Homemade bread and micro bakers

In the late 1970's Britain faced bread shortages as Bread Delivery men and women across the country went on strike. I don't really remember much about the strikes but what I do remember is the smell of fresh bread baking in the kitchen and watching my mother as she made loaf after loaf over several days. I also recall holding warm slices of bread in my hands and watching the butter melt into it as I took a bite. Fresh homemade bread with butter is surely one of the simpler pleasures in life.

Making bread at home, although very satisfying, can be too time intensive for many people to fit into their busy lives. So most of us will pick up a loaf or two during our weekly shop. But did you know that the majority of modern bread is made using the Chorleywood Bread Process? The Chorleywood Bread Process was developed by the British Baking Industries Research Association in 1961 at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire. The process allowed lower quality and lower protein wheat to be utilised by mixing greater quantities of yeast and food additives into the dough at high speed. As the mixture took less time to bake it was hailed as the most effective way to produce bread. 

In recent years some people have questioned the amount of additives and preservatives in their daily loaf and wondered if it was contributing to the rise in digestive issues. Organisations such as the Real Bread Campaign are leading the campaign to make real bread 'available, accessible and affordable for everyone' who would like it. They are also calling for a change in the law to make marketing and labelling clearer so that all consumers can make informed decisions about the bread they buy.

In response to those consumers looking for good quality, locally made, healthier bread, micro bakeries are springing up all over the country. This is more than a passing trend and organisations such as The School of Artisan Baking and Bread Angels offer courses that cover everything you need to know when setting up your own bakehouse.

Last year I took an eight week basic to baker course with Leiths Cookery School to brush up on my baking knowledge as well as learning new skills and recipes. My favourite was the sourdough and several months down the line I'm still finding the time to bake a couple of loaves a week, well most weeks anyway.

Eco Psychology

Since I started this blog I've written about Care Farming, Social and Therapeutic Horticulture, Forest Therapy and Animal Assisted Interventions, which as you may remember are all types of Green Care. 

I've never really investigated Eco Psychology or known much about it but recently the topic cropped up in a discussion about wellbeing, so I decided to take an introductory module to find out more. 

Eco Psychology is also part of the wider Green Care umbrella and studies the relationship between people and nature. It uses both ecological and psychological theories with a focus on supporting wellbeing. 

The Yale School of the Environment in 2020 reported that exposure to the natural world could reduce stress and boost healing. It should be acknowledged that not everyone feels comfortable in nature, but for those who felt safe in the natural environment it reduced blood pressure, calmed the nervous system, reduced anxiety, improved mood, boosted self esteem and produced feelings of calm.

As Green Care is made up of lots of of strands it can sometimes become a bit complicated or confusing and some of you may be thinking is Eco Psychology different to Eco Therapy? Put simply Eco Therapy is the practical application of the theories and principles of Eco Psychology. These will usually be guided by a counsellor or therapist and will take place in green and blue spaces in cities as well as in rural areas. It may involve working in nature or experiencing nature and could include spending time with others in nature.

The UK charity MIND suggests asking your doctor for a social prescription to a local organisation or having a look yourself for nature based groups and classes near you. The Anna Freud Centre in London says anyone can benefit from time spent in nature and that even if they can't find a group or class they can still benefit by doing the simplest tasks such as growing herbs on a windowsill.

 

Blue Care

If you've been reading my blog for a while you will be familiar with the terms Green Care and Green Therapy but what about Blue Care or Blue Therapy?

Put simply Blue Care or Therapy makes use of sources of water such as the ocean, rivers, lakes, canals and even ponds to connect people with nature to support their physical or mental health.

Kate Campbell from the University of Wellington in New Zealand has researched Blue Therapy and the benefits for people and she believes that 'blue spaces provide us with distractions to take our mind away from the day to day hassles of life' as time near and on the water relax both our bodies and mind.

But what does this look like in practice? It could be a passive experience that focuses on 'just' being near water or an active experience such as water sports for example, surf therapy projects like the Wave Project, which offers a six week surf therapy course with a personal mentor and the opportunity to become a member of a surf club or offer their time as a volunteer afterwards.

The Wildlife and Wetlands Trust takes this further by offering a Blue Prescribing Programme which is based on the more widely known Social Prescribing Programme. These programmes enable medical practitioners to refer people to local non clinical projects that support health and wellbeing goals.

