Growing Communities

48 organisations (including us!) are calling for plant-rich diets in the Government's Food Strategy 🫘🍏🥔🥫🥕🥦🌽🥘🍓

Read our 10 point plan here: plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/new-defra-mi...

Plant-rich 🟰 healthy, sustainable, good for farmers & the economy 👩‍🌾🌍📈

#healthyfood #beans #foodsystems

So excited that some of these will be coming our way and heading into this week's veg bags 😋🫑🍆💚
#organic #vegbox #eattherainbow #eatlocal #loveyourlocalfarmer #hackneyvegbox #haringeyvegbox

Farms are struggling to turn a profit, but higher yields are not the answer | Sustain The government has launched a review into farm profitability, but e stagnation and the impact on soils and wildlife. Nature-friendlys farming…

The government has launched a review into farm profitability, but calls for greater intensification ignore decades of income stagnation and the impact on soils and wildlife. Nature-friendly farming and fairer supply chains are the way.

▶️ Our latest blog
www.sustainweb.org/blogs/jul25-...

Great ideas and what a voice 🎤😍
Can you see why we're endlessly proud to have Kath Dalmeny as a member of GC's board? 🥕💚

This will totally undermine the integrity of organic farming and certification as well as public trust. Please share and support if you can #StopHiddenGMOs

🎟️Last few tickets remaining!
🐄Join us for a day in the beautiful Sussex countryside at Hook & Son's organic dairy farm. Learn about raw milk, tour the farm and enjoy a cream tea made with the farm’s own cream.
🗓️ Sunday 8 June | 9am–6pm
👍Save your place www.tickettailor.com/events/growi...

Two people digging in background with the words Now Hiring in foreground

Hands planting out seedlings with the words Dagenham Frm Seaonal Worker in foreground

Two people crouching to harvest lettuces with the words 3 days a week for 6 months in foreground

📣We're hiring a seasonal farm worker to work at our Dagenham Farm 3 days a week for the summer.
🌦️Are you a hard worker who loves being outdoors?
🍅Do you want to grow organic food in a friendly team?
We'd love to hear from you by 15 May.
growingcommunities.org/jobs

#job #foodgrower #farmjob

🪴Two plant sales 🍅
🐮A visit to Hook & Son's organic raw milk dairy farm in Sussex 🥛
🍹A cocktail and pizza supper club with Flat Earth Pizzas 🍕
... we have loads of brilliant events coming up soon. Subscribe to our weekly email Time to Eat so you don't miss out on any of them: eepurl.com/duZRbj

Niko B swirled handmade chocolate eggs in cardboard egg box

Chef Tekuam at Ethiopian food market stall spooning yellow lentils into box with other mixed vegetables

😋 What are you most looking forward to eating this weekend? Handmade organic chocolate eggs? Hot cross buns? Roast lamb? Indulgent cheeses? Fresh seasonal vegetables straight from the farm? Vegan Bajan or Eritrean hot food? We got em all
growingcommunities.org/market
#stokenewington #farmersmarket

kumquats - small oval orange citrus fruits - including one cut in half, on wooden board

slices of pink and white striped beetroot of the chioggia variety, also known as candy

You get loads of fun stuff on a veg box scheme that you wouldn't find in a supermarket. This week... red russian kale, wild garlic, candy beetroot, crown prince squash, pak choi and kumquats 💚😍💚🥕💚

Plus, in GC's veg boxes, everything is organic and the farmers are fairly paid for growing it 💚👩‍🌾💚😀💚

purplish fronds of red mizuna leaves growing in the sun

closeup of green rocket leaves in soil on a sunny day

Looking forward to a delicious spread of crunchy, peppery, fiery, fresh flavours from Martin at Ripple Farm, Adrian at Wild Country and Oskars + Lauris at Petersons Farm at the market tomorrow growingcommunities.org/market

Plan for Norfolk megafarm rejected by councillors over environmental concerns Application, submitted by Cranswick, would have created of the largest industrial poultry and pig units in Europe

This is such good news. In itself and also because the planning decision took into account future carbon emissions from the proposed farm 💚💚💚
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Table showing large piece of blue cheese, trophy, rosette and sign saying "Best Organic Cheese"

selection of seven cheeses, including soft, blue, yellow and herby, on white board

Where can you buy the country's best organic cheese? 🧀
Our farmers' market in Stoke Newington 🙌
Brighton Blue from High Weald Dairy took the top prize at last week's British & Irish cheese awards 👑
Try it for yourself and see who else will be there tomorrow: growingcommunities.org/market#stall...

