Growing Our Local Food Economy: Next Steps
On July 20th local food producers, businesses and organisations met to discuss potential solutions to
overcoming barriers to selling and sourcing local food within Lancaster District. The day commenced with a
number of presentations that aimed to place the day in context and to inspire ideas. (Presentations from all
speakers are available upon request). Lancaster based presentations included:
 Anna Clayton from LESS introduced the Growing Our Local Food Economy (GOLFE) project and the
results from LESS’s consultation with local consumers, food producers and retailers.
 Beccy Whittle from Lancaster University discussed the work of the Edible Campus project- the
University’s food growing scheme. She presented an overview of research findings regarding the
barriers students face to eating healthy and sustainable local food.
 Tom Fyson, LESS’s Food Projects Coordinator, stated that LESS would take the outcomes of the day
forward through the GOLFE project’s work and the Community Economic Development Fund.
 Mike Hallam from the Ethical Small Traders Association talked about the need to make money work
harder within the local food economy. He proposed the Food Loop Game as a method of conveying
this message in a fun and engaging way.
External speakers (from outside Lancaster District) included:
 Chris Walsh from the Kindling Trust in Manchester discussed the need to re-distribute power within
the food supply chain. Kindling had attempted to do this by creating the ‘perfect supply chain’.
 Kerry Rankine from Growing Communities in London emphasised the importance of considering
‘how you trade’ not only how you grow, and to always question what is working and why. She
mentioned five important ‘Ps’: people, principles, pounds, planning and perseverance.
 Seb Buckton from Stroudco food hub talked about the need to conduct thorough market research;
to make the process of accessing local food as simple as possible. He also briefly mentioned the role
of open source software and the Open Food Network in providing software for online retailing.
Developing solutions: the process
Presentations were followed by a question and answer session and lunch. Over lunch participants were
asked to think of three potential solutions for overcoming barriers to accessing and sourcing local food in
Lancaster District. Ideas were shared post-lunch and were grouped into themes by participants. Seven
themes emerged: 1) Collaboration and sharing of resources 2) Bringing producers and consumers closer
together 3) Understanding the local food market 4) Marketing 5) Education 6) Awareness raising
7) Further research and relationship building. Please see pages 2 & 3 for further details of proposed ideas.
Participants were asked to vote, using three dots, for themes they wanted to prioritise for further discussion.
Collaboration and sharing of resources (8 votes); Bringing producers and consumers closer together (21
votes) and further research and relationship building (10 votes) were taken forward for discussion in
breakout groups. Breakout groups discussed ‘prioritised solutions’ further and developed rough action plans
for taking the ideas forward (See pages 4, 5 &6). Finally ‘Next steps’ are proposed by LESS on page 7.
1
REMOVING THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING LOCAL FOOD
Ideas discussed further
Local food marketing: 6 votes
•
•
Ideas not discussed further
Understanding the local food
market: 5 votes
•
•
•
Talk with customers to
understand what their
requirements are.
How do you build demand
quickly enough to make
involvement worthwhile for local
growers?
Need to understand the market
for local food- different segment
of the population.
Local food logo needed for recognition
Simple and smart online presence for small producers
needed
Producers need access to affordable logos/ certification
e.g. freedom foods, soil association type groups.
Real qualifications and branding of ‘local’ in Lancaster:
clear advertisements e.g. suggest logo or similar. Or
‘Lancaster salad’...
Promotion of ‘local’ through shared marketing
An online presence for farmers and producers. Perhaps
educate producers about online media and importance
of having an online presence (and Food Assembly etc).
A lot of online media seems pointless but young
families are using it to save time and money.
Lancashire taking ownership of amazing local producers
and advertising through council, NHS and other larger
organisations with big advertising budgets.
•
•
•
•
•
Bringing producers & consumers closer together: 21 votes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flexibility of delivery for producers/ growers (don’t just think about flexibility for consumer)
Could schools be distributors or sellers?
Co-operate with existing outlets (fishmonger, butcher, deli etc) to promote locally sourced produce
A hub for delivering food too.
Box schemes in Lancaster should consider central drop off points
Local food collection points in every neighbourhood
A van that collects produce and then brokers at market stalls
Shared market stall
Old fashioned travelling or mobile food store or coop
A joint market stall
Vegetable shop seems like a good idea for a wider and new market. Shouldn’t worry about
competition. Aim would be people who don’t access veg boxes or single step vegetables.
