My boys are at an age now where they are getting curious about where the food they eat comes from. Even though I have explained to them before many times, recently it has been a hot topic at the dinner table. The boys have visited farms a few times, and living in the glorious county of Devon there are fields of produce all around us, so they kind of understand that vegetables are grown in fields by farmers, and that is where meat comes from too, in the form of live stock.
However, if I am honest the only time I take them to buy fresh food direct from a farm, is every summer when we go to pick strawberries. It is no surprise that they are always asking how things are made and where are they grown then!
Food brings people together, it is something we all love and enjoy eating and cooking with. Knowing that you are buying direct from where it is sourced can make this experience even more fulfilling and enjoyable, and is such a wonderful and yet simple way of doing your grocery shopping. Being able to show your children how food gets from the field to their plate is also important, and gives them a chance to try produce that they might not otherwise try. It might even encourage them to try new foods – well a Mummy can hope!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find a meeting place near to your home, where food is brought into a community for people to buy, which has been grown locally and is as fresh and in season as you can get? Kind of like days gone by, before supermarkets and shops took over selling all farm produce and baked goods. Well maybe we can all do our bit to buy direct from the farms, support our farmers and know exactly where our food is sourced from, by forming a Food Assembly.
The Food Assembly is an award winning online platform that delivers fresh, quality produce to local communities. It is a new way of obtaining healthy fresh food, all of which is sourced from within a 28 mile radius of where you live. In each Assembly producers set their own prices and receive an income that is both fair for them and good for the local economy. It is great way to drive up some community spirit, meet new people, learn about where food comes from and meet the people who grew it too.
If you are passionate about buying food sourced locally, and having the freshest food you can for your family, then maybe you could consider starting your own Food Assembly. It would be paid work which you could do part time, so is something that could fit in around being a parent maybe. Plus it would show your children where food comes from, not a supermarket, but from a field on a farm, and an opportunity for them too meet the people who grow the produce or bake the goods. You can see if there is a Food Assembly near you.
Starting your own Food Assembly can be a fulfilling and flexible role that allows you to bring fresh food to your family, friends and surrounding community. You could bring together a network of local people and food producers, and create a shopping experience that is far more social in your neighbourhood. With an average income of £200-£400 per Host(s) per month, the bigger the Assembly, the more the Host earns. Several Food Assembly hosts in the UK share the activity with another person, so you could job share with a fellow mum for dad or maybe your friend. It also provides you the opportunity to exchange much more than just food: from seasonal events and foodie workshops to sharing services and farm visits – your Food Assembly could fast become a regular gathering, bringing new life to your local community.
For more information on starting your own Food Assembly please click here
Jo Hutchinson
Merry Christmas