AGM 2019

Jo looking forward to meeting you too. Thanks for the suggestions re agenda. We should have an update on the research for sure as well as time for just being with fellow travellers...

Deborah we'll see what the venue charges us and what to do about feeding ourselves. As with last year's meeting in Oxford, the goal is to break even! Which we did on tickets of around £25. But that was over 24 hours. This time it will be cheaper since we're planning just a day.

Ah, fantastic, that I can managex
see you there everyone

:pray: Thanks Jake

Venue: Friends of the Earth Green Fish Centre nr Piccadilly Train Station

Hi JaneOf course I would love every opportunity to see forest gardens especially with researchers.
I just found this unsent. Opps.
Yes please that would be something I would look forward to.
Best wishes Jo

Hi Paul. Great work! A few suggestions and comments.
I notice that this is going to be a box-scheme and I wondered about the genetic diversity of plants in such a large scheme. Will plants come from local stock? I notice garden centres may be involved. Will these be vetted for use of peat products?
We think that we should make it very clear that although planting a forest garden will help to reduce the effects of climate change and increase reslience, it will not mitigate an unsustainable lifestyle and that carbon offsetting is a false economy. We believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that people don't plant a forest garden thinking that they can carry on an unsustainable lifestyle in the belief that they have remediated their actions. It would be very easy indeed for the scheme to become part of the overall problem of climate change, despite it's good intentions. Could we include something like this in the 'helps with climate change' bullet in the forest box benefits section?

Could we reference research in the document? ie proof of mental health benefits, maybe point to document which shows how forests help with nature but do not remediate unsustainable lifestyles. This would be useful for academics, school teachers, social workers and other professionals - in a post truth age!

I notice the use of the word consumers on page 2. Consumer means a waster. Consumption used to be the name of a wasting disease now called tuberculosis and consumption is the reason that we are in this mess in the first place. Could we use the word 'grower' instead?

I think that the number of trees and plants is too low. For this to have any impact I think 10 trees and many more shrubs. How may trees and shrubs makes a self supporting guild system? Again - there is danger in making people think that they are making a huge difference when they are not. You can't plant a tree (or many) which should be growing anyway and expect it to remediate millions of years worth of sunlight trapped under ground for millions of years!

Lots of mention of edible aspects of food forests but none of the medicinal and craft aspects. ie livestock will self medicate on choice herbs when they feel ill. An estimated 2/3 of all of our human pharmaceuticals are derived from nature. We believe that this should be an education in the importance of nature to us. Leaving out that 2/3 of all of medicines comes from nature would be missing out on an great opportunity to enlighten people and for them to begin valuing nature.

Regarding paying for this - we think that it should be paid for by those doing the most damage - oil industry, mineral giants, tech industries. If we have the science to prove climate change, we also have a good legal case, although that is another project in itself. There is the new lottery £10million climate action fund which may help to deliver these free? Would a small charge help people to value the plants though?

We like the idea of aiming a specific product at the consumer. It would be a great opportunity to educate people away from consumerism and towards a more sustainable lifestyle.

Our fear with this document is that the package currently appears to be 'Greenwash' with the risk of encouraging people to carry on as usual. We can see the benefits of using the psychology of consumerism (we use it too) but we should be mindful of our intention and the urgency of the situation. Using the consumer model and not stating the facts around climate change and particularly carbon "off-setting" would in our view be negligent

We love the idea of the envelope with seeds. I wonder if we could also use fungus spores in our envelopes and explain how mycorrhizal fungi support networks of plants by sharing nutrients and exuding antibiotics, antivirals and antimicrobials? This could also educate the purchaser if designed well.

Great work so far all. Well done.

Keithx

Very very helpful Keith. I resonate with all of this. Thanks for holding the rigour. All great grist to the mill for the design. :thinking:

I agree Jane. A forest garden is not a stand alone device. They are more about re-co-necting people with nature. Offering people a chance to learn how beneficial nature is by sharing it's abundance.

How can we make this clear in a 'product' which is designed to make things simple for people?

Can we tell a story like traditional communities used to? A video package with the story, introduction to the project and guidance?

Can we ask Helen Browning to contribute to our introduction? She is passionate about this stuff and may help.

Can we visit established forest gardens like Tim and Maddy Harland's? Can we make a video?

Keith x

I agree Keith. The requirements go way beyond personal action and require legislation. Personally, I think the only answer at this stage is rebellion - forcing the government to make the changes to make this a priority: to law, corporation, government structures etc.