One of Feed Leeds newest and most exciting partners is going great guns. Growing Better is a social enterprise dedicated to better mental health through growing edible produce. As recently as March, the project was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee, to then become a CIC in April. Thanks to connections provided through Feed Leeds, growing trials started in May at Redhall Nurseries (another Feed Leeds Connection), and the company started trading in July. Now they’re selling veg at Stories in Oakwood, Hayley & Clifford in Street Lane, Ruby’s in Street Lane, and at both the Fruit Stall and House of Koko in Harrogate Rd.

Find out more at http://growingbetter.co (and yes, there’s no ‘.uk’)!

See more in the Potting Shed

Feed Leeds welcomes Alan Thornton of the Leeds Urban Orchard and Helping Britain Blossom as new interim chair (until the AGM), with many thanks to Nigel Jones for all the sterling work he has done for us over the past 18 months. We are currently looking for a Treasurer – job description on application.

Catherine and team planting veg scary close to lorries on the inner ring road  (at the Beckett Pocket Beds site, near the Dry Dock – who kindly supply water). This is stage one of our research project with Uni of Leeds, United Bank of Carbon, LCC Parks and Countryside and Leeds Beckett, finding out how much traffic pollution winds up in the food we grow in cities. The control bed is in the beautiful walled garden at Harewood House. So thanks to them as well.

Please sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-food-poverty-event-tickets-22555547249

Venue: St Georges Conference Centre, Great George St, Leeds, LS1 3BR

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/scandal-of-rising-number-of-leeds-families-grappling-with-food-poverty-problems-1-7892285

Thanks yet again to LCC parks and Redhall Nurseries. Nom nom nom.

We also prepared a veg bed right next to the Inner Ring Road, where Catherine from UoL will start her research into traffic contamination of city-grown veg (the control site is in the walled garden at Harewood House), planted  two trees (so they cross pollinate) at the University of Leeds for the launch of the new Priestley International Centre for Climate, and completed the Food Audit that Leeds City Council commissioned from Feed Leeds.

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