Growing Food: Community solutions to growing, storing, and sharing produce

Facilitated excellently by Sheinaz Stansfield, we had a day of lively discussion all about the multiple holistic benefits of growing food.

There were some concrete outcomes and commitments from those who attended, including the development of a food growing working group which looks towards organising a festival of Gateshead food growing in 2025.

Lunch was provided for us by 'Meals on Wheels', a CIC that has come out of Gateshead Community Organisation.

It is encouraging that there are now three ‘partnerships’ of sorts beginning to work together on lots of these aims: Bensham Bites - a group of small organisations in Bensham area working together on increasing food growing, preservation, and distribution in their local area. Chopwell Regeneration group - working on a local food strategy for Chopwell; and the HOPE network allotment project bringing community allotments together in the East of Gateshead.

Have a listen to this podcast from Feeding Britain, all about ‘Crop Drop’: how they have worked with local allotments to provide fresh food to local food providing organisations and schools: a simple idea that makes a big impact, both to the growers and to those receiving food support.