I'm very excited about this event in the TTT Programme next month, and I'd like to encourage any of you who are interested in being part of the story of developing a thriving local food production and distribution system for Totnes and district to attend this fascinating meeting.

The talk on the street is all of seedlings and potato planting, and we hear on the news that the new American president is digging up the White House lawn to plant vegetables. Deep changes are underway in our society and people are taking what action they can on their doorstep. In Totnes we have been researching the local food scene with the CPRE Food Mapping Project and are preparing a report to be published in the Autumn, giving some insight into the local food infrastructure in our area. At about the same time we will also be publishing the town’s first Energy Descent Plan with our aspirations for the food structure we want to develop in the years leading up to 2030.

On 18^th May, we are hoping to gather those interested in local food to hear presentations regarding 2 important aspects of the question, ‘Can Totnes Feed Itself’: This event is co-sponsored by the Southwest Bio-dynamic Group and the Group who produced the Local food Guide and we hope for a good turn out.

The distribution and marketing systems for food consumed in the town and the availability of land locally for food growing. The first speaker is Mark Thurston-Goodwin. He is a geographer, of Geofutures in Bath, who has pioneered the use of new mapping technology to inform those decisions which can help us shape a better future. He is will be presenting information to help us look at current and future land use in the Totnes area. He will be joined by Nick Weir from Transition Stroud. Nick helped to set up the Community Supported Agriculture Scheme in Stroud and is currently developing innovative local food distribution systems. He will help us think about the systems we want to develop now to help us ensure food security in years to come. Read more about Nick and get an idea of what his talk might touch on.