Cultivate Festival 2015

Waltham Forest Council's

Urban Food Growing Festival

www.cultivatewf.org

A festival for new and experienced growers

20–29 March 2015

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As Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment I am proud to invite you to Waltham Forest Council’s Food Growing Festival – Cultivate 2015.

Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, culminating in a wide-ranging number of engaging and creative events. From workshops packed with residents keen to grow their own food, to food tasting that showed what can be done with the great food we can grow right here in the borough, there was something for food growers old and new.

Transforming our corner of the capital into the garden of London is a bold vision, but one I am confident we can achieve, as we build momentum and stake our claim to the title of London’s top food growing borough.

I was especially pleased that last year we gave away over 30 tonnes of free compost to our residents, and awarded allotment plots to the winners of our competition. We also involved hundreds of local residents in events such as Gardener’s Q&A, which featured invaluable tips and advice from expert growers.

For me, this is what Cultivate is all about. Getting residents interested in the potential for food growing, showing what sorts of resources are out there to help them get their hands dirty, and spreading the knowledge

so that they can turn their creative impulses into real results.

This year we will be delivering even more events across the borough and my hope is that as you look through this brochure, you will choose to get involved. Take the opportunity to meet new likeminded people, share and exchange ideas, and engage in new experiences that you will continue to reap the benefits from even after Cultivate has ended.

I would also like to thank in advance all those groups and organisations helping to make our vision a reality. Without you this festival could not happen and the residents of Waltham Forest would be poorer for that. So, let’s get on with it and dig for victory! I will hopefully see many of you at one of the events – enjoy Cultivate 2015, and enjoy growing more food.

Yours,Cllr Clyde LoakesDeputy Leader & Environment Portfolio Holder

Foreword from

Councillor Clyde Loakes

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Friday 20 March Waggle Dance Launch Party

Saturday 21 March The Big Dig

Sunday 22 March Gardeners’ Q&A

Saturday 28 March Urban Herbal Street Party

Sunday 29 March OrganicLea Open Day

24–27 March Free family workshops in libraries

21–29 MarchFringe festival events all across the borough: Events, talks, tours and performance highlighting food growing initiatives,training, resources and local history.

Festival at a Glance

We believe Waltham Forest is a hothouse of talented gardeners and chefs all busy creating scrumptious foodstuffs, sometimes alone, sometimes sharing their skills. We want to nurture our urban oasis and see it grow!

Cultivate is a festival celebrating the food, gardens, allotments, cooks and growers of our verdant borough. Our partners together with organisations and initiatives across Waltham Forest have created an informative and mouth-watering ten day programme of events demonstrating a broad range of approaches to urban food growing. New and experienced food growers are invited to come together to shape the local food network and cultivate a spirit of community. Food for Thought? There are events all across the borough to whet your appetite: Events, talks, tours and performances, which highlight food growing initiatives, training, resources and local history.

Join us! Swap seeds, exchange skills and knowledge, collect free compost and take part in the Cultivate Grow Your Own Challenge.

Taster sessions for beginners include; sowing seeds, simple growing and sprouting for the windowsill, and opportunities to volunteer on community growing projects.

Younger growers can make seed bombs, join Kids Kitchen or the Grow Your Own Theatre workshop. Experts will be on hand to incubate your ideas.

So we hope you enjoy this opportunity to get digging, growing, making and thinking. Let’s germinate a culture of swapping and sharing, be it seeds, equipment, skills, knowledge… or phone numbers! The Cultivate Crew

Visit the festival website and follow social media for updates and festival news.

Festival website: www.cultivatewf.org Twitter: @CultivateWFFacebook: Cultivate Waltham Forest Press enquires: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected] Access: All of the festival venues have step free access.

Cover illustration by John DevolleGraphic design by Sara Carneholm

About Cultivate



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20–29 March 2015Festival Info

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Will you? Do you? Could you…grow your own fruit and vegetables? It is no accident that the Cultivate festival happens in March, now is the right time to start planting and sowing your summer crops. Looking ahead we can almost taste the fresh salad leaves, the sun warmed tomatoes, the crunchy beans, the sweet strawberries. And this July we hope to do just that! We invite all Waltham Forest home growers to share this season’s achievements at the Cultivate Summer Produce Show at the Walthamstow Garden Party (18th July).

Where you see this symbol you can: pick up a Stater Pack, learn skills to help you with your challenge or pick up seeds and other things to grow for the Summer Produce Show.

