Local food
New Forest food challenge
total project costs £20,896
fund grant £14,604 (70% of total)
This project is essentially a challenge to individuals, families, schools, colleges and businesses in the New Forest area to find ways of using more local food produce.
Through a range of events, practical schemes and awareness raising this project is encouraging people to increase the proportion of local produce they use and to increase the amount of food grown locally in gardens, allotments and market gardens.
The project is holding a food summit in autumn 2010, bringing together those people involved in local food production in the New Forest.
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Montagu Arms kitchen garden
total project costs £41,149
fund grant £15,917 (39% of total)
The Montagu Arms Hotel in Beaulieu has received a grant from the Sustainable Development Fund to increase the amount of locally grown produce it uses and reduce the quantity of waste it generates.
A kitchen garden has been developed to produce food for use in the hotel restaurant, complete with free-range chickens to provide eggs for breakfast.
The hotel has also installed a rocket composter, an in-vessel system that efficiently composts food waste. Food waste is a significant part of the hotels waste and it is anticipated that the Rocket will reduce the amount of waste generated by almost half and hotel staff are monitoring the effectiveness of the project.
The kitchen garden is proving inspirational among other New Forest businesses and has run two workshops for people to learn about the project and see its development.
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Fairweather's learning garden
The aim of this project was to create a 'learning garden' in Beaulieu that would establish a link between the food we eat and where it comes from.
Opened officially in 2008 by Chris Packham the garden continues to develop and enables the community, particularly school children to learn about and try their hand at fruit and vegetable growing.
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Local produce events
total project costs £20,946
fund grant £9,583 (46% of total)
This project built on the success of the New Forest Marque® by holding events to further promote and encourage increased sustainability within the local produce and hospitality industries of the New Forest National Park.
A Food Safari was held to develop relationships between producers and buyers, particularly local chefs, by taking them on a tour of local food producers and taking part in blind taste tests. A local craft and wood festival was also held in partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to widen awareness of the range of local craft products available.
Harvest celebration
total project costs £8,740
SDF grant £2,542 (29% of total)
This project, which took place in autumn 2009, was to hold a New Forest Harvest Celebration event with the aim of enabling adults and children living within the area to understand what is special and unique about the New Forest and to learn about what is produced there. Over 250 local school children took place in the one-day event where they each spent time learning about the ponies, pigs and cattle that run on the New Forest and trying their hand at besom broom making with a local coppicer, as well as learning about many other traditions and products of the New Forest area, such as honey and lavender.