Guys, I'd just like to say thanks for not getting political in this thread which could easily turn into a rant
just signed as well, and i echo macaroons comment on post 5 above. At moment of signing there were 340 views and 20 replies to thread, i would like to think most of those 340 have signed the petition even if they have not replied to thread.
http://www.nsalg.org.uk/news/press-release-17-03-13/ its much better to aquire some facts than to sign blindly though, Don't you think? These e petitions are so easy paste, copy and share. Any quango could get signatures if we don't question the information. We wouldn't want a rant, just freedom of speach.
However, Derbyshire Council are recommending access to food on a level to stave off starvation. Their goals now just getting people to be able to afford to eat on a daily basis, let alone focusing on the 5 a day campaign. If Parish Councils need to pass on more charges to their community residents in view of subsidised allotment rents/expenditure etc. Then this will have a greater adverse effect on local food consumption than the few who have access to subsidised allotments. If valuable (prime location) allotments were to be and similar NEW allotments bought in a more favourable location. Some profit from the original sale of the Old Allotments could go towards buying the new allotments and be invested to make the new allotments financially sustainable. Taking pressure off of local residents through reduced rates/taxes and potentially increasing the number of new allotments to meet any future demand............and this on the same day as I've just heard on the Today programme that they finally got around to telling people unequivocally that 5-a-day is more
likely to stave off serious health issues and would be better as 7-a-day or more..............
However, Derbyshire Council are recommending access to food on a level to stave off starvation. Their goals now just getting people to be able to afford to eat on a daily basis, let alone focusing on the 5 a day campaign. If Parish Councils need to pass on more charges to their community residents in view of subsidised allotment rents/expenditure etc. Then this will have a greater adverse effect on local food consumption than the few who have access to subsidised allotments. If valuable (prime location) allotments were to be and similar NEW allotments bought in a more favourable location. Some profit from the original sale of the Old Allotments could go towards buying the new allotments and be invested to make the new allotments financially sustainable. Taking pressure off of local residents through reduced rates/taxes and potentially increasing the number of new allotments to meet any future demand.
Signed
interestingly enough we had been on the waiting list for an allotment for some years when last year we got a letter from the council saying that we had to confirm our interest and would have to do so each year or we would be off the list. We have now got a half allotment (dont ask, dont get me started ) and the chair of our allotment association says that what the council were saying is illegal, they cannot just remove you from a list.
In the last few years attempts have been made to accurately assess the demand for plots on allotments. Unfortunately many smaller or private allotments may have become excluded. 2013 statistics can be viewed in this link. http://www.nsalg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ttwk_nsalg_survey_2013.pdf It also goes on to explain why the local authority would be requesting showing individual interest/registration annualy.
Food 2030
[12], published by Defra, included the goal that "People feel connected to their food
and treat it as a source of wellbeing and enjoyment, for example through leisure activities such
as growing and cooking food"
That report contains the most ridiculous thing I have ever read (not by the report authors) -
Since when was growing and cooking food a "leisure activity"??
I wonder what other leisure activities they can think of? Breathing perhaps?
Sheesh.
The Mods have pointed out to me that this thread should have been approved by me before it was posted or not posted at all as it's political in nature and we don't do politics on Bushcraft UK, so for future reference any straight forward political posts should be avoided and any that people are unsure about I need to give an explicit approval for them to be posted.
This thread will stand as long as it doesn't start getting too political or slagging anyone or any organisation off but it is being viewed as a political thread so don't be surprised if it's closed at the first miss step.
Regarding "cooking" as a leisure activity. Many people pay to attend cooking classes/cooking holidays, both within the UK and around the world. Nobody pays to go on a ironing course/ironing holiday, as they consider ironing to be a chor. How many people sit in front of the TV watching cooking programs/cooking competitions? For some (males) the BBQ is the nearest thing to leisure cooking they can identify with. To these same people cooking may be viewed as a nessesary chor & to others a leisurly activity. The same can be said for gardening (whether growing fruit or vegitables or not) Defra statement "People feel connected to their food" in a round about way is showing people where food comes from "the earth" and not out of a carton, a plastic bag or supermarket shelf. Food is taken for granted, understanding the growing process is educational, Cooking and eating the produce promotes wellbeing and hopefuly enjoyment of food.
I can't agree with that didicoy. Growing and cooking food are required for life. One can perhaps debate about cooking if willing to live on raw food, but growing food?
Growing food is, and always was, necessary for people to have a decent diet. That does not make it a leisure activity. I think the term deliberately trivialises growing your own as though to make it seem the preserve of big business. The fact that people enjoy a necessary task and seek to do it well does not make it a leisure activity - any more than a builder doing his job well or a doctor - there are TV programmes on those subjects as well.
Red