Living Earth - Winter 2021 by soilassociationcharity

Winter 2021

Living Earth

Regenerative Forestry The future of forests

Out to Lunch Our secret diners are back

Success in Scotland Food for Life is growing

Hello and welcome to the Winter 2021 edition of Living Earth

d and much hyped COP26. It’s hard to know how to feel about the long awaite but it’s clear that it still won’t ss progre some is there d, finalise now text the With the biggest impact on me be enough. Over the conference, the voices that had island states, whose future is the from or are those from the less developed world, y rich nations have wrought. I thereb and ialised industr mess the by ated being decim I failed to comprehend how when er, teenag a as felt feel the same outrage that I first g that people in many knowin lives, it was possible to enjoy our relatively comfortable therefore for humanity. and ity, human our of r despai I g. starvin parts of the world were cannot lead beyond their I despair too, of politicians and business leaders who for their businesses or their model tive alterna no self interest. But then, they have beyond oil? What can New Zealand life of way its in mainta Saudi does How mies. econo in a world without fossil fuels? And do without ruminant livestock? How does BP thrive ing of their development to give beginn the how unfair is it to expect countries still at y, without adequate help and wealth e becom to us d allowe has that fuel up the cheap be tough for many countries, will need we future the to compensation? The transition transition, and fast. Are we that businesses and individuals, and yet we have to make For states and businesses one. ‘them’ a not n, questio ‘us’ an really up for that? That’s will back them, that we mers consu and s to act, they need to know that their citizen t way of life. We must signal curren our to bance distur and ions privat the will accept that, loud and clear. can show is a way of living that puts What the Soil Association, with our many partners, ss at the core of our decision fairne and y the organic values of care, health, ecolog . system food our of heart the at s, making proces h. There is joy in constraint, We cannot have everything, but we can have enoug g away from the fast food, movin of last, things making of , of living within our means the joy we experience in mainta must we disposable fashion, single use world. And alongside the anger and , people rdinary extrao its with world, rdinary of this extrao t execution from a place of calm frustration. Relentless urgency, bold ambition, brillian detachment and compassion. Thank you for your support,

Helen Browning

CEO and organic farmer

Issue

267

What’s inside this issue P4

Thank you!

Regenerative Forestry The future of forests

P10

COP26: Where do we go from here?

P12

Out to Lunch Our secret diners are back

P16

Blight-free Potatoes The hunt for a reliable crop

P18

Recipes for the festive season Delicious meals to try this Christmas

P20

Meet the Producers Meet the team behind e5 Bakehouse

P22

Success in Scotland Food For Life is growing across the country

P26

Helen’s Christmas Reading List Books to enjoy over the festive break

P28

Notes from the Farm What’s happening at Empire Farm

Please get in touch if you would like this magazine in a different format

THANK YOU Your donations and actions have achieved all this...

YOU'RE

PUTTING CLIMATE FIRST COP26 was a global event with mammoth implications. Our team was on the ground making sure your voice was heard. Find out more on p.10

RESTAURANT CHAINS ARE SERVING HEALTHIER AND HIGHER QUALITY MEALS Our ‘Out To Lunch’ programme returned this year, with secret diners testing kid’s meals at restaurants across the country. Fruit & veg is up! Find out more on p.12

SUPPORTING ORGANIC GROWTH anic

Org

Over the last 6 months, we have certified over 2,500 new organic products. With every purchase of organic food, you’re voting to reduce the use of pesticides and promoting nature-friendly farming. This news follows the huge success of this year’s Organic September, which saw five major retailers including Tesco, Sainsburys and Waitrose promote organic products with special displays.

YOU'RE

PLANTING HEDGEROWS AT WOODOAKS FARM Thanks to everyone who gave kindly to our appeal to plant hedgerows at our new site, Woodoaks Farm. The planting has begun with volunteers and donors starting the work at the end of November. These new hedges will bring huge benefit to the farm’s biodiversity, will capture carbon and will protect and strengthen the soil from extreme weather in future years. Thank you! We’ll keep you updated on the progress at Woodoaks!

Living Earth: Forestry

Regenerative Forestry Did you know that Soil Association Certification officers certify the FSC and PEFC forestry standards as well as organic? Not just here in the UK, but in managed forests all over the world. With planting trees a hot topic after COP26, and a new report on regenerative forestry out soon, we thought it was time to take a closer look at all things forest.