Cultivate Grow Your Own Starter PacksOur Starter Packs are intended to help novice growers to start growing their first season’s fruit and vegetables. The pack includes an information sheet with planting recommendations, growing tips and recipes plus a variety of seeds suitable for growing in containers or in the ground; tomatoes, beans, beetroot, radish, perpetual spinach, cucumber, and chard. Recruit your neighbours and friends to the challenge by sharing any excess seeds from your pack. Download additional information sheets from www.cultivatewf.org

Community Group Starter PacksWe have a limited number of Bumper Starter Packs. Community groups, resident associations and clubs are encouraged to contact Morag to request a pack: [email protected]

Announcing the Cultivate Waltham Forest Summer Produce Show (18th July) We encourage you to share your growing achievements at Cultivate’s first Summer Produce Show. We are inviting people to submit entries in the following three categories: 1 Fresh produce – a selection of what you are eating fresh from your plants. 2 Preserved produce – pesto, jam, jelly, chutney, pickles, sour dough bread… how do you preserve your homegrown fruit and vegetables?3 Ingenious planters – entries by photo showing the most ingenious solutions to maximise growing space in small areas.

Register your interest to take part at Cultivate festival events and at the website: www.cultivatewf.org The show is open to all Waltham Forest residents and is part of the Walthamstow Garden Party, Lloyd Park. Follow the Cultivate Waltham Forest blog for news on local growers progress between now and the Summer Produce Show.

Are you and your school up for a challenge? OrganicLea invites you and your school to participate in the 2015 Potato Challenge and get stuck in with Plant Out Parties. Throughout Cultivate, OrganicLea will be hosting parties in participating schools to celebrate the planting out of their potatoes.

These will be community events where school staff, students and familiesare invited to plant out potato crops that might win your school team atrip to OrganicLea’s 2015 Potato Fest. Who knows you may even be crownedthe Potato Challenge champions. There will also be prizes that will be given out as part of Walthamstow Garden Party in the summer. The parties will launch the challenge set to students: could your plot grow enough potatoes to feed your entire school?

Contact OrganicLea for more details: [email protected]

Cultivate Grow Your Own Challenge

Cultivate Potato Parties Schools Challenge



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Start your festival here Returning to her home turf, Natalie Coleman, winner of BBC One’s MasterChef 2013 opens Cultivate Festival. You’ll get the chance to meet Natalie, find out the latest festival buzz, speak to our hive of bee experts and enjoy an evening of bee-themed music and performance to kick off Cultivate. Just as bees announce news of the best neighbourhood nectar with a waggle dance, we encourage our guests to carry news of the Cultivate Festival programme across the borough.

Launch Party Line up:Opening speeches from Natalie Coleman and festival organises.

Ask the experts – look out for our bee experts in stripes to answer your beekeeping questions.

Collect your Cultivate Grow Your Own Challenge pack – see page 4 opposite for details. Pick a sour dough starter portion as part of the Cultivate Grow Your Own Challenge from the Fermentarium. See if you can keep it alive and make different bread from it – recipes and advice also available from the Fermentarium. Sour dough makes deliciously tasty bread – it’s made by a long fermentation of dough which needs weekly feeding. Some bakers can keep it growing to serve their bakeries for generations.

Local writer and performer, Rob Auton, will be reading from his brand new book, Petrol Honey. Poet in residence at Glastonbury festival 2014. Awarded funniest joke at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013.

Auntie Maureen cranks her 1930’s gramophone. Feel free to dance…

Food lovingly produced by Norman Loves and a specially brewed Cultivate honey beer by the Left Bank Brewery at Blackhorse Workshop. 6pm–8.30pmBlackhorse Workshop1–2 Sutherland Rd PathWalthamstow E17 6BXFreeBooking in advance via: www.waggledance.eventbrite.co.uk or www.cultivatewf.org

Introduction to Volunteering with OrganicLeaVolunteering with OrganicLea is a chance to get involved in growing and selling the food that feeds Waltham Forest. Whether you’re on the box pack, or participating in horticultural activities there is something for everyone. If you would like to learn more about the work that OrganicLea does or are thinking about getting involved this is a great opportunity.

We have openings within the following roles that support our food growing and enterprise work: Horticultural Assistant, Veg Packers, Cooks, Stall volunteers.11am–4pm Hawkwood Plant Nursery 115 Hawkwood CrescentChingford E4 7UH020 8524 [email protected] www.organiclea.org.uk Free entry

Friday 20 March

Waggle Dance Launch Party



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Gardens across London will open up their doors and welcome in volunteers to get the new growing season off to a great start!

The Big Dig is back on Saturday 21st March to encourage local people to get down to their local garden and get their hands dirty, learn something new and hopefully decide to continue to help throughout the growing season.

