Sustainable Redland

Market goes to Saturdays

Angela — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:05:50 +0000

Due to popular demand, our Whiteladies Farmers Market will, from May 2010, be on the first and third Saturdays of each month. We hope not to lose any of our regular Friday shoppers, but far more people tell us that Saturdays is a much better day for them and in fact we are very lucky to attract our Traders on Saturdays as this is a day when they are much in demand. We also hope to expand the market through more advertising and promotion, and by exploring ways of making it easier for shoppers – for example pre-ordering or even home delivery.

Market promotion – applicant needed

Angela — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:59:53 +0000

Invitation to tender

£3,000 is available for a consultancy with the aims as follows;

To develop and promote the Whiteladies Farmers Market with the aim of expanding the customer base and the trader base.

the consultant will:

Work closely with the Market Manager

Research the attitudes of existing customers

Establish ways of expanding the customer base

Develop and implement a communications and marketing strategy encompassing customers and traders

Liase with other markets, Bristol City Council Officers and business development team

Ensure that issues of sustainability underpin the project

Timescale: Six months from the date of the award but we would expect the right person will develop this into a continuing part-time marketing and promotion role that continues beyond the six month period, funded from the additional income brought about through the successful market development.

Reporting; to Sustainable Redland Whiteladies Farmers Market Management Group

Accounting; must show breakdown of consultant’s fees/office costs

Please send your project proposal to Robin Haward, 7 Exeter buildings, Redland, BS6 6TH to arrive by 5.00pm on Friday March 26th

Interviews will be held in the early evening of April 1st

Airport decision still not made

Angela — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:12:41 +0000

The South Area Planning Committee for North Somerset Council voted 6 to 3 in favour of granting permission for expansion of Bristol Airport. However, the decision has been ‘called in’ which means the main planning committee will look at it in April. Then the Secretary of State will have to take a view because it involves green belt. The officers of N Somerset Council have produced a report for the planning committee that recommends approval. It’s pretty unbalanced. The economic predictions for jobs are accepted uncritically. The harms from expansion and the risk of it being a ‘white elephant’ faced with peak oil and economic shocks, are glossed over.

Landmark decision on biofuel plant

Angela — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:07:16 +0000

On 24 February Bristol Councillors rejected an application for a proposed biofuel plant at Avonmouth. Their decision was based on their interpretation that protection of the environment extended to the wider world, not just Bristol. Therefore a proposal that would actually increase carbon emissions overall did not fit with our Local Plan. Read more here. A narrower view leads to the absurd position that decisions can only be about direct pollution in Bristol, and if every place takes this viewit means that ultimately the planet gets trashed and all of us suffer.

Local Food News

Angela — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:51:48 +0000

The latest edition of Local Food News is here – this issue is absolutely packed with news and information. Bristol’s local food update Mar-Apr 2010

Progress at Redland Green

Angela — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:47:44 +0000

If you think that community action is pointless then think again. A couple of years ago – partly as an offshoot of Sustainable Redland – a group met to thrash out how best to support and improve our local green space ‘Redland Green’. The City Council was getting conflicting local views from walkers, cyclists, dog owners, young people, old people, parents, tree lovers, tree haters, people who like things neat, and people who like things wild. So the group worked out what it was that everyone cared about, and found ways of getting the best overall plans. And the result? New hedge-planting done by local residents in a way that enhances biodiversity, four ancient trees being pruned instead of felled, new litter bins, and wooden bollards to protect the grass from cars. The group is called ‘Redland Green Community Group’ and is still going strong.

Valentines gifts

Angela — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:46:20 +0000

Don’t forget to look out for special valentines day foody gifts at the Farmers Market this week.

Veg boxes

Angela — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:15:20 +0000

Now that we don’t have Terry’s shop on Lower Redland Road you might like to try a regular home delivery of local seasonal organic veg. We’d recommend The Community Farm, which is a farm in Chew Magna that Sustainable Redland has a link with. It will be launching as a not-for profit ‘community supported agriculture’ venture later in the year, and in the meantime there is a box scheme through the Better Food Company. Delivery in Redland is Thursday’s before 8am. You can order online or you can telephone 0117 9351725

Airplot design contest

Angela — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:50:22 +0000

The site of the proposed third runway at Heathrow now has 65,000 people who own tiny ‘airplots’ on the land. A competition has been launched for the best design for some kind of eco-fortress to protect the plot should this become necessary.

Terry’s fruit and veg shop

Angela — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:29:29 +0000

Many of us are regular and longstanding customers of the Lower Redland Road ‘Redland Fruitery’ which is a family-run greengrocery that has served Redland for some 45 years. Sadly for us, Terry is retiring and the shop ceases trading on 27 January. We will all miss the shop enormously. Not only is it a shop where you can buy local and organic fruit and veg with zero packaging, it is also a place of conversation and friendship, like going into someones front room rather than facing them across a counter. Maybe a greengrocer will be re-established once the reburbishment is done – who knows. In the meantime, there is Earthbound on Abbotsford Road (just off Cotham Hill near the Launderette) which does local organic, there is a fruit and veg stall in Woollies market, and there is the fortnightly farmers market. Also, susred is part of a new venture called The Community Farm. So if you want to support local seasonal production then you might like to consider a regular veg box from The Community Farm – delivery is early on Thursday mornings to your house. The booking is currently via The Better Food Company – either online (its quite easy) or you can phone and speak to a human being.