Eat the System

There is a circle in the food system that we are desperate to square. How do we ensure that farmers get paid a fair price while at the same time ensuring that food is more affordable.One example of this conundrum is our attempts to set up food buying clubs and Co-Ops that are cheaper than supermarkets, yet we are fully aware of the price pressures that supermakers are applying. to producers. And don't get me started on trying to compete with the economies of scale enjoyed by the likes of Asda and Tesco.Well the short answer to how we can square this circle is that we can't.And the long answer? Well hopefully I'm addressing it occasionally in this podcast - think back to the episode on OXFarm to fork.and in this episode I speak to some-one else who is helping to knock the edges off this conundrum. Karen Tozer has set up meat buying club that is sustainible, replicable and follows a community development model, something that is often overlooked in this space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This months episode is a sort of epilogue to last month's. After the metaphorical tape stopped rolling the conversation, between me an Janie continued - much of it on a topic dear to both our hearts, the role food in the school school system - from school dinners to the school curriculum.Because this wasn't intended for the podcast you'll hear a lot more from me than usual, along with some insights into how the podcast is made.Find out more about Incredible Edible Lambeth, and watch the film that Janie mentions, here https://www.incredibleediblelambeth.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A month or so ago a US publisher emailed to ask if I'd like to interview Elspeth Hay, about her recently published book about harvesting nuts., called 'Feed us with Trees' Obviously I agreed, I love talking to anyone about food . But what I didn't expect was how profoundly reading the book would both change and clarify my outlook. From how traditional hunter-gathering societies managed the land, to how trees could and should play a major role in modern agriculture, prepare to discover a missing piece of the modern food system.You can download a copy of the book from herehttps://newsociety.com/book/feed-us-with-trees/?aff=65For the full episode, go to:https://youtu.be/z6kIB9Vrl5I Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a follow on from the previous episode, During our visit to the Action Day for Nature I went on a guided tour around the site. I must say it was an inspirational guide to what can be done to share our amenity spaces with nature. Full credit needs to given to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and Andy Steele, who has done such sterling work at the rugby ground. But that isn't really what this episode is about, even though it takes place in that wonderful naturally managed space. Nor is it really an interview. At the end of the tour I fell into conversation with Janna, as we took a woodland walk around the edge of the field, ending back at the exhibition stalls. We'd both been invited to contribute some of our expertise by Andy during his talk, so it wasn't surprising that we should end up in conversation. As it happened I'd left my mic on. Don't get me wrong I am a pro! and towards the end of the chat it became a formal interview, of sorts,.The recording starts at the end of the tour, with Janna recommending a bird identifier app, it's an unedited start - and it was just as spontaneous as it sounds This is a wide ranging conversation; about wild food, nature recording and our relationship with nature, even in the heart of a city Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We present "The Gourmet's Guide to Europe", a truly remarkable book, in many ways the Rough Guide or Lonely Planet of it's day; if you were an Edwardian Gentleman of refined tastes and deep pockets.Replete with the attitudes and opinions of the day, this is a book that reveals the historical roots of what we might still call "fine dining"So sit back and enjoy a bill of fayre that includes: when to avoid the restaurants at Trouville , a warning of what to expect at when dining at a German inn, and invaluable advice on where it is safe to take one's wife.We are indebted to Mr Harry Goodwin, for his role as Lt Colonel Newnam-Davis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that many of the listeners to this podcast will have a fair idea of what a community food organisation is, and what is does. Some of you at least will work for one. But for those of you less familiar with what they are and how they do it , prepare for a bit of a deep dive into the whys and wherefores of a sector that has increased massively; in numbers, and in social importance, over recent years.For those of you most familiar with this sector, it is always worth listening to another story. Because you know what they say, if you've met one community provider , then you've met just one community provider. The problems may be the same, but the solutions are as varied as they are inventive.EMS is a charity that has worked to reduce food and fuel poverty in Hull and the surrounding area for over 25 years. If, as you listen to this interview, it sounds vaguely familiar, they were finalists in the BBC Food and Farming awards in 2022. They also appear regularly in the national media and just this year won a BBC make a difference award.The keen eared among you may also realise that the John, who is mentioned at some point, appeared as a guest in episode 8. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of the pod cast we spoke with Colin Inglis, The Hull City Council leader who implemented the country's first ever provision of Universal Free School meals. Not only this, the council's catering department brought in a policy of providing healthy and nutritious meals, years before Jamie Oliver thankfully shamed the government into re-establishing minimum school food standards.In part 2 of this 3 part mini series it made sense to talk with someone who delivered these much improved, and universally free, school lunches.This where a bit of good luck plays it's part. Mike Clayphan was one of the managers of Hull Catering at the time of Eat Well Do Well, and after retirement he decided to spend a couple of years back in the kitchens working as a school cook. It just so happens he chose a school where I also work. So at the end of the summer term last year we got together in the school garden to say goodbye, and to talk about school food in general, and very much Eat Well Do Well in particular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I love a good trade show. I know they aren't everybody's cup of tea, so I went so that you don't have to. There is a scale as well as a complexity to the food system. Standing in the centre of the huge show, which is also a tiny part of a small section of just catering, you get an inkling of how big it is.In this episode I talk tp some of the exhibitors about food, but also some of the other businesses that serve the food industry, from packaging to software. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The term 'Intensive farming' brings to mind unsustainable and un-natural practices - although to the fair all, forms of farming are actually un-natural if you think about it.But intensive can also mean a highly controlled growing system, that uses resources as efficiently as possible to maximise harvests. Like all farming methods, the sustainability and environmental impact of intensive farming will depends on how it is done, as well as the specifics of the particular farming system.Aquaponics is a self balancing system that is almost impossible to do badly, and in this episode we find out just how well it can be done.Henry Dimbleby, in his excellent book 'Ravenous', suggests that we need a the whole range of farming in order to secure our national food supplies; from regenerative farming and rewilding at one end , to highly intensive farming at the other.What Dave and Lucie are creating sits at both ends of this spectrum; with design principles reminiscent of the "Small is Beautiful" ethos of E F Schumacher (and even permaculture), and they are doing this working on one of the most cutting edge farming methods out there. I for one can't wait for my first taste of traditional New Forest caviar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How, and what, we teach the next generation about food is a mammoth subject, so expect us to return to this issue more than once. But for now, we are going to dive straight into middle. this is where we address past failures; and face that one last chance to put things right, before adulthood.In this episode I talk to 2 different guests, who are both delivering food eduction to young people (by which I mean around 16-25 years old) in non-formal educational; settings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do we really know where our food comes from? Can we guarantee how is is grown, how it is processed and what it actually contains? Once a supply chain becomes so long that no-one can see from one end to the other, there are opportunities to game the system, or worse.Food Crime is comes in several forms, it ranges from mis-labeling or substituting for cheaper ingredients all the way to using ingredients that harm consumers, or producing food in a way that abuses the workers.In this month's episode we talk with Alice Rizzuti, lecturer in criminology at the University of Hull - about the anatomy food crime, and why public harm doesn't always qualify as a crime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feeding children well has benefits that are almost too numerous to count. But what if the children you are feeding lack the confidence or experience to try new foods. Taste Ed is a charity that offers a brilliant and effective solution.In this episode, I talk to Fran Box about what Taste Ed has to offer schools, community projects and families, to help their children develop a taste for good food. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.