Living Earth: Forestry

It’s easy to forget that huge amounts of our wood-based products (from timber to kitchen roll and all things between) come from farmed – or managed – forest. Forests grown for wood products cover 13% of the land in the UK, up from 5% a century ago. There is a widespread consensus that we really need more forests to fight the climate and biodiversity crises, and that timber as a material can be climate-friendly; it’s sustainable, it stores carbon and it can replace fossil fuel-intensive materials like bricks and steel. In many ways we are in a golden age of forestry, with appreciation of wood products, and the need for more woodland, increasing. In the early 1990s we helped set up the Forest Stewardship Council (see inset overleaf), the first global organisation to set standards for the responsible management of forests. Our new report into regenerative forestry looks at how we can build on these standards to see how forests could be managed even better as we transition to a low carbon world. We know our future forests can be managed in such a way that they contribute to making nature abundant again, they can capture and store carbon, and that will benefit the communities that use them. The biodiversity and climate crises that the world are now facing mean the way we manage forests needs to change. A landscape-scale response is required to create the conditions for our natural systems to recover, and both farming and forestry need to develop greater resilience to shocks and disturbances like extreme heat and storms. In the UK we have limited land with which to address these challenges, so using our farmland to achieve multiple benefits has to be part of the solution. This means challenging some orthodoxies about the benefits of current forest management methods. Our new report paints a vision for the future that includes planting new forests, increasing home-grown timber and changing practices to benefit carbon storage, nature, and people.

What we’re calling for As with everything we do here at the Soil Association, first we must consider the soil, the foundation of any healthy forest. Trees mediate between air and soil in constant interaction – a continuous cycle of nitrogen, carbon and other nutrients. By paying more attention to these cycles, foresters can ensure the continued fertility of the soil and strengthen its role in storing carbon, especially on organic soils. Reducing soil disturbance is key, which means adopting less intensive forestry methods.

The government’s own Climate Change Committee has set a goal of increasing forest cover to 19% of the UK by 2050. We agree with this target and believe planting trees on farmland both as new farm woodlands and integrated into farming systems as agroforestry, can significantly contribute to this (see Agroforestry inset).

We would like to see the industry move away from single species plantations, where acres of land are planted with one type of tree with limited genetic diversity. This type of planting typically results in clear-felling, where an entire tranche of woodland is cut down at the same time as the trees reach maturity, leaving a huge gap in the woodland cover. Clearfelling can have a terrible effect on the soil, making it unable to hold onto nutrients and limits its ability to act as a carbon store. We would like our reliance on single species plantings, that are managed through a clearfelling system, reduced. Instead, we’re calling for diverse plantings of mixed woodland. This method means different species of trees mature (and are felled) at different times, meaning the soil is always supported and there is constant tree cover and habitat for wildlife. This system, called continuous cover forestry, often means we

Living Earth: Forestry

Agroforestry As you may have read in our summer issue, agroforestry is a technique where trees are introduced to farmland. Farmers have always planted trees and hedges for windbreaks, but there are other potential methods too. For example, fruit trees planted on arable fields can help protect the soil, reducing the need for fertilisers whilst providing another useful crop and income. Trees planted on grazing fields provide shade for animals during increasingly hot summers, and are known to improve animal welfare. Planting the right trees on farms is a win-win!

can rely on natural regeneration. But whether the trees regenerate themselves, or whether we plant them, these new young trees are more likely to thrive in an area with some mature trees left remaining, which provide a microclimate and help the soil hold onto nutrients during extreme weather. Managed forests with diverse planting can help us become self-sufficient in wood products as a nation, reducing our need for costly and high-impact imports of wood that would easily grow here. It’s no surprise that the public prefers mixed mature woodlands over single species forests. Our experiences over the pandemic have reminded many of us just how much we value the outdoors, and woodland in particular. When these social benefits of forests are assessed, including their ability to store carbon, it appears their true value is an order of magnitude greater than their timber value alone. So we need to adapt our forests accordingly to recognise these wider values. It’s fantastic that government supports more tree-planting, but the devil is in the detail; the right mix of trees must be planted in the right place, and we believe farmers and land owners

need more support, alongside a willingness to try new approaches, to help deliver a farmerled tree revolution and make the essential transition to regenerative forestry.

‘Sustainable’ will no longer suffice ‘Sustainable Forest Management’ suggests a practice which can continue indefinitely. However, in the UK we now live in a massively deforested land, where biodiversity is possibly reduced to half of what it was. ‘Sustainable’ will no longer suffice. We need to be actively restoring and regenerating our damaged relationship with nature. Forestry and farming are uniquely placed to lead the way, covering much of the land and engaging with nature in their daily practice. We need not only to conserve what is there, but to improve our landscapes to become diverse and thriving ecosystems, adaptive to change. ‘Regenerative Forestry’ seeks to do this by sequestering and storing high levels of carbon to help rebalance our destabilised climate; by promoting resilient and adaptive forests to restore our depleted biodiversity; and by generating timber and other products to support meaningful livelihoods.

Living Earth: Forestry

Forest Stewardship Council Back in the early 1990s, we were part of a group that were increasingly concerned about how forests were being managed, not just here in the UK but around the world. In response, we helped create the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a global, not-forprofit organisation dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management. FSC defines standards based on agreed principles for responsible forest stewardship that are supported by environmental, social, and economic stakeholders. Our inspectors have certified over 200 million hectares of forest to FSC standards across the globe. The Soil Association was one of the first FSC accredited certification bodies.

How does FSC work? FSC has developed ten rules, or principles, that define good forest management. These include:

Protection of wildlife and the environment.

Recognition of communities and indigenous peoples' rights

Long-term economic viability

FSC Forest Management Standards are built around these principles and have been adapted for different countries around the world. In countries where FSC has not yet endorsed national standards, Soil Association Certification has developed adapted standards. Rigorous controls ensure that timber from these FSC certified sources can be verified along the FSC chain of custody before it reaches the consumer.

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification PEFC is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation operating through 36 endorsed National Governing Bodies.

How does PEFC work? Rather than creating their own standards for forest management and chain of custody, PEFC looks at the various certification systems in different countries that uphold their international sustainability standards. This means that PEFC endorsement is tailored to local priorities and conditions, and via many different systems and organisations. One quarter of the world’s forest is publicly owned, often managed by small communities. The PEFC Forest Management standards are tailored to family and community-owned forests, making this an ideal option for small forest owners.

Living LivingEarth: Earth:Living PolicyWell

COP26 Round-Up Opening the COP26 conference on 1 November, Boris Johnson told us it was ‘one minute to midnight’ to take meaningful action against the climate crisis. With time against us, Soil Association were on the ground in Glasgow to make sure our message was heard, including our Public Affairs Officer Alex Mackaness who brings us this round-up of his experience. These are worrying times but joining COP26 in Glasgow with Soil Association colleagues was a joyous experience. The crowds, which included many young people, that gathered from across the globe demonstrated there is a vigorous movement who care about leaving a healthy planet for future generations. We must now see action, implementation, and genuine leadership from the UK to close the gap between rhetoric and policies.

We brought agroecology to COP26 We were honoured to march in the farmer’s bloc with land workers from across the globe on the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice to champion agroecology as a climate solution. We handed out hundreds of Soil Association climate action packs to eager protesters keen to

learn about our role in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises. It was moving to hear from an array of speakers, representing the global south, indigenous communities, trade unions and social movements from across the globe. These were testimonials from communities affected by climate change right now and their anger was truly palpable. The message to global leaders couldn’t be clearer: act now and embed social justice at the heart of climate action. Within COP itself, we were part of a programme hosted by WWF Scotland to highlight the role of agroecology through our fantastic farmer ambassadors, and promoted the Food For Life Served Here Award in a panel discussion focussing on agroecology as a solution to the climate, nature and health crises.

Living Living Earth: On Earth: the Ground Policy

A COP of pledges Glossing over the alarmingly high presence of fossil fuel lobbyists and the fact that COP26 has been labelled by some as the least inclusive COP ever held, has there been any progress? Early on we saw the Global Deforestation Pledge, where more than 100 nations, including Brazil, China and Russia, pledged to end deforestation by 2030 (although indigenous leaders say they were not consulted). And twenty-eight countries signed up to the new forests, agriculture, and commodity trade ‘road map of action’ to address the impacts of agricultural commodities that are linked to degradation of forests and other important ecosystems (See p6 for our vision of what responsible, regenerative forestry can look like). Day six was Nature and Land Use Day, and with it came a headline announcement that fortyfive governments will pledge urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming. And over 100 countries have pledged to reduce their methane emissions by 30% by 2030. This initiative, spearheaded by the US and EU, is seen by some as a significant opportunity to reduce warming in the coming decades given methane’s potency as a greenhouse gas. We need to make sure the focus is on the real problem here – leakage from fossil fuel extraction and industrial ruminant livestock systems.

China and the US agreed to work together on decarbonising their economies, reducing methane emissions and fighting deforestation. At the time of writing, we are still waiting for further details of the agreement, but this is a promising step closer to keeping warming to 1.5C.

The need for action post-COP So, lots of words, pledges, and commitments. Clearly action and further ambition are now both needed, and the UK must not shirk its responsibilities in assisting the global south in this in addition to its domestic agenda. Whilst it was pleasing to see the UK government’s rhetoric around global regenerative practices at COP, this now must be reflected in domestic agricultural policy, with a shift to support for organic and agroecological farming that place farmers at the heart of decision making. With the Environment Bill receiving Royal Ascent, but lacking protections for soil health, we look to a strong Soil Health Action Plan for England in the New Year. After all, healthy soil is critical in combatting climate change - a solution that is under our feet!

Decisions are being made now secure the right decisions for UK food and farming. You may have received our latest fundraising appeal through the post or seen our emails about this. What we really need now is crucial funding to drive a relentless effort to reach policy makers with compelling solutions. Thanks so much to everyone who has been able to support our urgent appeal so far. If you’ve not yet had a chance, there’s still time - a donation today will help us to put organic and agroecological farming where it urgently needs to be: at the top of the government’s agenda.

Donate today soilassociation.org/climateappeal 11

Living Earth: out to lunch

Out to Lunch is back! Out to Lunch is back and it’s dishing up the truth about children's food in restaurants. Our 'secret diner' children have gone undercover (with their parents of course) to rank children’s food in 20 of the UK’s most popular restaurant chains. Our team recruited 100+ secret diner children and parents to sample children’s menus this summer - scoring them on family friendliness, healthy options, food quality, value, sustainability and ingredient provenance. The undercover investigation followed the publication of the National Food Strategy, which warned of an escalating child obesity crisis in the UK, noting that ‘eating out of home is no longer a treat’, with one in four (27%) adults and one in five (20%) children dining out at least once a week. The investigation uncovered evidence that many chains are still failing to serve-up good food for children including: • Two in five children’s puddings served by the 20 restaurant chains contained enough sugar to blow a four to six year-old child’s entire daily allowance (19g) . • Deep fried ingredients and processed meat remain commonplace on most menus, despite fresh food and healthy options being parent’s number one priority. • Nine out of ten families were not offered tap water with their menu, encouraging them to choose more unhealthy drinks from the menu.

The ‘veg and meat-free revolution’ On a positive note, since its last report two years ago the Out to Lunch campaign has driven big improvements in children’s menus, with leading chains responding to recommendations amid the Covid-19 crisis by making their menus healthier and more sustainable. In 2019, 13 of the 27 restaurants made a pledge to increase the amount of veg on their menu, providing two portions with every meal. This year’s analysis shows that an estimated 1.6 million extra portions of veg are

now being served to children every month because of the campaign.

Taking the ‘Stop Deforestation Pledge’ This year the Out to Lunch campaign is driving significant change in sustainable sourcing with brands committing to protect the Amazon rainforests and Cerrado grasslands of South America by taking the Soil Association’s ‘Stop Deforestation Pledge’. Ten chains - Giraffe, JD Wetherspoon, Zizzi, Nando’s, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny's, Wahaca, TGI Fridays, Wagamama, Prezzo - have all pledged to work with supply chains to ensure all soya used as animal feed is from certified sustainable sources by 2023. Nando’s is leading the pack having already made the switch to sustainable soya used for animal feed over the last few years.

Winners and losers… Soil Association Policy Officer for Healthy and Sustainable Diets Laura Chan said: “Thanks to the Out to Lunch campaign there is more veg on children's menus than ever before. But renegade chains are continuing to hammer children's health with free refills of fizzy drinks and excessively sugary puddings. Parents told us that fresh food and healthy choices are their number one priority. Why are leading chains continuing to serve ultra-processed, ultrasugary and deep-fried rubbish when we know this isn't what families want?” Pizza Hut came bottom of the league table with their unhealthy choices. Staggeringly a child eating a typical portion at Pizza Hut’s ice cream could easily consume 46 grams or 11 teaspoons of sugar, more than twice the maximum recommended daily allowance for seven-toten-year-olds.

THANKS

TO YOUR Living Earth:SUPPORT out to lunch

TO YOUR SUPPORT This year’s winner was J D Wetherspoon which topped the table with four out of a possible five stars scoring highly for their family friendly atmosphere. At £4.65 for a meal, drink and piece of fruit, this relatively affordable menu had a good choice of meals that would suit lots of kid’s tastes and all come with a portion of fruit and veg. Wahaca took second place gaining points for their sourcing policy including 100% free range meat. They were also commended for encouraging children of eight and over to be adventurous eaters and choose smaller dishes from the adult menu. The top five placed restaurants’ kid’s menus have a good selection of meat-free options and parents scored them

RESTAURANTS

LEAGUE TABLE

J D Wetherspoons

highly for their variety and family friendly atmosphere.  For more detail on the winners and losers, go to soilassociation.org/causes-and-campaigns/ TO YOUR SUPPORT out-to-lunch

TO YOUR SUPPORT We’re only able to do this research thanks to your support; you’re helping us hold these brands to account to improve the quality of food served to families across the UK. TO YOUR SUPPORT

TOTAL SCORE / 90

TO73 YOUR SUPPORT

Wahaca

Zizzi

Wagamama

Harvester

Nando’s

Chiquito

Giraffe

TGI Fridays

BreWers fayre

Prezzo

Frankie & Benny's

Leon

Pizza Express

Bella Italia

Las Iguanas

ikea

Mcdonald's

Hungry Horse

Pizza Hut

Living Earth: Legacy

Leave a gift in your will We have developed a free guide to take you through everything you need to know. You’ll find information about how we use gifts and the different ways of leaving a gift.

Request yours today! For more information, simply complete the form on the right hand page or visit soilassociation.org/giwrequest to download a digital version of the guide or to request a posted copy online.

Living Earth: Legacy

Response form Title:

First name:

Last name: Address:

Postcode: Email: Membership No (if known): Any additional queries:

Please read our privacy policy to understand our promise to you regarding how we use your personal information: soilassociation.org/privacy-policy If you would like a printed copy of our privacy policy sent to you please let us know. Please return this form to: Freepost Plus RTZH-HKSA-SRXE Soil Association, Spear House, 51 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6AD

Living Earth: LIVING WELL

The hunt is on for blight-free potatoes October saw the launch of the UK Robust Potato Pledge 2021 at the Organic Grower’s Alliance ‘Organic Matters Horticulture Conference’. The voluntary agreement aims to unite breeders, growers and retailers in a common goal of improving the sustainability of the organic potato sector. The goal is for all potatoes grown in the UK to be 100% blight-free, ‘robust’ varieties by 2026. 16

Living Earth: living well

Riverford and Abel & Cole will be hoping to transition their fresh produce to 100% robust potatoes

The pledge was inspired by Organic-PLUS, a research programme which aims to improve the resilience of organic agriculture. This is an ambitious goal but key commercial breeders and suppliers have already signed up, and major growers are supportive and have already made inroads into trialling and selling blight resistant potatoes – one of the major soughtafter attributes of a robust potato. Waitrose and major veg box suppliers Riverford and Abel & Cole will be helping to transition their fresh produce to 100% robust potatoes within the timeline. Marija Rompani, Director of Ethics and Sustainability, at the John Lewis Partnership, which includes Waitrose, said:

We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our impact on nature and biodiversity. This pledge is a great opportunity for us to help reduce our environmental impact through innovation and we hope that through this leadership, and the leadership of our producers, the rest of the industry will follow suit. Challenging questions were posed at the OGA Conference, such as is there a danger that the pledge unfairly penalises growers who can’t make the targets; will there be enough robust varieties to cater for all the market categories; will shoppers be flexible enough to stray away from their trusted favourite potato name? There are additional uncertainties with Brexit, meaning the UK is currently unable to import certain key varieties of potato from the EU. The potato pledge is based on a Dutch programme which successfully brought over 20 robust potato varieties to the market over the course of 3 years. The hope is that by

collaborating across the supply chain, we can work through the many potential hurdles that face the organic potato industry and follow in the Dutch success. The Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University have agreed to monitor the progress of the pledge over the next five years. The research centre has also designed a Potato Diversity Lab around the potato pledge “exploring the role of varieties chosen for robustness and biodiversity in achieving a more sustainable and resilient UK potato supply”. The research sessions will begin next year and amongst other topics will explore consumer perception - the vital final link in the supply chain. It may be that we need to engage and educate citizens on how robust varieties are more resilient and environmentally friendly for them to really take off. Phil Sumption, Organic Growers Alliance, said:

I am delighted to see the launch of the Potato Pledge, and to see the UK following in the footsteps of the highly successful potato covenant model in the Netherlands. They have seen a huge uptake of blight resistant 'robust' varieties by working across the food chain. The potential benefits to growers of higher yields and less sprays, and to the environment, are massive. There are many great blightresistant varieties out there with good culinary properties acceptable to consumers. It is fantastic to see the sector joining together to remove the resistance to resistance.

Living LivingEarth: Earth:Living LIVINGWell WELL

Sweetcorn & Turkey Chowder We're always on the lookout for innovative and exciting ways to reduce our food waste. Christmas, in particular, can be a notoriously difficult time to plan your meals - with the help of recipes like this one, the Christmas turkey can be the gift that keeps on giving. Simple and inexpensive to make, this creamy chowder from Yeo Valley hits the spot every time - a great alternative to turkey sandwiches!

Ingredients: • 2 tsp olive oil • 3 sticks of celery, diced • 1 onion, finely diced • 400g potatoes cut into cubes • 2 litres of chicken stock • 2 bay leaves • 350g sweetcorn, tinned or frozen • 400g leftover turkey cut into bite-sized chunks • 200g Yeo Valley Crème Fraîche • Small bunch of parsley, chopped

Method 1

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then add the celery and onion. Cover and sweat over a medium heat for 5 mins.

Pour the stock into the pan along with the potato and bay leaves and simmer for 10 mins until the potatoes start to become tender.

Add the turkey, sweetcorn and a good grind of black pepper. Cook for another 5 mins. Check the vegetables are cooked and adjust the seasoning.

Stir in the Crème Fraîche then divide between 4 bowls and top with the parsley - dinner is served!

