Around forty relevant local food producers, distributors, software specialists and marketeers attended the Keep It Local Symposium on Friday 10th November at Follaton House in Totnes. They were invited by South Hams District Council to the event, facilitated by SusSH, with the intention of bringing together expertise and experience around the challenges of selling locally and the potential solutions.
Building on June’s conversation around Scaling Earth Resources, the November Change Makers’ Meeting introduced a series of community composting projects currently in development by Sustainable South Hams, in partnership with Devon Community Composting Network and South Hams District Council.
Our new Change Makers Gatherings got off to a strong start with an online session discussing South Hams District Council’s new draft Corporate Strategy for Climate & Nature.
We have declared a climate & environmental emergency, we voted that we would consider the climate & environment in every decision and action, we have embedded that within our formal process and hire agreements, etc, we created an ongoing phased Habitat Plan to improve biodiversity on land we own or manage, and we are working on a wider Climate & Environment Plan.
Our aim is to take action to address the climate emergency and to deliver the Devon Carbon Plan by creating a Devon that runs entirely on green energy. We believe that, rather than buying power from outside the country, we can produce clean, locally owned energy here in Devon. This will significantly boost our local economy, retaining approximately £1.76 billion in our county and creating a local industry and jobs across the region.
Supporting nature-friendly gardens and households; talks/discussion programme; supporting management of churchyards & playing fields for nature; Fruit Corner (community fruit trees/wildflowers); micro tree nursery; seed/plant exchange stall; Sow Grow Show food growing project; Give & Take reuse & exchange day; engagement with local school; supporting river monitoring.
Yealm Estuary Moor aims to improve the health & biodiversity of the River Yealm
Workshops promoting Earth Friendly values around food from the Deer Wood Trust
How Tallet Meadow Farm turned pasture land into productive orchards.