Call Out to all Growers, Gardeners, Fruit pickers, Foodies and Foragers!

Summer is upon us and as the seasons shift, fruit, vegetables and herbs will be growing in abundance over the next few months. Every year usable food in our neighbourhoods goes unpicked; or there ends up being so much that gardeners don’t know what to do with it. 

The Waltham Forest Food Partnership are organising an initiative this growing season to get under-utilised fruit and produce to community food projects tackling food poverty and the cost of living crisis: reducing our carbon impact and building power and resilience in the local community at the same time. By strengthening ties between local food growing and mutual aid systems we are taking another step closer to food security and food sovereignty in Waltham Forest! 

Our questions to you: 

Do you grow food?

Do you know someone with a fruit tree in their back-yard you could speak to?

Do you know a spot where herbs are growing in abundance?

Where is the best bramble patch to pick heaps of blackberries?

Do you know somebody who works in a food business ? 

If you can answer YES to any of these questions, get in touch!

We will also need a team of  volunteers to help with picking, collecting, storing and distributing surplus produce. So if you have some time to spare on a sunny afternoon, would enjoy cycling a swish electric cargo bike, take pleasure in making jam, or have ties to a community space, school or food projects in your area that could receive and distribute produce, we want to hear from you! 

If you have any ideas or contacts to share, please get in touch with us at outreach@hornbeam.org.uk