Delivery scheme that offers wide range of food (veg, meat, cheese, bread, eggs, store cupboard)
Cooperative online platform for producers to sell products online directly to consumers
Get local food into small convenience stores
Create a Lancaster Food Co of suppliers and consumers. It should act as a focal point for all the
initiatives that currently exist; it should fill the gaps and help any struggling projects.
Also outlets on the borders- all work should not necessarily focus on Lancaster. Make sure can source
rurally as well!
Proper farmers market in Lancaster
Out of hour’s access. Many people can’t access food in 9-5 working hours
Link in with existing infrastructure, businesses , schools etc
Drop off points at food hub sites out of 9-5 working hours (needs to be flexible).
2
REMOVING THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING LOCAL FOOD
Ideas discussed further
Further research & relationship building:
10 votes
•
•
•
•
•
•
Encourage producers and retailers to
collaborate by providing some sort of forum
Encourage more retailers to participate. Go
back to local retailers and find out why they
didn’t respond to survey. This research needs
more work.
Make the money already in the local food
economy work harder.
Producer, retailer speed dating
Identify which shops and producers exist and
are interested in growing our local food
economy. Identify current gaps (what not
being produced, what not currently available
locally). This could provide an opportunity for
new producers and small community coops
to supply etc
Start with existing food providers first rather
than starting anew.
Ideas not discussed further
Collaboration & sharing of
resources: 8 votes
•
•
•
•
•
Education: 5 votes
•
•
•
Disco soup
Seasonal taster events
Re-education about food through generations.
School children to grandparents.
Plant based meals- cookery courses, recipe
sharing, encourage other restaurants and cafés
to offer more vegetarian and vegan options.
Education of next generation and consumers
new to the idea of sustainable food. Often
promotion only reaches those that are already in
the know: preaching to the converted.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Awareness-raising: 0 votes
•
For the public need clarification of the words
used to describe products e.g. what does ‘local’,
‘environmental,’ ‘animal welfare,’ and ‘farm
GROUPING ONE: Collaboration and sharing of resources
shop’ really mean?
8 votes
3
Land army. Work with CVS centre (?)
to create a bank of volunteers that
can support local farms and
community projects.
Resource sharing: equipment, skills,
vehicles etc.
Can job centres provide workers as
part of work experience placements
for job seekers under new rules?
I like the idea of ‘micro farms’ (like in
Hackney) and tapping into really
small scale producers who may
already be producing but have no
current outlet or no business
experience.
Identify latent core of would-be
producers: those who would like to
work in the local food sector but
can’t find an entry point e.g. access
to land & training.
Link into networks: Sustainable Food
Cities and Soil Association’s Food For
Life.
Get the university and other public
sector bodies to spend 1% on local
food.
Can schools be engaged as
growers/producers?
Local food hub: training
opportunities, equipment available
for hire (kitchen etc), space that
support’s new small scale producers.
Collaborate across all sectors. Work
with the ‘best’ of the public sector,
private sector and community sector
in order to allow for ongoing
personal, collaborative learning and
training.
ACTION PLANS

about how they can make their businesses better.
GROUPING ONE: Collaboration and sharing of resources
We need to create an online hub. It should make facilities and opportunities available to loan and
share resources (online brokerage). It could also be used to provide volunteer opportunities.
Aspirations: a living wage; allow people to step into employment opportunities through job centre;
people in recovery engaged in growing.
Participants: Tom Fyson, Kate Rowley, Mike Hallam, Sharon Peacock, Seb Buckton, Jane Attfield,
Beccy Whittle, Joanne Halliwell
Key questions:
Wider research needed:
 How has this worked elsewhere? (Five Penny Farm: Peasant Evolution Producers Co-operative.)
 What insurance and hygiene regulations etc required?
 What resources are needed and what are currently available? (eg slicer, vac pack, kitchens)
 Would a coop be a suitable model for buying/ owning equipment to share?
 What payment mechanisms would be suitable: cash/ in kind?
 How can this link in with Stroud Co. and the wider Open Food Network?
Key actions:





Investigate the Open Food Network
Hackathon? Develop links with the university to produce suitable software or develop existing
models
Contact and learn about Five Penny Farm: Peasant Evolution Producers Co-operative.
Research other models e.g.coop lending equipment
LESS and CVS to meet to discuss volunteer opportunities. Volunteer roles for admin, delivery,
transport etc within the local food economy.
4
GROUPING TWO: Further research and relationship building
We need to map the current local food economy to build on LESS’s consultation work. We need to
identify gaps and utilise current infrastructure, skills and experience, whilst fostering relationships.
