Training events
Open Day at the inspirational Canalside CSA, near Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Thursday 23 September 2010, from 10.30 - 4.00pm
Canalside Community Food produce vegetables for 110 households each week from their organic farm. They began growing in 2007 and now have 3 part time growers. The CSA runs seasonal social gatherings and there is an opportunity for members to get involved in the work.
The day will include a presentation about how Canalside is organised and how it set up and a farm tour. There will be time for networking and discussion about the issues facing your group with some expert advice. Those interested in vegetable growing will be offered small group time with the grower to look at horticultural questions. Lunch is provided. This event will suit new and developing groups, for both growers and organisers. Places are limited to 20 - if it gets full we will limit places to 2 per group. The event is free but booking is essential.
Contact cmuspratt@soilassociation.org
For more details see : http://www.canalsidecommunityfood.org.uk
CSA training events
The programme of Spring training events has now ended. If you are interested in any aspect of training for CSAs, please get in touch, contact Amanda E: adaniel@soilassociation.org
Horticultural mentoring
Mentoring events are ongoing in a number of regions. If you are interested in horticultural mentoring, please get in touch, contact lisa E: lnunn@soilassociation.org
Information on training events for setting up organic buying groups
Good Food, Good Governance training & advice workshops from
Co-operatives UK
Start-up Governance
15th September - Northampton
A highly participative workshop to simulate the early planning stages of a community food enterprise. The workshop will explore the issues, factors and good practice relating to the start-up process of a typical community food enterprise, with particular focus on choosing the correct structure.
Practical Governance
24th September - Brighton
A practical hands-on workshop around tools and techniques to assess the governance health of any community enterprise. This course is particularly aimed at development workers but may also be suitable for the members of the governing body of a community enterprise.
Simply Governance
29th September - Leeds
An overview of the structures, systems and processes concerned with running a sustainable community food enterprise. This workshop aims to demystify the various types and typical contents of governing documents and how this relates to the wider governance of organisations, and is suitable for development workers and members of the governing body of a community food enterprise.
Simply Legal
27th October - London
All you need to know about legal forms and organisational types for community food enterprises - to tie in with our new publication: Download your copy now! Suitable for development workers and those involved in creating or restructuring a community food enterprise.
Our workshops are full days - from 10am-4pm with lunch provided - and are free of charge if you are a development worker or involved with a community food enterprise.
Places for the training days are limited and these workshops are often oversubscribed, so please visit www.mlfw.co.uk/training to book your place now.
FREE advice from our Making Local Food Work partners
- For enterprise support advice call: 01993 814 388
(Plunkett Foundation) - For governance and legal support call: 0161 246 2907
(Co-operatives UK)
Charity Bank
Charity Bank are running free workshops for charities or community groups on how to make social enterprise projects self-sustaining and raise funds. The dates and locations are as listed in the link below::
Other Soil Association events
The Soil Association is running 300 courses over the next two years as part of the Organic Farm School. On offer are hands-on courses in growing your own food, rearing animals, cooking and rural crafts. Participants can learn practical skills direct from organic farmers, growers and producers with personal experience.
Courses include :
- bee-keeping
- bread baking
- Cheese making
- Sausage making, salamis and curing
- Game preparation and butchery
- chicken keeping
- vegetable growing
- cider making
- bread baking
- willow weaving
- hedge laying
- and many others.
Monty Don, Soil Association president, said: “The Soil Association’s Organic Farm School is a fantastic opportunity for anyone to come and learn skills from the experts."
