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Hello one and all!
Welcome to our monthly update packed full of events, training opportunities, jobs, news and funding relevant to our city's wonderful food producers.
Much has happened since our last update including the Brexit bombshell. If you're interested in a little reading around it's implications to the UK Food and Farming industry, take a look at Food, Brexit and the Consequences: what can academics and the UK food movement do? by the fantastic Prof. Tim Lang. Also, if you haven't already then it's worth reading the letter coordinated by Sustain to David Davis and Theresa May stressing the implications of Brexit on food and farming.
On a more positive note, many of you will know the founder of Bristol Food Producers, Bonnie Hewson and we are delighted to announce the birth of her little girl, Juniper on 1st July! Congratulations and best wishes to the whole family :-)
If you have anything you'd like to see featured in our Opportunities Update then get in touch!
Claire Rosling
Coordinator for Bristol Food Producers
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Feed Bristol launches its next Grow Leader Course
Feed Bristol is launching its next Grow Leader Course from 8th September with the aim of supporting more people to become effective facilitators to engage a range of people in ecological land management and food growing. With a focus on how to develop projects and activities where people and wildlife can thrive in a productive food growing setting. Application deadline is 2nd September.
Bristol Food Producers funded the development of this course to strengthen the food growing network of facilitators and projects across Avon.
Click here for more info and to apply
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Call for contributions for The 2017 Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC)
ORFC are seeking contributions from practitioners working across the food and farming field to organise sessions for the 2017 ORFC on 6th and 7th January. As a session host, you will be expected to organise your event, including providing information about your session as well as coordinating speakers/chair-person(s).
To learn more about ORFC please click here
Deadline for submissions
Please send your session ideas to Nessie Reid at: nessie@orfc.org.uk by 15 September 2016, with a 800 word description of what your session would involve, a list of potential speakers and a chair for the session(s). |
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Join the Future Growers Summer Field Trip
12-14 August 2016
Considering a career in Organic growing? This is a great opportunity to learn about different types of farming and to meet and learn from people who are doing it already. Visit a range of horticulture enterprises in Devon from the larger scale at Riverford’s Wash Farm to the no-dig CSA School Farm.
Find out more and register
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Schools tender for South West suppliers
Bath and North East Somerset Council is looking for small food producers to supply schools with locally-sourced produce under a new system that makes it easier for lots of small producers to get involved. The scheme is being piloted through Fresh Range.
Click here for more info.
NB. The tender process is now closed however there is still an opportunity to register your interest here.
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Upcoming FREE workshops on marketing, finance, business planning and more!
Get Set for Growth have a wide range of FREE workshops available - if you are starting out on a new food enterprise or would like some additional skills to support or grow your existing business then this is for you!
4th August (10am-12pm): BUSINESS PLANNING FOR GROWTH
10th August (2pm-3.30pm): INTRODUCTION TO BRANDING
11th August (10am-11.30am): THE F WORD (finance and funding)
24th August (10am-11.30am): COSTING, PRICING AND BREAKEVEN
For a full programme please visit: http://www.getsetforgrowth.com/events/west-of-england/
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Commercial Aquaponics - 12 week course
Thursday evenings from 21st July
NB. This course has now started but you can still sign up for individual sessions.
Aims:
- To make commercial aquaponics accessible
- To enable participants to overcome specific production issues through access to specific information and expert guidance;
- To enable participants to realise true product value, by taking a systems approach focusing on the entire production cycle and determining the best options for system set up, diversification and sustainability;
- To train entry level practitioners in a holistic manner, in response to current challenges to the socioeconomic sustainability of the aquaculture industry in Europe
For more info please visit: https://bristolfish.org/courses/introduction-to-commercial-aquaponics-july-2016
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Grow Leader Volunteer Placements
Feed Bristol are taking applications for people to join their core volunteer team. The Grow Leader Placements are for 6-9 months and you must be able to commit to 2 days per week for this period as you become their core team to help develop this amazing project. Applications must be in by 9th August with informal interviews on the 12th or 15th August.
Click here for more info and to apply
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Businesses with a strong web presence are likely to grow twice as fast as those without.
Do It Digital is an independent, not-for-profit campaign helping to share, signpost and celebrate all things that help small businesses get more out of digital technology – whatever their current level of skill and engagement may be.
