(Click the pictures to see full size)

Facillitator: Claire Watson.

1. Aim of Meeting

• Steamline activities for next year
• Define Aims
• Who will do what

2. What is Growing Awareness?

• Sustainable food production
• Local food & farming group
• Support local food producers
• Support relevent campaigns
• Raising awareness of food issues
• Environmental & social
• Impact of food production

Promote local food production through workshops & farm walks. Helping to preserve and reintroduce skills (local) & knowledge.

Skibbereen/West Cork based group.

What has Growing Awareness achieved?

• Setup in 1999
• Genetic engineering conference } 500 people attended
• Globalisation of food supply } 500 people attended
• Setup website
• Organic dairy farming seminar } 80 people
• Setup farmers’ market in Skibbereen
• Various public meetings.
• Theme days (potatoes, vermiculture, tomatoes ect)
• four years of garden farm walks
• Develope educational programs in schools
• Winter talks
• 15 workshops ( 10 per workshop - 170-200 total)
• Planning & legal campaign around Fairfield
• Submission against incineration
• Soliciting donations & grants
• Established an informal network & mailing lists

Where would you like to see Growing Awareness in five years time?

Paul - Helping to deal with “Peak” oil crisis from a food production

aspect & providing solutions.

Jean - Would like to Growing Awareness to be seen as a positive

organisation instead of a negative force.

Madeline - Organising farmer based research to encourage biodiversity.

Jean/Eric - Sponsor a local producers’ co-op to encourage extensive

financially viable agriculture. Possible CSA (Community supported

argiculture) scheme.

Jacinta - Setup a food distribution & a teachers centre.

Tom - Focal point for Skibbereen & encouraging/ being a model for

other areas to do likewise. Network together to share information,ideas

& resources.

Jacinta - Documenting the skill via posters, teaching videos, booklets.

Ruth - Development education.

Jean - Encouraging locals to grow food in their own gardens.

Plans for 2005

***Don't overstretch our resources***

What works now

• Farm/garden walks
• workshops

Finish development of website (growingawareness.org)

Content - History of events (past) List of upcoming events Background manifesto

Talks

• Colin Campbell - Implications of the oil crisis on food production.
  (Not as Growing Awareness) - Paul?

• Four part evening seminars in March - Tom/Ruth Film, slides, discussion of: 1. Global trade (food) 2. Supermarkets 3. Organic food 4. Local food & localisation

Existing Roles

Madeline - Send out e-mails & press releases.

Paul/Jacinta/Madeline - Farm walks.

Tom/Ruth - Leaflets.

Jacinta/Ruth - Mailing lists.

Jacinta/Paul/Madeline - Workshops.

Madeline/Jacinta - Funding application.

**Workshops **

No lunches to be provided*

Tea, coffee & biscuits to be provided. Workshop attendees must bring own packed lunch.

1. Four gardening/cookery workshops with lunch provided - Jean.
2. Garden design (Feb.) - Jean.
3. Composting (Oct/Nov) - Tom
4. Apple grafting (March) - Paul/Jacinta.
5. Tree propagation (Oct.) - Paul/Jacinta.
6. Seed Saving (Aug/Sept) - Madeline.
7. Forest Food (End Sept) - Eric.
8. Medicinal Herbs (July) - Brdget Lawlor.
9. Seaweed (Jan) - Christine Thery.
10. Hedge-laying (?) - David Perry.
11. Basketry (?) - Yvon O’Flynn.

Farm Walks

Jobs - Meeting to decide who does what.

** Other activities**

Leaflet against burning of plastic items.

• How to grow vegetables in your own garden.

• Newsletter to evolve via website.

• Conference (Jan 06) * Madeline/Jean.

• Jean & Madeline eat home grown/local food for one year - to be developed.

• Launch website & leaflets (end of Jan) - Jacinta.

Who’s doing what?

• Databasing
• Advertising for walks & workshops
  • leaflets
  • e-mails
  • posters

Ruth will pin down people for farm walk dates.

Meeting to decide who does what on Sunday Jan 9th 4:00 pm at Tom & Ruth’s. Everyone should try to bring someone who might want to help with somethingrealted to GA.