Tuesday 13 October 2015

Promoting Local Organisations


I love browsing informative websites that are gardening and nature orientated, but find myself constantly drawn to British organisations. Their standard is not to be denied and the country has a long history of conservation and study but it suddenly occurred to me that it is ridiculous I am not automatically seeking out Irish resources that are dealing with my native environment. I became aware of it while I was browsing The [British] Wildlife Trusts website and I thought, maybe there is an Irish Wildlife Trust? And of course there is!

Similarly, I’ve always admired the community gardens springing up around the UK. We spent a weekend in Bristol a few years ago and were amazed walking through the public parks to see vegetables growing among the flowers. I since discovered the Incredible Edible Bristol movement through an excelled TED TALK by one of the founders Pam Warhurst. Then while out for a drink with a friend one night, she introduced me to a woman who was just about to embark on a community garden in Knocknaheeny/Hollyhill, Cork City, which is now going strong. It made me realise that this was happening in my own locality. This year I learned that a community garden had opened in Dunmanway, the town I attended secondary school in. A GIY group meets every month in Passage West holding practical demonstrations such as apple pressing and Indian cooking and visits to local polytunnels and gardens. Cork is full of interesting people doing fascinating things.

An enlightening little publication that has taken off this year is The West Fork, a supplement with The Southern Star newspaper that features profiles on Cork food producers, from those who harvest the raw materials to the people who create the finished product. The most recent edition introduced me to specialist businesses such as Roaring Water Sea Vegetables who farm seaweed and sell it as a dried product and Ruby Harte Floral Design in Drimoleague who can create an edible bouquet for you.

Buying all local produce is undeniably expensive but maybe do as I have and start replacing one big brand product with a local variety every week. So the next time I go to buy a supermarket own brand box of biscuits, I'll stretch the extra euro and choose a box of RĂ©gale Cookies Of Character that are handmade in West Cork using Clonakilty free range eggs and local unsalted butter among other local ingredients. Or I'll bring my salad to the next level by trying some Macroom Buffalo mozzarella, from the only milk producing buffalo herd in the country. Cork is vibrant and innovative and it is a joy to take an invested interest in promoting my local economy. 

 

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