screen shot of low-waste recipes from Growing Communities website

It's #FoodWasteActionWeek. We have loads of delicious recipes for using up parts of the vegetable you might otherwise be tempted to throw in the compost. Simply search "9 waste not".
growingcommunities.org/our-recipes
#zerowaste #foodwaste #sustainablefood #leaftoroot

We were waiting for clarity on how the scheme would work before putting in our bid for funding for school visits to help kids learn where food comes from. Like many, we now can't apply 🙁

Posters showing terrace of houses and headline "Save money, save energy, boost comfort in your own home"

Want to save money, cut your carbon footprint and help London move towards net zero?

Pick up tips at our free event with @crewenergyldn.bsky.social

📆Weds 19 March, 6.30pm - 8pm
📍The Old Fire Station, Leswin Road, N16 7NA

Register here ➡️https://www.tickettailor.com/events/crewenergy/1574011

Smiling woman in headscarf and blue spotty apron making gozelme - Turkish pancakes - on market stall

Woman in hat and scarf with field of crops and blue sky in background

Shoutout to all the women who farm, grow, cook, campaign, run veg box schemes and farmers' markets and who make food better and more delicious for everyone 🙌😍💚 #womensday #internationwomensday

savoury socca pancake on white plate with vegetables on top and pot of chutney

galettes de sarassin - folded buckwheat pancake filled with egg, spinach and cheese

Looking for inspo for #pancakeday? Here's our top 10 recipes, featuring #glutenfree, #vegan, #buckwheat, #chickpea, #spicy, #savoury and good old #sweet pancakes.
growingcommunities.org/recipes/easy...

In April, join us for two days of dynamic workshops focussed on growing a successful peri-urban project with pioneering workers’ co-operative, OrganicLea.

🎟️ Find out more:
orfc.org.uk/orfc-in-the-...

See you at St Mary’s Eco Fair. Free sauerkraut-making workshop. Rolling sessions 1–4pm, led by chef and Sycamore Smyth founder Clare Heal.
Just bring a clean jam jar (500g or larger) and take home your very own kraut! Also #bikerepairs #zerowasterecipes #seedswap St Mary’s Centre N16 9ES

Ah, some good news. Wonderful 💚💚💚

Grim but no surprise: Pesticides affect a diverse range of non-target species and the magnitude of this hazard remains only partially understood.

pile of five citrus fruits with reddish skin, one opened to reveal thin skin and tangerine-like segments

Have you met a minneola tangelo before? They're a cross between a tangerine and a grapefruit and they're in our fruit bags today #vegbox #seasonalfruit #localfood
growingcommunities.org/weeks-veg

squash, ginger and spring onion gyoza dumplings on white plate

white bowl filled with yellow coloured soup, noodles and green veg with drizzled chilli sauce by Kali Jago

To celebrate Lunar New Year we highly recommend these squash & ginger dumplings growingcommunities.org/recipes/squa... or squash & miso noodle soup growingcommunities.org/recipes/miso... from Kali Jago. What are you cooking tonight? #lunarnewyear #recipes #veganuary

Next Tuesday, Right to Food Hackney are hosting Cllr Kennedy and Clly Young asking your questions on the progress they have made in the two years since passing the commitment. For more details and to RSVP visit the Sustainable Hackney website.

#RightToFood #FoodPartnerships

This evening...

Happening today and all weekend. Read on to get involved in the #BigGardenBirdwatch 🦜🦆🕊️💚

Great film featuring how our wholesaler Better Food Shed is supplying east London schools and co-ops with #affordable #organic food #BridgingtheGap @hackneycouncil.bsky.social #TowerHamlets

Sustain: the alliance for…'s Starter Pack Join the conversation

Thanks so much to @sustainweb.org for creating a fab starter pack of organisations and individuals working for a better, fairer food system go.bsky.app/8evZivY 💚💚💚

flyer showing box of fresh, seasonal vegetables and words Your local sustainable fruit & veg box, 10% off Jan & Feb, from £10 a week

Kickstart your healthy & sustainable habits this year with 10% off our organic fruit and veg boxes sourced from small, sustainable UK farms & European fruit growers 🥬🍎

🥕 Use code Healthy2025 at checkout to get 10% off

#healthyeating #eatlocal #organic #sustainable #hackney #haringey