The section Can Totnes and District Feed Itself? has looked at whether it is feasible to feed Totnes and District from its foodshed. The answer is yes, with certain changes to what we eat. The question that then follows is how to we put in place an infrastructure in our current economic paradigm in such a way that it will be in place for an almost unimaginably different one? This is not easy, but fortunately there are already many parts of the solution already in place in and around Totnes. At a Transition Town Totnes event in May 2009 called ‘Can Totnes Feed Itself?’ the audience were asked to identify all of the ingredients of a stronger local food system that already exist. Here are some of the ideas they came up with;

• Transition Town Totnes Garden Share Scheme
• Many orchards growing different varieties of fruit
• Many shops that sell local food
• Productive vegetable gardens at the Steiner school & KEVICCs
• Dartington Estate (around 1000 acres on the edge of Totnes (with an interest in enlightened rural regeneration)
• Knowledge about wildfoods (i.e. Wildwise and others)
• Many people who ‘grow their own’
• Freshwater fish in the River Dart
• Sharpham Estate (home to 4 farms, active in cheese making, winemaking & an interest in pursuing enlightened land use policies?)
• Brixham, a nearby fishing port
• The Community Herb Garden and its education programme
• Schumacher College providing inspirational short courses championing sustainable food
• TTT’s Nut Tree Capital of Britain scheme
• The many local small and independent farmers
• Community Supported Farming at 14 local landholdings
• Landmatters, an off grid permaculture community
• SHDC’s Agriculture Forum
• Young Farmer’s Association
• Totnes Allotments Association
• Riverford Organic Farm: one of the UK’s most successful organic farm businesses
• Orchard Link supporting the development of traditional varieties of apples?
• The Small Farms Association, of local independent farmers
• Totnes and Kingsbridge Beekeepers
• Trees for Health
• Volunteer groups providing active practical support to farmers and growers
• Strong and active group of local biodynamic farmers and growers
• Agroforestry Research Trust providing information and training in the development of forest gardens
• The ‘Seedy Sisters’ (regular events on swapping seeds)
• Land available in Public parks
• Consumers interested in buying local food

In relation to the powerful supermarkets however, all of the above are tiny. What models might allow local food to come to the fore and make the re-establishment of local market gardens and the ongoing viability of existing farms possible? Below are some possibilities:

• Food hubs where consumers and producers can link for direct sales
• Local branding to identify local products and indicate quality
• Changes in land use policies and legislation tom open up more land to small producers
• Allowing more people to live back on the land as small producers
• Research and education in local food production

The Food Chain: Field to Fork (© Jenny Band)

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