Todmorden: Britain's First Town with Self-Sufficient Food Supply

by Geneva B | February 26, 2009 at 01:48 pm

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Recession Foods: Comfort for Your Wallet and Your Belly

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uploaded by Karenke4

The move toward self-sufficient living is not just for paranoid end-of-the-world resisters anymore. Consciousness of how precarious our global food distribution chain is finally seems to be reaching wider audiences in places where such knowledge matters most.

By all means, the local food movement appears to only be picking up steam with towns such as Todmorden, U.K. setting fine examples for the rest of us of how we should be managing land-use and food supply issues more resourcefully.

Every square inch of available ground in Todmorden is being dug up and turned into a vegetable plot.
Red-ribbed chard decorates the kerbside of A646 to Halifax and fruit trees are thriving in dustbins in the backyards of artisans' cottages. Even floral displays, which once helped the town take second place in Britain in Bloom in the small-town class, have given way to edible plants. Commuters passing through its tiny station are urged to bring scissors to crop herbs from planters on the platform.

Mary Clear, Todmorden's community development worker and a founder of the "Incredible Edible Todmorden" project, said: "Why pay the supermarket £1 when you can have it fresh for free?"

What at first seems rather eccentric or absurd starts to make a lot of sense when factoring in the very real costs of using vast amounts of non-renewable resources to produce and ship food around that we could very easily grow in our own backyards and communities, season-willing. In other words, what Todmorden is doing could become the rule, not an exception.

Mrs Warhurst, 57, said it made sense to forget flowers and grow food. "Given costs and concern about where produce is sourced – and it has all sorts of benefits: it's healthier and reduces food miles. It also encourages a sense of community."
At their first public meeting 60 people crammed into her café. "The buzz was phenomenal," she said. "Incredible Edible Todmorden lets everyone just do what they want to do and not worry about the big picture," said Mrs Warhurst.

Todmorden has planted its first community orchard of old English varieties of apples and pears, around the municipal soccer pitch.

Todmorden High School's chef, Tony Mulgrew, has begun sourcing food locally for his 800 pupils. "Through Incredible Edible I have made some fantastic contacts with local farmers," he says. "Now we have free-range chickens and eggs and rare breed pork on the menu, all coming within the normal school budget."

Parents at the area's six primaries have planted tubs and tyres with potatoes and carrots, and even the GPs at Todmorden's new £6 million health centre insisted its landscaped grounds be turned over to fruit and veg.

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Fripouille

at 15:31 on February 26th, 2009

Oh! Blast from the past!!

I used to live in Hebden Bridge, a small town just a few miles away, in the early eighties. I know (knew) Todmorden very very well. HB was called "The Hippies' Graveyard" because of all the older ex-city hippies who went to live there for the cheap housing and to leave the city..

Even that long ago there were shops full of vegetarian food and good natural products, to cater for this 'population'. Good veggie restaurants too! The only snag with living there was the amount of people who just didn't make it because of heroin etcetera. Oh well..

That area was ahead of its time..........and I'm pleased to read that things are going well there.

artaddict2

at 01:31 on February 27th, 2009

Thanks GenevaB for requesting to use my photo's

My partner and I volunteer once a week leading a walking group for service users of Rochdale MIND. We regularly travel by public transport to Todmorden or Hebden Bridge to enjoy the benefits of the open moorland hills, the fresh air and fabulous views from high up, and without forgetting to mention the peaceful canal lifestyle. I Wholeheartedly support this wonderful idea of a self-sufficient food supply and wish the movement every success. Good luck ! Alan

artaddict2 has contributed a photo to this story.

Geneva B

at 08:12 on February 27th, 2009

Thanks for your contribution Alan! You have me a bit jealous I can't whisk off to Todmorden to check it out...

Barbara McPherson

at 10:34 on February 27th, 2009

Great good news story.

Graham Ramsden (not verified)

at 11:07 on February 27th, 2009

I took part in the launch day of Incredable Edible Todmorden which was supported by many people from the local area. The wild and found garden areas are now entering year two and it will be interesting to see how the project develops. Well done to Mary and Pam you are an inspiration to others.

Graham

Chris Swift

at 15:31 on February 27th, 2009

I was born in Todmorden, but moved away some years ago. I am back this weekend visiting and have already noticed that fruit trees have been planted on the public playing fields next to my parent's house. I am going out to investigate more tomorrow, and -knowing the people - I am pretty sure this whole thing is going to be a success. PS - the attached picture is typical Spring scene in the hills just above the town

Chris Swift has contributed a photo to this story.

gerrypopplestone

at 19:40 on March 8th, 2009

I'm really glad to hear of a local authority who is willing to plant fruit trees in public spaces! AT LAST! Planners, with their gardens and fruit trees seem to think that the hoi polloi can't be trusted to enjoy fruit trees planted in public spaces! I keep telling people to demand trees get planted around all housing estates. there is something great about having the choice to eat fruit before it is properly ripe!

Karenke4

at 15:57 on February 27th, 2009

Vegetables are just as beautiful as flowers to some of us!

Helena (not verified)

at 10:36 on March 3rd, 2009

How fantastic to see that news of our initiative has travelled as far as Canada!!

Of course the most important point to make, is that people take on board what we are doing and do the same in their own area, where-ever and what-ever that might be.....it is vitally important that we take stock of where we source our food, and do what we can to make it as local as possible...I have included a link to the Incredible Edible Todmorden website for anyone who would like to know more about what we do.

http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/