Transition City Lancaster News

 

Please send your news and info to info@transitioncitylancaster.org.

Don't forget to check out the Non-TCL events list - other groups offering related and supported events and activities.

 

One piece of news is that as well as working to keep this site up to date we are in the process of creating a new one . . . all suggestions welcome . . . . watch this space for something totally different emerging.

 

More news is that folk are massing in Morecambe - in a transition sense that is - and meetings are afoot . . . there is a facebook page for the budding Transition Morecambe - have a look forn it - we'll paste the link asap here . . .

Highlights of 2011

A fabulous scapbook presentation given by Janine at the AGM can be seen here in pdf format - great stuff, thanks Janine!

The AGM notes can be seen here.

Big Lottery Fund - Communities Living Sustainably

A brief news update to say that TCL is one of the six local partner organisations taking this bid forward. It is all in the very early stages. Please see http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_communities_living_sustainably.htm for more info on the programme as a whole.

News on food at Transition events

Here at long last is the latest version of our collective views - Nov 2011 -
on the organic and local food issue. It combines the views and suggestions of all the groups who responded as well as those people in the wider membership who participated in creating it. This guidance is for TCL events where TCL is preparing and providing food directly. It is all work in progress.

Organic food
The principle of organic food is that of the long-term sustainability of growing in a fertile soil without using petrochemicals.

Local food
The principle behind local food is giving support to the local economy. Local non-organic food will not be sustainable in the longer term as it depends on petrochemical inputs.

The ideal which TCL is working towards is obviously organic and local.

ZONING is an essential principle as described in the Local Food book from Transition. This involves zoning for any particular locality what percentage of food can be grown in the urban space; what percentage in the immediate hinterland; what from the region as a whole; what from the country as a whole and what small percentage from the wider world. This allows for tea, coffee and bananas in moderation!

Ideally, TCL wants to support organic local food and to be clear to others about why we are doing this. Each TCL event, where we are directly providing the food, could have a poster saying how well we'd managed e.g. 'this food is 95% organic and 80% local.' We see this as being a general statement rather than a detailed analysis of all ingredients. We could chart our progress year on year.

Menus will be built around what is local, seasonal and organic.
One dish at each event could be 100% organic and labelled as such.

Gifts
Whenever individuals are invited and encouraged to cook and donate food, cakes, etc to our events we will be VERY GRATEFUL to receive gifts, whatever the food. To help those buying and eating this food, we need to find ways of labeling it: we suggest that any requests for home-cooked gifts include a request for an attached note on what the food is called and whether it is veggie/vegan/nut-free/gluten-free/organic.

Fruity Corners

 

The new Fruity Corner in Scotch Quarry Park will provide fruit, nuts and herbs for local people to enjoy for many years to come. From short practical, physical help to design and poster work - there's something for anyone to do. Email Simon to find out how you can help simon@51ashfield.me.uk

 

There is now a new website for this projects - see scotchquarry.weebly.com

 

There is also a newsletter for this project - see it online here

 

IT'S ALMOST PLANTED UP AND READY TO GO!

AMAZING - congratulations to everyone who's helped in any way at all - especially with spades in the rain!

 

 

Food Security

Locally produced low carbon food is essential to building our future food security in Lancaster. Happily there are already a small number of local farmers and producers in the area - we have started compiling a list of local organic suppliers . . . please click here - and please send in any further info . . .

It's frighteningly simple . . . we can choose to support local and organic businesses . . . . or we can choose to support globalised food industries with huge carbon footprints. The choice is ours . . . . .

 

 

Ecotricity Donations

The Renewable energy company, Ecotricity will donate £20 for every domestic customer and £40 for every commercial/business customer who switches to their supply using the links provided by our web site. Click here to find out more. If you contact them direct please remember to mention Transition City Lancaster to make sure we get a donation.Thank you.

Webpage

Now that we have our webpage up and running the pages will grow as transition takes off here in Lancaster. Please get in touch with any web ideas you may have or local links and resources to add. Contact Samagita or Steve at info@transitioncitylancaster.org