Dumfries and Galloway Greens have invited local food producers, retailers and agencies to join them in launching a Green Menu for the region. Those attending the Beyond The Food Town event at Lincluden Community Centre, Dumfries on Saturday 27th June will share a delicious lunch made entirely from locally sourced, organically grown or fair-traded ingredients.
Donations of food include cheese from Cream ‘O’ Galloway, Galloway Beef from Standingstanes Farm community near Auchencairn, described as a “good example of what land reform can achieve” and Malawian rice from Dumfries Fair Trade Group. Steve Tilbury from Sunrise Wholefoods in Castle Douglas and Jools Cox of the Wild Orchards and other local food projects, suggested recipes.
After lunch, Pete Ritchie, Director of national agency Nourish, will speak about the right of all sectors of the community to access nutritious food which he sees as “a defining challenge for the 21st century, with the current food system destroying soils and wildlife while failing to nourish people in Scotland and globally.”
Barry Graham of award winning Loch Arthur Creamery and Farm Shop (the source of many ingredients for the meal) will also speak at the meeting. “These are exciting times to experience the groundswell of change in peoples’ shopping habits. Consumers definitely have the choice and power to influence food trends and policy and, from our experience at Loch Arthur, they are ‘putting their money where their mouth is’, making their choices and appreciating the outcome.”
The third speaker will be local activist and former Scottish Greens candidate, Alis Ballance of Moffat CAN which creates jobs, training and work experience within the green sector for people with barriers to employment.
Explaining the thinking behind the event, Holyrood regional list candidate Laura Moodie said, “Food was barely mentioned during the General Election campaign, yet the production of high-quality food is at the heart of rural areas like Dumfries and Galloway. Providing access to nourishing food that sustains both people and planet is essential to the health and wellbeing of our society. Scottish Greens want to engage people in conversation on what a healthy local food system looks like, how good food can be affordable and accessible to all and ways to improve food security and sustainability in the long term.”
Anyone can attend the free event which starts at 12 noon and finishes at 3pm. Advance tickets can be booked online at Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-food-town-tickets-17233285220
Beyond The Food Town – A Green Menu For Dumfries And Galloway