Living Living Earth: Earth: On the living Ground well

Butternut Squash & Lentil Wellington A great centrepiece for a vegan Christmas

Ingredients: • 1/2 butternut squash, peeled & cubed • 1 yellow onion, finely sliced • 2 Tbsp Mr Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil • 2 Tbsp pine nuts • 2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds • 1 tin Mr Organic Organic Lentils, drained • A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

• Juice of 1 lemon • 8 dried apricots, finely chopped • A handful of dried cranberries • 2 rolls puff pastry sheets • A splash of almond milk (to brush) • Salt & pepper to taste

Method 1

Add the butternut squash and onion to an oven-proof dish with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 190C for 20 mins. Add the pine nuts and pumpkin seeds to the oven for the last 3 mins.

Combine all ingredients for the filling in a large bowl, add in the squash and onions and set aside to cool down completely (important!)

Unroll a puff pastry sheet and place your filling onto the sheet in log shape. Place the second, pastry sheet on the top and

gently press it onto the filling. Take a pizza cutter or a knife to carefully cut out your Wellington, leaving about 1-2 cm on the outer edges. Use a fork or your fingers to pinch the edges together. With the leftover pastry, create any decorations for the top of your Wellington.

Brush the log with a little almond milk, then place in the oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes or until your pastry is golden.

Remove from the oven, slice, and serve with gravy, roast potatoes, and trimmings!

Living Earth: Earth: Living on theWell ground Living

Meet the producer e5 Bakehouse is a Bakery, Cafe, Shop and Mill based in some railway arches beneath London Fields station in Hackney. e5 was started in the spring of 2010 by Ben who had taken a short course in the essentials of sourdough bread making at the School of Artisan Food. Returning to his home in Hackney he invented himself as a baker and set about building a clay oven in the corner of a railway arch, which was fuelled using off cuts from local carpenters. This became the home to a small group of bakers all learning to bake from scratch, improving from their mistakes and sharing knowledge gleaned from books and the internet. Local chefs such as Nuno Mendes and Ed Wilson followed their noses and supported the bakehouse by becoming wholesale customers, and the local community supported e5 from their novice beginnings as they developed and refined what they offered.

Q Tell us about you – who are you, what’s your mission and how did you get started? Moving into our own arch in the summer of 2011 we gradually expanded, adding a pastry department, flour mill, chocolate facility, and a deli shop to the mix.

Then in 2018 stemming from the refugee training programme run at e5 in collaboration with the Refugee Council we opened e5 Poplar Bakehouse. The remit of this new site was to employ and train those from refugee communities whilst investing profits back into projects which support refugees. At e5 we are committed to using as many organic, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and produce as we can. This search for local flour and grains led our bakers to discover some amazing heritage grains and build great relationships with the farmers who grew them. As our understanding of the compatibility between heritage cereals and organic farming developed, along with an interest in agroecological farming systems e5 purchased a 13 acre field in Mid Suffolk, Fellows Farm. Ben along with the help of some e5 staff and volunteers started transitioning the once intensively farmed arable fields into natural hubs for food production and biodiversity. The farm supplies cereals, vegetables and fruit to the bakery on a weekly basis. The company was awarded a special commendation by the judges of the food and

Living LivingEarth: Earth:on Onthe theground Ground

Q Best advice you’ve ever been given? “To know what you prefer instead of humbly saying Amen to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to have kept your soul alive.”

farming awards in 2017 for our contribution to the rise in real bread and artisan bakeries across the country. Many of our team have gone onto open their own small bakehouses, and we have trained thousands of home bakers on the art of sourdough baking through our one day sourdough courses.

Q What is your biggest achievement to date? Learning to bake good bread.

Q What do you think are the biggest issues facing our food systems? The cheap price of food has distorted the food system. I believe in a small is beautiful approach. More people physically involved in growing food in organic, permaculture systems could bring a wealth of benefits, to the environment, and also to the communities involved in production. The challenge is that food produced like this costs more, so we need to be prepared to spend more of our income supporting this. With more understanding of the positive and negative impacts our food choices have on our environment and community I hope we would see more people choosing organic and aligning their food choices.

Q Why is organic so important to you? Intensive farming is unsustainable, synthetic chemicals which rely on finite sources are used to keep weeds and pests at bay and to provide nutrition to plants. This type of production has external impacts we are still yet to fully realise or pay for. To produce food using sustainable, closed loop agricultural and horticultural systems is complex and must be invested in. As well as certifying food produced like this we need organisations to help share the knowledge around to different parties. In my opinion if human kind is to have a future on Earth then we need to embrace a holistic approach to agriculture which is in harmony with nature.

Q If you could only switch to one organic item what would it be and why? Bread of course. It’s been the staple human civilisation has depended upon since the first agricultural revolution 12,000 years ago in the fertile crescent. I celebrate the diversity of bread, drawing on the grains and pulses produced in sustainable rotations and mixed farming.

Q Who inspires you? I glean inspiration from many people that I meet, especially people in Hackney but also further afield.

