Summary of feedback from participants at meeting about Community Supported Agriculture Scheme. in 3 Sections:

What we want.

What we can give

How the Community Benefits

WHAT WE WANT

Social / Cultural
Holistic lifestyle / Connection & Reconnection with: earth / nature / natural cycles
Sharing of resources
Local economy, food production
Local community
Social bonding / Friendship
Recreational outlet for all ages

Educational
Training: skills / reskilling / broader education
Development / apprenticeships
Rediscover traditional knowledge

Resources
Healthier lifestyle      
High quality food
Known source and Production method / greater accountability
Food security: against impacts of peak oil, climate change, food shortages
Care for environment & biodiversity
More diverse and frequent local markets
More local jobs
Support for local economy    
Community forest for timber supplies, fuel and carbon uptake

Summary: Resilient vibrant community & economy

WHAT WE CAN GIVE

General
Willingness/desire/thirst to learn
Creativity – in using reclaimed materials

Skills
Gardening Skills - Assist beginner gardeners - Help with growing
Bee-keeping Skills
Education Skills
Chicken Rearing Skills
Construction knowledge & skills
Organisational/team leadership skills/people skills

Resources
Land for community supported agriculture
Local land for food growing/summer camping & culture, trees for firewood
Donkeys & ponies to graze local to my home
Slug collection & delivery (food source for chickens)
Crop surpluses from own garden
Biodiversity surveys of land to minimise impact of land use on wildlife
Time & energy commitment
Financial investment/financial support via Totnes pound
Redirecting money spent on food

HOW THE COMMUNTIY BENEFITS

Local economy
In 10-15 years the land will be much more alive with people working to produce their food – human scale farming.  People will be much fitter, walk more and use their practical skills to provide for their own needs.
Food security – protection from global food crises 
Self-sufficiency as a community 
Interdependence = community strength
Less reliant on big supermarkets 
Fuel, waste management, building materials locally sourced
Protected from price hikes related to transportation/food shortages
Resilient, vibrant and happy community and economy
Reduced cost of living
Tasty, affordable food 
Cheaper food – organic
Community composting
Community orchard – local fruit with no air miles
More local jobs

Health
Connection with health
Horticultural therapy
Improved mental health
People work shorter hours
Greater varieties of food
Fresh, organic, healthy food
Being closer to nature/food production
Connection to land

Sense of place/community
Broaden sense of community 
Friendship
Engagement and sense of belonging
Less stressed communities
Community empowerment 
Community involvement, cooperation and satisfaction
Sense of community/local connections and interconnectedness
Connection to land, farmers and nature
Awareness/own geographical strength
Sense of ownership/involvement

Knowledge
Community garden: Opportunities: Exchange of knowledge on: medicinal plants, wild food, no dig techniques, cooking, food preserving, seed saving.
Knowledge of local resources
More skills e.g. beekeeping
More traditional skills
Supporting farmers and traditional skills on a small scale
Education and recreational resource
Understanding of food and farmers

Wider effects
Ripple effect to other communities – strengthens the country
Attract visitors – showcase region – inspire rest of world
Reductions/revisions in some EU legislation to enable local milk products etc to be more economically viable.  Glass milk bottles

Environmental
Less carbon dioxide by reducing food miles, car use  and  transport generally
Reduce waste – more recycling as people share resources
Healthier environment – more beautiful and more bio-diverse
Gains of small scale organic farming to biodiversity, habitat, community and living things
Less monoculture

2 Proposals

Within vicinity of Totnes (easy to walk), a large piece of land for the CSF owned by 50-100 share holders (each share equating with a very small allotment size.  This way each shareholder feels they communally own this land.  Benefits:
1. Supports community connections
2. Sense of pride/responsibility by each shareholder to use the land for food/growing
3. Provides land for communal celebration
4. A showpiece to others
5. Work/skill opportunities (e.g. shed’s, WC’s)
6. Share bulk buying/tools
7. Children participation in growing etc

Could we possibly be a ‘separate’ CSA (in Plymouth) linking with this one? (i.e. support, idea sharing, raising funding, share skills)