Food4Macc is a voluntary group that aims to have more food grown locally in the Macclesfield area as part of our transition to a low-carbon sustainable community.

Some of us just take pleasure in seeing things grow, like having control over what goes into our food, or enjoy taking exercise outside. Our group shares experience and practical support. It's fun!

But there is a longer term aim too. Over the next few years, carbon footprint reduction and Peak Oil will increase the cost of food brought long distances to our supermarkets, so local produce will have a cost advantage.

2010 is a good time to make a start. Find out more about growing fruit and vegetables

Food4Macc aims to engage members of the community in working to develop local food supplies using these strategies from the Transition Town movement:-

• Encourage the growing of food at home, in allotments, on borrowed land, public spaces, and local farms.

• Support local food producers and those who sell or distribute local produce

• Raise awareness of the consequences of Peak Oil on our food prices.

• Increase co-operation between groups working on different facets of the Climate Change and Peak Oil problems.

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Powerpoint version

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What's it all about?

We have become dependent on oil for fertilisers and for fuel to transport our food from distant sources.

Today about 40% of the food we eat is imported. That includes an astounding 95% of our fruit and most of the wheat in our bread.

This reliance on food from abroad is perilous. During the 2000 fuel strike, Sainsbury’s chief executive wrote to the prime minister to warn that food supplies would run out “in days rather than weeks”. Supermarkets rationed bread, sugar and milk.

Meanwhile, cheap high-quality fruit and veg in the supermarkets have discouraged us from growing our own food. Children no-longer learn these skills from their parents, and small farms have become non-viable.

If we look 10 or 20 years ahead, we can anticipate that higher oil costs will reverse these trends and it seems like a good idea to plan accordingly; to encourage local growing of food, and to reduce our dependence on oil-derived fertilisers.

Individuals may feel impotent in the face of this coming storm, but communities working together can be powerful. Some 150 towns around the UK have started "Transition Town" movements, which have demonstrated how much can be achieved.

Typical strategies include making disused land available for allotments, ensuring that food-growing skills are re-learned and practiced, planting of fruit trees in public places; encouraging supermarkets to promote locally grown produce. etc.

We have a short Powerpoint presentation which you view as slideshow or as a printable pdf document.

Our Short History

Our interest in this subject was kindled by this Sunday Times article in April 2009, and we started to sound-out our friends.

We held the first of a series of monthly public meeting at the end of September 2009.

Current Status

• We have established three community gardens and are supporting a community orchard project.
• Public meetings are held each month.
• We are developing links with the council, trade associations, and other "green" organisations in the area.
• Owners of disused vegetable gardens can ask us to find someone to cultivate them.
• We have a formal constitution and insurance in place.
• We are registered with local volunteer agencies, have made grant applications, and our charitable status is accepted by HMRC.
• Local Nurseries and Garden Centres are supporting us.
• We use local press and community radio stations to publicise our work.
• A directory and map of local food sources is published on our website.
• Follow our Blog for latest news updates.

Learn more

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