Hello & happy spring from Harvest! Please read on for your fortnightly update on food growing in Brighton & Hove...

 Harvest update: Harvest will soon get to work helping take forward a pilot project on setting up a ‘landbank’ in Brighton & Hove which will help people access land to grow food. If you’ve spotted a piece of land that is screaming out for some food growing, or if you know of a project that needs some land then please contact us!

 We’ll be breaking ground on the first Harvest demonstration food growing garden next week and we can’t wait to get growing! You’ll find the garden behind the Rotunda Cafe in Preston Park. The garden will be largely run by volunteers. If you’d like to get involved or if you have any old tools you could donate please get in touch.

 Some upcoming Harvest courses:

27 March, Sowing & Growing

4 April, Organic Gardening for Beginners

10 April, Growing on a New Plot

10 April, Growing in a Small Space

What’s on: As ever, there’s lots of food-related fun & learning going on, including:

-          Seedbomb workshops: 13, 17, 24 March, 1 April – various times and locations. Visit Harvest for more information on the workshops and how to book. A fun activity for half-term!

-          Transition South East Conference: 13 March, Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton.  Your unique chance to gather, join, learn and share tales about the Transition Towns adventure so far in the South East, including workshops on seed saving, Permaculture, composting and much more. Read more about the event and find out how to book.

-          Big Sussex Market: 13-14 March, 10:00 – 6:00, New Road, Brighton. A two-day Sussex food extravaganza. There will be stalls selling local produce and cookery demonstrations from some of Brighton & Hove’s top restaurants. Come on down and check it out – and stop by to say hello to the Harvest team at our stall. More info on this and other Food Festival activities.

-          Spring Forward: 20 March, 10:00 – 4:00, Jubilee Square, Brighton. Come celebrate Spring and the return to longer days at this Adult Learning Festival event. There will be lots of activities, including seed planting, song & dance, a recycled fashion show and much more. Read the programme and learn about all the great activities going on.

-          Screening of Food Inc: 4 April, 11:00am, Duke of York Cinema. A screening of Robert Kenner’s most recent film, which is all about the devastating effects today’s globalised, industrialised food system has on animals, the environment, and the people working so hard to bring food to our tables. Not to be missed. Post screening discussion organised by Slow Food Brighton & Lewes to follow.

What’s in season: It’s a difficult time of year for local produce – known as the hungry gap – but that doesn’t mean you can’t whip up delicious seasonal meals anyway with thigs like local leeks, spring greens and celeriac. And keep a look out for purple sprouting broccoli, on its way soon! Check out our recipe finder for some inspiration.

Funding & project support:

Create your own container garden: are you looking for some nice, big containers for all those seeds you’re about to plant? Magpie is selling old curbside collection boxes for £2.50 each – free delivery if you buy 10 or more. Give them a ring on 01273 677577.

 Environmental Sustainability Grant: next deadline 2 April! This City Council grants programme awards up to £2,500 for community and voluntary organisations to develop or improve environmental sustainability within their organisation or to deliver activities that improve the local environment. Find out if your project is eligible.

The sun is out, the soil is warming up and it's time to get planting! Some things to start growing now include beetroot, onions, peas, broad beans and radishes. 

Happy seed planting, 

The Harvest Team 

To find out more and keep in touch with Harvest, you can find us at www.harvest-bh.org.uk or become a fan of Harvest on Facebook.

Harvest is a city-wide project, delivered by a wide range of partners and led by Brighton & Hove Food Partnership and Food Matters. The Food Partnership is a membership organisation, and membership is free to anyone who lives or works in Brighton & Hove. For benefits of membership and to join go to: www.bhfood.org.uk

Your Subscription: