Thanks to Alison for this news about a new CIC. Details of related upcoming events over on our events listings. Ed
With recent crop failures, food scandals, and economic woes, we feel that a resilient local food web is not only needed, but is now a necessity due to the exposure of a none dependable system of over complexity.
We care about food, how it was grown, where it comes from, it’s quality, it’s availability, and equal access to it.
Luckily for us there have been visionaries hard at work developing new, and sometimes old techniques that are dependable and resilient, this is why we favour a smaller and more diverse smallholding approach that’s also regenerative by their very design and method, this shall lead on to employment, creativity, and security. The practitioners of these skills really are at the cutting edge of ancient observation coupled with modern design and science.
Sharing methods and skills
We’d like to start rolling out these methods and encourage productive new skills for the entire community.
We would also like to engage with the farming community in bringing our relationships with producer and consumer to a personal level, the creation of community owned farms, such as Fordhall farm (which boasts it’s ownership of 8000 landlords) in Shropshire, will be an educational asset, and social hub that any community can be proud of.
Not for profit system
GIFT is a not for profit system allowing constant community reinvestment in regeneration that keeps funds within the community, it’s open to anyone to get involved in and be a part of and will appreciate participation on every level, everyone has something to offer.
We envisage community farms in at least every parish, assets acquired shall be locked for the long term benefit of generations to come.
To get underway we’re going to need initial investment and collaboration, GIFT is embryonic and experience across all spectrums will be required.
Tackling the issue of land
Land is the most important thing at this stage, and donations of land, or peppercorn rents would be fantastic. On purchasing land we’re very aware of the costs, however, if we pool our resources together then things are achievable, we see no reason why large scale community owned land systems cannot be viable, and this notion is gathering pace.
Yes it takes funds, but your investment is returned to you in terms of real worth, such as good food, education, community bonds, employment, creativity and culture to name but a few, so the funds are recycled into local regenerative well being with long term security, as opposed to short term external monetary profit that’s extracted away from localities.
All help greatly received
You can obtain food shares for your investment, or simply donate in good will, Patronage is welcomed, as is philanthropy, we shall be seeking funding from sources, and help is always welcome with this, any help with media exposure would also be greatly received, as would any creative ideas you might have.
We’d like to emphasise that GIFT is simply a cohesive platform for the community to interact in terms of relocalising, and as such we’d really welcome you to adopt it as your own.
Please contact either Alison Logan 07850081585 or Luke Richards 07708340860, or go to our Facebook page ‘Growing Into the Future Trust CIC – GIFT’ or email us at [email protected]
Image: constructiondealmarketing under CC BY 2.0
