Press Release 13 Feb 2009

HTML Version

Manchester residents can show their appreciation to local farmers this Valentine’s day, and at the same time become healthier and greener with the help of a pocket-sized seasonal food calendar. Ten thousand of the conveniently sized and informative calendars will be available free of charge at selected fruit & vegetable outlets across Manchester from Valentine’s Day.

At a glance the busy shopper can see what fruit and vegetables are in season and being produced in the UK. By buying local seasonal food you will be supporting local farmers and growers - who need a bit of heartwarming at this time of year!

The guide also offers handy buying tips - so you get the best and freshest food. For example did you know that if you shake a cox’s apple and the pips rattle it is perfect for eating?

Helen Woodcock of The Kindling Trust said:

"We all want to be greener and healthier, but we are busy with so many other things. This guide takes the hassle out of shopping in a more sustainable way. Simply by buying more local, seasonal and organic fruit and vegetables we can both improve our diet and make a positive contribution to our local and global environment."

The calendar can be picked up from Manchester’s Farmers Markets, Herbie mobile fruit & veg van in East Manchester, Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton, On the 8th Day on Oxford Road, Hulme Community Garden Centre, as well as numerous other sustainable food projects across the city.

Debbie Clarke of Unicorn Grocery, Chorlton added:

"Our local farmers have a hard time of it competing against imports, the huge buying power supermarkets wield and often the weather doesn't help! So show some love to our regions farmers by buying local and buying seasonal"

The simple little guide has been produced by the Moss Side based Kindling Trust with support from the Big Lottery's Local Food Fund. Kindling were one of the very first groups to secure funding from this new fund, which supports projects trying to put into practice the all important local food debate. As well as distributing the calendar to 10,000 Mancunians, Kindling is making it available on their website for other groups across the UK to make their own regional version - helping the whole of the UK to go local.

Mark Wheddon, Local Food Programme Manager said:

“It is projects like this that have a wide impact on people’s attitudes to local food and we are happy to support them. The Kindling Trust’s, ‘The Time is Ripe’ project marks just the beginning in terms of Local Food grants. With a record £50 million to distribute to various groups we will begin to see a real change in the accessibility of local food.”

Visit www.kindling.org.uk/projects to download the calendar online.

-ENDS-