Next week I'm heading to the South Coast for a few days for my own small measure of Blue Care. I love the sound of the seagulls, the sight of the pier and the smell of the sea and I feel myself physically relaxing with every step I take towards the beach. Sounds like a good excuse to book a few more trips for the year!

Green Spaces for Health, Access to Land and Real Bread Week

In November 2024 the Good Food Bucks Steering Group met to consider our priorities for 2025. We decided to focus on Access, Celebrate and Collaborate but what does Access mean for our Food Partnership. 

In January we joined Kathleen Finlay from Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming and the Rome Sustainable Food Project for a food conversation. We learnt about the importance of regenerative agriculture and how that forms the central pillar of their work, along with ways to build Community Supported Agriculture that supports both the farmer and the community.

Following this thought provoking session we've decided to investigate access to land for growing food and for new entrant incubator projects as well as mapping the current land use in the county. This will also include our local NHS growing projects such as NHS Forest, which support food growing within hospitals grounds.

If you enjoy baking or eating fresh baked loaves and other tasty treats then have a look at Real Bread Week later in February. This year Real Bread Week is 15th - 23rd February 2024 and aims to encourage everyone to either bake their own bread or buy additive free bread from their local independent bakery. Have a look at their website to see how you can get involved this year.

Imbolc, St Brigid's Day and early signs of spring

When I was younger, February was my least favourite month of the year. The late winter would often feel cold and bleak and there was always a chance of late snow and frost. Over the last few years I've realised that signs of life are everywhere in February as nature gears up ready for spring and that this month is not as bleak as I first thought.

I love to see the lighter nights, buds on the trees, early lambs in the field and hear the early morning bird song. Closer to home one of our chickens, Demelza, who is a white egg layer, will start laying again around the 17th of the month.

In Ireland the 1st February marks the start of spring and is a celebration of St Brigid. Also called Imbolc, it is halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Walks in nature, sharing a meal with family and friends and lighting candles or fires to welcome the returning light are all ways to celebrate the day.

How will you welcome spring this year?

Collaborating for Food and Farming and the Oxford Real Farming Conference part 2

On a chilly early January day I headed out early to catch the train to Oxford. I studied for my masters degree in Oxford, so I'm always happy to be back in the city and on that morning I was there for the Oxford Real Farming Conference. The city was quiet post Christmas, the students had not yet returned for term and the cold weather had kept all but the hardiest of tourists away. 

First stop was the registration venue, a place to collect your lanyard and programme and catch your breath before planning which sessions you plan to attend over the Thursday and Friday.

As you move around the city, glimpsing the green lanyards of the people passing, you get a real sense of belonging to something that grows each year and of a shared space and conversation. It was wonderful to catch up with friends and colleagues and hear the speakers discussing such a wide range of topics from misinformation to cultured meat. One of my favourite was about customs and rituals and how many of us have lost our connection with the land and ways that we might engage again. Lots of food for thought and some inspiration for Good Food Bucks as well.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, in November the Good Food Bucks Steering Group spent half a day at Waddesdon Manor planning for 2025. We decided that our 2025 priorities should include Access, Celebrate and Collaborate but what does Collaborate look like for the Food Partnership? Who should be involved? Who is missing from the table? These are the questions we are currently grappling with and the conference helped to answer some of those questions.

Oxford Real Farming Conference and Celebrating Food and Farming

In November Good Food Bucks met to plan our Food Partnership work for 2025, identifying three priorities for the year ahead - Access, Celebrate and Collaborate. Specifically, we want to showcase the great food that the county grows and produces, highlight those working hard to improve the quality of food in our schools and hospitals, investigate the importance of food within different communities and share the best local recipes and organisations.

What better way to start 2025 and to celebrate food and farming than at the Oxford Real Farming Conference. ORFC began in 2010 with a few people in a room in Oxford and now welcomes over 1800 delegates each January at venues across Oxford. Its a place for farmers, growers, policymakers, activists and researchers to share progressive ideas about food and farming systems.

The themes for this years conference include Farm Practice, Food and Farm Policy, Justice Strand, Landworkers Alliance and La Via Campesina, Listening to the Land and Youth. I'm looking forwards to catching up with friends and colleagues and listening to the wide variety of speakers including a fellow Churchill Fellow Helen Woodcock and JC Niala, Vicki Hird and Jonty Brunyee, who have all previously spoken at OxCAN Sustainable Food and Farming events.

I shall be writing a follow up blog post on the conference later this month. Hope to see some of you there.