Food Roadmap Meeting – Transition Kerry Food & Biodiversity Working Group – 30th November @ Tobar Naofa, Moyderwell, Tralee
(15 people attended)
Initially, people introduced themselves and their areas of interest and expertise. Then Thomas presented a mind-map of the various themes, strands and connections that the food roadmap could contain.
Who is here? – There are lots of skills in the room – can everyone send me a short bio of themselves and where their interest lies in helping with the roadmap? (e.g. individual, community, farm level) This will help to give a clearer idea of what we can do and who can do what.
General overview picture of who is in the room and their interests –
- Farmers (Apples, vegetables, meat)
- GIY (Grow it Yourself)
- Wild food
- Seaweed
- Organic food
- Biodiversity
- Community gardens/allotments/ school gardens
- Education and Training experience
- Policy & Feasibility Studies and Research experience
- Chefs
- Permaculture/Agroforestry
- Edible landscapes
- Soil
- Composting
- Native herbs and berries
- Honey/beekeeping
- Seed Saving and Seed Guardian network
What are the possible areas of Research?
- Baseline information is required and some is available (Michael Gleeson and Taste of Kerry)
- How much food is being produced in Kerry now?
- What are our basic food requirements? – How many people in Kerry?
- How much land is needed to produce more food?
- Can we measure the imports of food?
- How can we deal with the surplus from small producers who are not in a position to have continuous supply for supermarkets? (Supply and demand)
- How can we redevelop and support co-ops and farm shops?
- What education and training is taking place around the county (formal and informal, in schools, communities and 3rd level or farms?)
- How can we provide local food for seasonal tourism?
- What is the potential for Agroforestry on farms?
- How is all of this connected to other themes and policies such as Climate Change, Biodiversity Plans, Water Quality Framework, etc.?
- How to make the shift and how to make the economic argument for more local food? – How can we re-imagine our local economy? How can we create sustainable livelihoods connected to food?
- Carry out a survey of cafes and restaurants (Elizabeth)
What would we need to produce?
- Vegetables
- Meat
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Fish
- Fruit
- Herbs
- Grains
- Nuts
- Wild foods
- Seaweeds and salt
- Mushrooms
If we could replace even one of the above with more locally produced food, it would make a big difference to the local economy.
Where to go next?
- Anyone who wants to – please send me a (very!) short bio of your area of interest and expertise and which group you would like to be involved in (e.g. Individual grower, community scale, farm level) – email it to info@transitionkerry.org le do thoil
- Farm visit to Gortbrack Organic Farm arranged for 14th January from 2-4.30pm – if you need directions, look up website (gortbrackorganicfarm.com or ring Niamh @ 086 7247066 or Ian @ 087 9246968)
- Next Food Roadmap meeting will be 25th January @ 7pm in the Chapel Room, Tobar Naofa, Moyderwell
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