Setting up a sustainable food project resource library
guides
Food & Carbon: The Facts
Food for thought: a factsheet on food and carbon statistics to email on to others.
Food Map of Oxfordshire
This food map of Oxfordshire shows local producers, shops, markets, community groups and support networks – everything you need to get involved. To create an effective food web, the map needs to be regularly updated and expanded – please send any points of interest that you think should be added to Dan Betterton
How to Write a Press Release
This guide gives pointers on how to write a press release to catch the eye of local newspaper editors and the type of information you need to include
Reframing the Great Food Debate
Looks at the social and economic issues surrounding the food system.
Simply Start Up
Produced by the Plunkett Foundation and Co-operatives UK, this is a guide to the process of setting up a co-operative or community enterprise with lots of useful case studies of community entrepreneurs.
Soil Association Guide to Marketing
In response to community needs, the Soil Association has developed a guide for new and existing projects who want to develop a simple, do-able, affordable marketing guide.
templates & examples
Events Feedback Form
It’s a good idea to get feedback on events run by your community group. This sample template will help you do just that.
Risk Assessment Form
For all community events you will need to do a risk assessment on the event itself and the venue. This form will help you assess and mitigate the risks involved.
case studies
Barracks Lane Community Garden
Barracks Lane run some great events throughout the year – a good place to go for some inspiration for your community.
Canalside Community Food
Based on Leasowe Organic Farm, adjacent to the Grand Union Canal, Canalside Community Food now produces weekly shares of seasonal organic veg for over 100 households every week of the year from 7 acres of land and five poly-tunnels.
OxGrow
They have transformed two unloved tennis courts right in the heart of Oxford into a thriving community garden. It is open to everyone to learn how to grow food together. An inspiring project.
Spice Caravan
Spice Caravan cooks healthy food with fresh and local ingredients and their menu reflects the communities of the participants – from Morocco, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea.
The People’s Supermarket
This sustainable food co-operative was established two years ago by chef and restaurant owner Arthur Potts Dawson. His vision was to create a commercially sustainable social enterprise that achieves growth and profitability targets while operating within values based on community development and cohesion. He offers an alternative food-buying network by connecting an urban community with the local farming community.
True Food Co-op
Based in Reading, this community-owned enterprise has 130 members, and holds a wide range of stock from several wholefood wholesalers, including Infinity Foods and Suma. They also source local fresh products and run weekly “markets” in several locations.
York SCOOP
The Student Co-op – SCOOP – provides all students at York University with the opportunity to purchase ethical, locally-sourced food at affordable prices. It is a non-profit organisation run by students for students, and offers good food at cost price.
tools
Foodprint Calculator
Excellent and detailed foodprint calculator to work out your own footprint.
useful links
Carbon Commentary
Businessman, author and climate change expert, Chris Goodall’s blog site discusses current issues, including the debate around food. Well written, and worth a read.
Co-Op Community Fund
The Co-op Community Fund awards grants of between £100 and £2,000 to community, voluntary, or self-help groups to run projects that carry out positive work in their community
Community Action Group (CAG) Project
CAG provides hands-on, day-to-day advice for climate change action groups in Oxfordshire. It also gives financial support and insurance cover.
Cultivate
Cultivate is about new ways of feeding Oxford – a local response to global issues. It is a social enterprise that will bring fresh, local, sustainably-grown food direct from farmers to the city and surrounding communities. It aims to increase access to local food and to actively push forward the local food movement. As a community benefit society, Cultivate is owned and managed by its members, and any profits are automatically reinvested into the business.
DinnerTime!
This local project run by the CAG Project is a new exciting scheme that involves foraging, cooking and eating together.
Forest of Oxford
Forest of Oxford will give help and specialist advice to communities that want to plant trees and run events in their neighbourhood.
Green Drinks
Green Drinks are always the third Monday of every month in a local Oxford pub. It is an opportunity to discuss greed ideas and issues – everyone welcome!
Landshare
This Oxford-based think-tank looks at the issues around managing our land and its resources. The three main areas of work are: how to feed a city; energy positive; and land partnerships.
Making Local Food Work
Provides support and advice to community food enterprises across England, whether it’s a farmers’ market, community-owned shop, or food co-op. It has a useful resources section and runs workshops and training events.
Making Local Food Work
There are a huge range of resources on the website to help local food projects whether you are just setting up or thinking about setting up a food co-op. The website also features reports and research from the Making Local Food Work programme
Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum
A partnership organisation of nature conservation groups working across Oxfordshire, ONCF produces a bulletin that lists local food, as well as conservation, events.
Plunkett Foundation
The Plunkett Foundation provides advice and information to rural communities working on community-ownership schemes, like village shops or food co-ops. There are some useful guides and case studies on the website.
Soil Association
The Soil Association is the UK’s leading organic organisation, and campaigns for planet-friendly food and farming. It has a very useful resources section on its website, and training events for community-supported agricultural schemes.
Sustain
This site is solely for food co-ops with a toolkit to help you set up your own co-op or food-buying group, some useful case studies, training events, and a directory to find the nearest co-op to you.
