Todmorden, where oats, peas, beans and barley grow

The old market town of Todmorden lies between Burnley and Halifax, on the borders of Lancashire and West Yorkshire in the Pennines.

There, where many strong rivers once powered the machine looms, an industrious cultivation project has begun to flow, a kind of market gardening with free produce and shared ideas.

Incredible Edible Todmorden (IET) is a pioneering project to create a sustainable healthy food chain. Say the word 'healthy' and many are put off. But this scheme is so different and ahead of its time that other towns are taking up the same ideas and it is taking root world-wide.

IET people are in demand to tell towns about their project, from Egypt to Chile; Paraguay to Australia, you can see where on their world interest map.

Mary Clear, a co-founder of Incredible Edible Todmorden said that only a small group of people have made it happen.

"I work for the local authority, most of us work full-time so this is run by volunteers. At the core there are about twenty of us who organize these things and then it spreads out from there," Mary said.

So IET is making the grass greener at Todmorden and it began when they heard Professor Tim Lang speaking at a conference two years ago, talking about the future of food. He was talking about the costs to health and the environment of present food production methods, intensive farming, BSE, or diabetes, animal foods and other matters.

The IET group then took things into their own hands.

"We began it as a response, how could we make a difference, we didn't want to be victims waiting for other people to do it, we weren't following money we were doing it first, showing that we could,” Mary Clear said.

So Incredible Edible Todmorden was formed and began the task of making the town self-sufficient in food.

In a town of 15,000 that's a lot of growing. Their downloadable sheet gives the story. Everybody grows food around the town, from veggies to trees. What started as guerilla gardening soon won approval.

People have started initiatives which range from Every egg matters to a new local cheese. There are free vegetables plots, and even planting in the corner of the car park, such as the cherry trees at Lidl's.

There is co-operation with local enterprises like Pennine Housing who are giving out free starter seeds and growing troughs, so the town is being transformed.

There is an apothecary's garden at the health centre. They also have a poly-tunnel and a growing boat at the high school and are thinking about an aquaponics unit. There are cookery workshops and ideas exchange and an opportunity to learn.

In a town long known for its farming, they are getting back to the importance of healthy lives, buying local and all that that means.

"It's very important to help farmers, that is one of our aims, to work with farmers by highlighting local food and how people keep their animals all that sort of stuff," Mary Clear said.

"I think it's about helping them create a market for their products and that's what's happened here. For example, we've got our first Todmorden cheese and it's sold out all the time. You know - farmers can diversify."

The local people have diversified too. Everyone can think for themselves after all: “We don't tell people what to do in any shape or form and we don't join any campaigns," Mary Clear said.

"So, for instance, we don't say 'grow organic' we don't say use heritage seeds, we say 'Do whatever you can to make a difference'," she said.

"So we have avoided the language of the middle classes we have avoided the language of transition towns and we avoid the word 'Don't'.

"We know that people will come to their own conclusions about what's good for the planet we are creating an opportunity for people to learn more.

"People are committed whether they are gardeners or not, they help in other ways. We've got plenty of people to volunteer. If we want to plant an orchard we just send an email around and we'll have all the volunteers we'll ever need. In fact we will have too many," Mary said.

There's been planting below the viaduct. And local graveyards have seen new life with bulbs or fruit bushes, whether it's the Quaker, Baptist or the Unitarian church, or even the police station's graveyard. There's even a 'churches together' bramble bashing squad.

As Mary Clear said everyone can do something: “If you can't grow food, learn to cook it, if you can't learn to cook it at least buy some decent grub local,” Mary said.

Todmorden cannot be alone in having waited for change from local authorities or governments. In fact Calderdale council's website shows the Halifax town hall clock face: 'Delay not, to do well' and this must bring a smile to many faces.

But the IET group have lit the spark, because people wanted to be able to do something instead of being told it was somebody else's problem to change things.

“Yes, instead of being a victim and blaming the council, we said 'Stop it and get on with it', because it is not just about growing food it is about being nicer and kinder to people.” Mary Clear said.

Mary Clear and IET began a peaceful call to arms. These pioneers may have a talent they bring in front of everyone's eyes.

Of course, where food is concerned most people have some kind of talent. Carrots fit for a king. But it was the Prince of Wales who recently visited Todmorden as part of the Start tour, which celebrates sustainable community living and he was impressed by IET. So large is IET's influence that there was also the 'Seeing is Believing' group with fifteen senior business and community leaders.

In fact Mary Clear has said that they are astounded by the support and hard work of the locals: “Well it's astounding because of the fact that people will come out and grow for other people to take the produce," Mary said.

"And the fact that we've got bee credible groups, where people have bought beehives and we've got bees set up all over the place," Mary Clear said.

I asked her how many are actually involved: "We don't count numbers, if you eat then you are in, everybody eats, " Mary said. "That's the only way to be sustainable, not to be dependent on other people, to do it ourselves isn't it?".

And how far can it go? I asked Mary: "There isn't any limit, you know you have to be ambitious and there's no limit."

The IET London conference is October 9th, speakers include Professor Tim Lang: His report Plotting the Future of Food can be downloaded.

Agrandir le plan

Comments

[Todsprout]

Fab piece, but then living in Tod I am slightly biased.

But don't just read about it people, go out and have a go where you are, it works it really does.
It makes folks feel good about where they live and each other, you grow a community along with your veg.
Age, cultural, and class differences cease to exist at dirt level, suddenly everyone has the same gaol and the kindness spread around by folk helping each other and sharing advice is just Incredible.

But don't take my word for it get growing, sow the seeds and see the kindness grow.

Estelle

[Philip Voice]

Thanks Estelle - keep us up to date on how this progresses would you?

[carol miers]

Yes Estelle, it does sound contagious, once some people get started it draws in everyone else. Sharing the knowledge must be great for generating new ideas as well. I'm really looking forward to hearing how you continue. Perhaps after the London conference?