Living Earth: Food for life

The Food for Life Served Here award in Scotland The Food for Life Scotland programme, has been funded by the Scottish Government since 2012 and run by Soil Association Scotland since 2009. Helping local authorities to get more local food onto school plates and to serve fresh, healthy, sustainable meals in their schools, it continues to go from strength to strength as more local authorities join the Food for Life Scotland family. Over half of Scotland’s local authorities currently hold a Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) award.

a thriving local economy by getting more Scottish food on the table, and in doing so, reduces food miles.”

What is the Food for Life Served Here award?

There are three levels - bronze, silver and gold. Bronze requires that 13 key standards are met. Local authorities can work up from bronze to the silver and gold FFSLH awards, which are achieved through a points system, or they can aim for silver or gold right from the start.

Head of Food at Soil Association Scotland Sarah Duley explains: “Food for Life aims to make good food the easy choice for everyone. School catering teams achieve the FFLSH award for including more fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and wholegrains on the menu and one of the standards they must meet is that at least 75% of the meals should be freshly prepared. The programme also supports

Essentially, our team supports local authorities to source and serve food that’s good for pupils’ health, good for the environment and good for the local economy.

Organic At silver and gold levels, a proportion of the total spend on ingredients must be on organic produce, which uses environmentally friendly farming methods and the highest standards

Living Earth: Food for life of animal welfare. Points are also awarded for ethical and environmentally friendly food such as free-range meat and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish and for spend on local, seasonal, Scottish produce. Sarah adds: “The Food for Life Scotland team is on hand to help local authorities identify which standards they are already meeting for their school meals and support them as they make changes to their menu, we also provide training sessions and offer supply chain support and data analysis. We provide a bespoke service and provide guidance and advice which means local authorities can achieve both the standards and their strategic goals.”

Celebrating success Glasgow City Council, Scotland’s largest local authority, recently achieved a bronze Food for Life Served Here award for their catering service in their primary schools and one ASN school, serving 34,000 meals daily. This was marked with a celebration event attended by Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, as well as some of the catering team instrumental in achieving the award. Currently, 135,000 Food for Life awarded meals are served across Scotland every day, thanks to the hard work of all the local authorities who participate in the programme. The team has also supported exciting developments in the supply chain and were delighted to recently promote the successful partnership between East Ayrshire Council and local producer Mossgiel Organic Farm who are now working together to bring fresh, organic milk to all the local authority’s schools.

Good food ambassadors School caterers are often unsung food heroes, who play an important part in ensuring our children have a healthy start in life. Sarah says “We have some wonderful advocates for good food within our award holders’ catering teams and many of them are now enrolled in the Food for Life Scotland

Ambassadors programme taking place over the next few months. This will see them become active food citizens who will provide others with a clear steer on why good food is so important in schools.”

What’s next for Food for Life Served Here? The Food for Life Scotland team continues to develop relationships with other local authorities while maintaining support to current award holders. In addition, they recently took part in Nourish Scotland’s ‘Recipe for Resilience’ at COP26, taking the opportunity to share information about the programme with a large, international audience. Sarah says: “This was an extremely exciting opportunity which allowed us to share the brilliant work being done in many schools across Scotland and highlighted the connection to climate change of both the Food for Life Scotland programme and school food. “We’d love to work with all local authorities in Scotland and look forward to continuing to support and promote the fantastic work of caterers all over Scotland. We’ll be seeking every opportunity to highlight the power of public food from its potential positive impact on the environment to its role in normalising a healthy and sustainable diet.”

Find out more www.soilassociation.org/our-work-inscotland/food-for-life-scotland/

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Living Earth: Christmas

Helen’s Christmas reading list I love the mid-winter break. It’s the one time of year when almost everyone stops, or at least slows down, and the emails cease flooding into my inbox. Of course, on the farm and at the pub we are still busy; animals and people demand feeding and caring for on every day of the year, and I’ll enjoy the chance to spend time outside during the few hours of daylight. But the dark evenings and long nights provide the opportunity to curl up with the pile of recently published books that I’ve not had the chance to read all year, and maybe to reacquaint myself with some that I have especially enjoyed too. So, here’s what’s on my holiday reading list, along with some highlights of the year that you may enjoy too.