Participants: Kerry Rankine, Steph Stephenson, Liz Hayes, Anna Clayton
Key Questions:
Why are some retailers and producers currently not engaging?
What do businesses want and need? And how can GOLFE support these needs?
How should GOLFE best work with a bunch of very busy people and bring them together?
How do we foster an environment of collaboration?
Key actions:







LESS should map the current local food economy and note characteristics of businesses (Needs
and Wants? How well established? Family business? Young professionals? Interested in GOLFE?
What sell and offer?). Emphasise listening over talking! This work should be ongoing and should
be made fun!
LESS should use creative actions to involve the wider community in food mapping work - to
build relationships and community support. For example: spot the milkman! Who delivers in
your area?
Build on current contacts to help build local food economy map
Host regular events that encourage local food producers and businesses to meet in a fun and
relaxed atmosphere. (To create trust and friendships). This could take the form of speed dating
and taster evenings (promotion) etc. Evenings were suggested as a best time of day to host
these events.
Re-do retailer research. Emphasise face-to-face meetings. Ask what businesses want first. What
could help businesses improve? Make it clear who can get involved. If using questionnaires
make them clear and short as time is very valuable. Make clear the benefits and expectations of
participating from the start.
Emphasise a hierarchy of steps to make process inclusive. Buying local food from a supermarket
> buying from an independent local retailer> buying locally produced food from an independent
retailer> buying local and sustainable food from a local independent retailer. IT’S A JOURNEY.
If running targeted events or periods of focused discussion and promotion think about the
seasons. January was suggested as a good time of year for working with local food businesses.
New Year’s resolutions could be used as a hook to get businesses on board- making them think
about how they can make their businesses better.
5
GROUPING THREE: Bringing producers and consumers closer together
Participants: Desna Mackenzie, Chris Walsh, Rod Everett, Steve Jenkins, Liz Hickingbotham, Chris
Stephenson, Rebecca Dobson.
IDEA ONE: Encourage more local convenience stores to stock local food (and cafés and
restaurants?)
Key Questions:
 How prove safety of food/ that it comes from a recognised source. ‘Accreditation’ - kite mark?
 What are the volume and delivery requirements for convenience stores?
 Advocate for a collective of local producers.
 ‘Point of sale’ shelf, signage etc. Trading first, branding later?
Actions:
 LESS to scope answers to volume and delivery requirements of convenience stores; options for
proving safety and quality of food; methods of selling to convenience stores.
 Establish steering group for producer collective
IDEA TWO: Shared Market Stall (to prove product).
Key Questions:
 What is the potential role of a market stall?
 How do you create the space for collective working?
Actions:
 Market stalls are not economically viable but are great for showcasing produce to potential
customers. A stall can be used for market research and to convince retailers to participate.
 Utilise existing delivery routes for picking up and dropping off produce for market stall.
 Need a key personality on stall
 Convene a collective- who should be in it? Governance structure needs to be thought throughproducers need to have ownership but don’t have to put time into delivering it. Transparency is
crucial.
OUTCOME: ESTABLISH A PRODUCER COLLECTIVE
Key Questions:
 Who delivers the work and who is the advocate?
 Clarity about needs of buyers and sellers etc
 Buyers need to be present.
Actions:
 Create a steering group for producers. Producers and LESS staff should be involved. First
meeting could take place after 2nd august on a Tuesday, Wednesdays or Thursday.
6
WHAT’S NEXT?
The action plans developed for ‘further research and relationship building’, ‘bringing producers
closer together’ and ‘collaboration and sharing of resources’ will be taken forward, with LESS acting
as a key facilitator. The order in which these are taken forward is open for discussion and will
depend on the feedback we get from local food businesses and Andrew Suter- our Community
Economic Development Fund advisor.
In addition, ideas that were not prioritised on the day will not be lost. We have documented them
and will share them with other local groups. We will also try to incorporate them into our future
plans.
If you have any thoughts about the event or the outcomes, please share them with us. Even if you
could not attend the conference it would be great to have your thoughts and comments.
Also, if you are interested in supporting any of the outputs in specific, please let us know.
We will keep in touch regarding any developments, meetings and events. In the meantime, you can
contact us!
Address: LESS, The Storey, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1TH
Email: food@lessuk.org
Phone number: 01524 66100
Website: www.lessuk.org
Facebook page: Growing Our Local Food Economy – GOLFE Lancaster
7