Sustainable Sustenance Ella Walker digs up the greenest options for self-sufficient eating
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ou don’t have to survive solely on raw fruit and veg, wheatgrass shots and an aversion to multinational conglomerates to count yourself green anymore. A self-sufficient and sustainable lifestyle no longer even requires you to elope to a commune, unless, of course, you really want to. The growing trend for picking Fair Trade and organic in place of “value”, and buying hunks of cheese and locally-reared meat at farmers’ markets instead of supermarkets is becoming second nature for many people. The hope now is that we will ditch nipping to the shops in place of digging up carrots in the back garden, for the sake of our health and the environment. “The consequences of the way we produce and consume our food are unsustainable to our
planet and to ourselves,” warned Hilary Benn, the environment secretary, in a speech at the beginning of this year. “Food security is as important to this country’s future wellbeing, and the world’s, as energy security. We need to produce more food. We need to do it sustainably. And we need to make sure what we eat safeguards our health.” Reducing your carbon footprint and getting your five-a-day cheaply is just a pair of wellies and a set of gardening gloves away. John Harrison, author of The Essential Allotment Guide, runs www.allotment.org, the UK’s most popular allotment website. “I try and help people get to grips with the day-to-day maintenance of their allotment,” he says. “It is becoming much more popular to have your own patch of land and it’s fun. You get such a sense of achievement from growing
Nature at your door If the skies are too grey for planting seeds or you are feeling too lazy to whip out the secateurs, have a look at www.graze.com. Graze is a natural food company that delivers sustainable snacks right to your door. Sign up online, pick your favourite natural treats from their extensive range of dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and each week they will deliver a lovely biodegradable box containing a lucky dip from your choices. For £2.99 you can save the planet and satisfy your 4pm cravings without leaving the house.
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your own fruit and veg and feeding your family with what you have produced.” John keeps an up-to-date blog on his website about the greenery he is currently tending and gives advice on seasonality, harvesting and ways to get the best out of your allotment.
Grow Your Own go tos: Put yourself on the waiting list for an allotment by contacting your local authority. For growing advice and recipe ideas, visit www.allotment.org.uk For information on funding and legislation, contact The National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners, whose website is www.nsalg.org.uk The national charity for growing organic produce, Garden Organic, boasts a heritage seed library and runs research programmes into developing organic farming internationally. For information on visiting the charity’s headquarters, Garden Organic Ryton in Warwickshire, check out their website at www.gardenorganic.org.uk To find out more about living an entirely self-sufficient lifestyle, visit www.self-sufficient.co.uk