Incredible Edible – ‘If you eat, you’re in’!

A group of enthusiastic Year 8 geographers made the journey to West Yorkshire today to investigate Todmorden – the home of Incredible Edible. Starting in 2008, the small town uses food as a visible sign of a kinder, connected community.

The learners were given a guided tour to see how public spaces, once unloved and giving nothing back to the community, can be turned into oases for food and wildlife. They were also informed of a growing movement called ‘A Right to Grow’. This would require local authorities to maintain a free, accessible map of all public land that is suitable for community cultivation or wildlife projects and to make it straight forward for community groups to gain leases to cultivate and even bid for the land should it be up for sale.

The learners tasted fresh, local and seasonal food straight from the soil, relaxed in the ‘Apothecary Garden’ and enjoyed lunch in ‘Pollination Street’. Furthermore, their experiences should transfer over into their everyday lives. The scheme places a large emphasis on kindness, respect and curiosity.  Our guide for the day Helena informed us that one of the biggest challenges was not getting volunteers but in encouraging the locals to ‘help themselves’; a very British problem!

We hope the day provided an excellent opportunity for all involved to display their Ladybridge WISDOM qualities.

To learn more about the Incredible Edible Network and their vision to create kind, confident and connected communities through the power of food, please visit their website.