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BRAVE Enterprise workshops
BRAVE is an independent, Bristol-based not-for-profit business support organisation, helping thousands of entrepreneurs start and run successful and profitable businesses in the city through the provision of a range of training courses and other services. To see a list of their latest training courses please click here.
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Bristol Social Economy Sector Survey
Social Enterprise Works is teaming up with Voscur to map Bristol's social footprint in an attempt to take advantage of charity funding and social enterprise support and to create a local and regional network in which you can communicate with other like-minded businesses.
To ensure your organisation’s public profile is made available to potential bidding partners and your details are included in our evidence for campaigning, please ensure you complete the short survey about your group by 31 August 2016.
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Job Opportunity: Drivers for Fresh Range
Friendly, responsible delivery drivers wanted to distribute fresh food products to Fresh Range customers at commercial businesses, in the public sector and at private households.
- Application deadline: Midnight 31st July
For more information please visit their website: https://www.fresh-range.com/news/we-are-hiring-more-drivers
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The Ecological Land Co-operative (ELC) has purchased its second site in East Sussex.
This marks a significant step in the ELC’s work of securing land for small-scale ecological farming. Such farm businesses are a model of good practice: helping to build a vibrant, living countryside while benefiting both people and planet.
Click image above to watch their new film.
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Fruit tree & Bushes available from Forest of Avon Trust
Bristol-based charity, Forest of Avon Trust are offering a wide range of pre-ordered fruit trees at discounted prices for collection from Ashton Court Estate, Bristol, from early November 2016.
More details here: http://forestofavontrust.org/services/buy-fruit-trees-and-bushes/
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Community Action Days: UWE volunteers
The Students’ Union at UWE can provide groups of students to support your work through one-off Action Days.
If you have an activity that can be completed in a day and involves 10 or more students to make a big difference - then UWE are interested in hearing from you. The Students’ Union will recruit volunteers, arrange transport & refreshments. To register interest fill in this online form by 7th August.
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Are you interested in starting a small-holding?
The Ecological Land Co-operative (ELC) are conducting a survey to help them better understand the needs of potential smallholders, particularly in relation to key factors such as costs, whether rental or leasehold smallholdings would be preferred, and the size and type of smallholding envisioned.
The survey should take around 15-20 minutes to complete and as a thank you they’re giving away 2 free tickets to the excellent Oxford Real Farming Conference!
Click here to complete the survey
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Allotments Market: Sun 21st August
SELL YOUR EXCESS PRODUCE AT THE ASHTON COURT ALLOTMENTS MARKET THIS SUMMER.
Stalls are FREE of charge but need to be booked in advance. Fresh produce, direct from growers!
Email Stephen.clampin@bristol.gov.uk or call 0117 9223972 now to express your interest.
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 Open farm days
Dates: Sunday 6th and 27th August
Free entry / lunch and tea ceremony: £13
A fantastic opportunity to visit the fantastic Shumei Farm in Yatesbury. The day will start with a farm tour, followed by a presentation on natural agriculture, delicious home-made Japanese lunch, Tea ceremony and Taiko performance. For more information and a programme please click here.
To book a place please email yatesbury@shumei.eu
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South-West Food-Tech Wednesdays
Wed 3rd August, 7pm
BS34RU, Bristol (map)
This New Meet-up - SouthWest Food-Tech Wednesdays - is for anyone interested in the techie end of food. All interest levels are welcome. Come and talk about any aspect of food-tech - whether its building food into spatial planning, food apps, new production technologies, AI controlled growing environments, robotics...
http://meetu.ps/c/2L6dS/1NQNb/f
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Bristol and Bath Social Enterprise Network (BBSEN) meet-up
Tuesday, August 23rd, 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Location: Yurt Lush - Clock Tower Yard, BS1 6QH
Come along and connect with local social entrepreneurs and social economy supporters, network with peers, potential partners and other sectors.
Find out what's happening in Bristol's Social Enterprise City and keep connected with fellow social enterprises.
Be part of the conversation on how we can support your social venture and how we can work together to develop the Social Enterprise Sector.
Free event. Please register here.
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Register for: BAQUA 2016 Conference
3rd September 2016
A full day of aquaponics state-of-the-art in research, practice, co-development of standards, what to look out for in fish health this year and introducing the new-look BAQUA network.
Plus a hands-on commercial training day onsite at BioAqua Farm (Friday 2nd)! Register here
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