COP26 has been such a focus for us and many others for the last couple of years; the absolute urgency must be the turning of targets and rhetoric into immediate action. There must be no let up, and two books that point the way for me are Hope in Hell, by Jonathon Porritt, and Net Zero: How we stop causing Climate Change by Dieter Helm. I’m a huge fan of both of these guys; Jonathon’s book sets out the nightmare we are walking into, and Dieter sets out his clear views as to what should be done. Complement these two powerful tomes with Drawdown, a beautiful book edited by Paul Hawken, which sets out the proven approaches to take us to net zero, and the relative impact these could have if implemented. So many of the ‘nature-based solutions’ that we work on

Living Earth: Christmas

at the Soil Association are in the top 30, from silvopasture to mob stocking, plant rich diets and multistrata agroforestry. When it comes to the things we could all be doing in our personal lives, The Carbon Buddy Manual by Colin Hastings is the guide we need. It provides a clear step by step guide to reducing your carbon emissions, in ways that are right for you. There’s a website too and loads of opportunities to become part of a growing carbon reduction movement. Two other books that have inspired my daily life this year are Join the Greener Revolution by Ollie Hunter, and Food for Thought by Phil Haughton. Ollie mixes up wise thoughts on living an enjoyable and sustainable life with brilliant recipes from his life as an ace chef, while Phil intersperses brilliant recipes into anecdotes of his extraordinary life as eco-entrepreneur. My bedside book in recent weeks has been Mark Carney’s Value(s). This is not a light read, but worth the effort if you have any interest in how the money system works, and how it could and should work to put value on the invaluable. Once finished (nearly there) it will be supplanted

by The Great Re-Think….a 21st Century Renaissance by Colin Tudge; Colin has spent his life showing the world what we could achieve if we put our minds and bodies to it, and I’m much looking forward to his latest offering. The other books I have lined up for my Christmas reading list are Defending Beef, by Nicolette Hahn Niman, first published in 2014 but recently updated; the debate over how much and what sorts of meat and dairy we should eat continues, and I’m sure this will be a good contribution to that debate. Then our very own Ben Raskin’s Woodchip Manual has just been published, the first on this topic as far as I’m aware. It may seem like an esoteric subject but having seen the power of woodchip on my own farm, especially in promoting the growth of young trees, I know he’s onto something! And finally…after all, there’s only twelve days of Christmas….I’m longing to dive into Around the World in 80 plants by Jonathan Drori. The wonderful Prue Leith sent this to me recently, so it’s sure to be a real treat.

Happy reading! Helen Browning, CEO of the Soil Association

Living Earth: on the Ground Flowers on the farm

Sally on her farm

Notes from the farm In this issue we’re introducing a new section, Notes From the Farm. Sally Morgan has worked for the Soil Association for many years, whilst also managing Empire Farm, her farm in Somerset. Autumn is a good time to look back over the past growing season, and to plan for the next one. Empire Farm is a 100-acre farm in the edge of the Blackmore Vale in Somerset. Here the soil is heavy and wet, so it's mostly permanent pasture and willow copse. On the drier fields, there is an orchard and a number of mini-enterprises run by new entrants. Tanya set up her flower farm two years ago and due to demand has already had to expand. Last March, she created a new flower plot using no-dig methods. This involved strimming the ground, covering it with cardboard and a layer of compost and then sowing annual seeds. The hard work paid off as the plot was a mass of flowers and bees by mid summer. It's lovely to walk around the flower farm as the colours change with the seasons, and it’s always abuzz with insects.

The laying hen enterprise was set up by Lizzie Rowe, who is a Research Associate in farm animal welfare at Bristol University. Instead of feeding her hens a soya-based feed, Lizzie is giving them a ‘waste’ product: organic oats that don’t meet the specification for human consumption (due to grain weight/size). These oats would be discarded if they weren’t fed to the hens. The oat ‘waste’ comes from an organic farm just 45 minutes away, reducing the emissions involved in the hens’ feed. The oats are fermented to increase their nutrient bioavailability before they are fed to the hens. Some of the oats are ground, fermented and fed to the larvae of black soldier flies, which grow from tiny maggots into big juicy grubs rich in oils and protein, and represent an entirely natural food source for the hens. The hens go mad for them.

Living Earth: on the ground

The allotment, self-seeded flowers and beans

The oat ‘waste’ comes from an organic farm just 45 minutes away, reducing the emissions involved in the hens’ feed. The oats are fermented to increase their nutrient bioavailability before they are fed to the hens. A small community allotment was set up 10 years ago and here the allotmenteers have to grow to full organic standards. Not only does this mean that they have to buy certified organic seed, but they have to check that any compost or soil amendments they use are approved too. Most are now no-dig and they are great at water harvesting as there is no piped water. They use an array of water harvesting methods, most involving

the ubiquitous blue containers. Each year, the allotments are inspected along with the rest of the farm, so the allotmenteers have to produce a plan of their rotations, copies of invoices and seed packets. One of the allotment holders, Liz, writes an allotment diary and its fascinating to see this each year as she records her successes, failures and observations, which helps when she comes to choosing new seed. There's a lot of seed saving and swapping too. Being on an organic farm, the allotments are surrounded by hedgerows and pasture rich in insect life, plus rabbits, squirrels, pigeons and deer. But they all get excited when they spot the barn owl hovering above the plot looking for voles (of which we have many!). We’re looking forward to bringing you more ‘Notes from the farm’ next year!

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