bus may be available for those without transport and to bring the apples back to the Living Room in the afternoon.

The preserving and cooking days are in central town or city locations and they encourage the use of public transport where possible.  However there are large car parks nearby if coming by car.

Please contact Ruth Pullan 07951 399176 or ruthpullan@hotmail.co.uk to register as a volunteer. The organisers need to know numbers so they can make arrangements for refreshments on each day and to have enough equipment available.

If you have spare fruit, particularly near Ledbury, then this could be picked on the 1st October if a large quantity, or you can  bring smaller amounts to Pot and Page on the 8th October.

These promise to be fun events which will also help the community. The produce from the Ledbury is destined to go to the Ledbury Food Bank. Thanks to a grant obtained by HFA, they have a new freezer.

If you know of anyone who might be interested, please share this information with them.

Apples again