There are over 80 edible gardens across our Borough and 7 of these growing spaces will be opening their gates and looking forward to a helping hand from their local Waltham Forest residents. Activities taking place include:

Mission Grove Wildlife AreaAt Mission Grove Wildlife area we will be building a greenhouse using plastic bottles collected by the children.8am–4pmMission Grove Primary SchoolBuxton Road Walthamstow E17 7EJ

Mission Grove MeadowAt Mission Grove Meadow we will be developing the area into a more usable space for the school and the garden. 9am–4pmMission Grove MeadowEdinburgh RoadWalthamstow E17 7QB

Church Lane Community GardenAt Church Lane Community Garden we will be sifting, mulching, weeding and planting, with soup, bread and cake for all. Please bring your own

forks/spades/trowels if possible. 10am–4pmChurch Lane Community GardenHarold RoadLeytonstone E11 4QX

Kelmscott Science GardenAt Kelmscott School we will be preparing the beds for spring, clearing a new area for planting as well as planting trees around the school. 10.30am–12.30pmKelmscott School245 Markhouse Road Walthamstow E17 8DN

Chingford Hall Community Garden At Chingford Hall Community Garden there will be free refreshments and seed sowing in pots to take away. Have a dig! Plant a potato. Come and see local organic fruit and veg growing in your community and meet the gardening geeks that grow them.11am–2pmChingford Hall Community GardenChing Way Chingford E4 8YE

Rushcroft Community GardenAt Rushcroft Community Garden we are inviting students, parents, neighbours and our community to help improve our community garden. Students attending our “SHINE” Saturday school will be on hand to welcome everyone and dish out refreshments. 11am–2pmRushcroft Community GardenRushcroft Foundation SchoolRushcroft RoadChingford E4 8SG

Greenway Community Play GardenAt Greenway Community Play Garden we will be doing a range

of tasks, from weeding to making compost bins to planting and tidying up around the garden. Plus activities for the kids. 12pm–4pmGreenway Community Play GardenOff Greenway AvenueWalthamstow E17 3QQ

Full details of these, including start times, are available on the Big Dig website www.bigdig.org.uk You can also sign up to tell the garden you are coming!

In London, the Big Dig is organised by Capital Growth and over the last two years over 150 of the growing spaces in their network have welcomed thousands of volunteers to events on their growing spaces. The Big Dig day in London is funded by Urban Food Routes, a project run by The Plunkett Foundation, and supported by the Mayor of London and Seeds of Change.

Saturday 21 March

The Big Dig

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FringeEventsSaturday 21 March

Sustainable Beekeeping CourseThis course is for anyone from beginners to experienced beekeepers who are interested in learning about more sustainable methods of beekeeping. The first day of the course will take a look at the fascinating world of the honeybee, introducing key concepts in their biology and ecology. Day 2 will focus on how to keep bees in Waree hives and the practice of keeping bees within an ethical framework. You will need: good boots, clothes for all weather, paper, pens, a veil if you have one.10am–5.30pmSaturday 21–Sunday 22 MarchHawkwood Plant Nursery115 Hawkwood CrescentChingford E4 7UH020 8524 [email protected]£70 (or £35 for one day)

Fermented FoodsAn introduction to the art of lactic fermentation, including how to make sauerkraut, kimchi and sour gherkins. Learn how to make brines and to make these tasty and nutritious foods at home. 10.30am–1.30pmBlackhorse Workshop1–2 Sutherland Road PathWalthamstow E17 6BX07815 849523 [email protected] via email / £30 per person

Seed Dating Just can’t seem to grow that perfect tomato? Looking for a more exciting salad green? Join OrganicLea growers and volunteers for a light-hearted and interactive seed swapping experience – take home seeds, meet other aspiring growers, get tips, and learn more about growing with limited space. We will also be available to offer advice and guidance on growing – including container gardening. Feel free to bring your own seeds to swap or just stop by for a bit of playful horticultural fun! 11am–4pm Walthamstow Town SquareWalthamstow E17 7JN020 8524 4994 [email protected] www.organiclea.org.ukFree entry

Brew, Bake and Smoke A celebration of local beer, baking and smoked foods. The Fermentarium and Vol’s Smokery showcase artisanal crafts. Visit the Left Bank Brewery to enjoy the house-brewed ale, try the organic sourdough bread and take away some starter to bake your own loaf, and discover the taste of smoke with Vol’s winter dishes. Experience live smoking and other demonstrations. 12pm–10pmBlackhorse Workshop 1–2 Sutherland Road PathWalthamstow E17 6BX07815 [email protected] entry

Sunday 22 March

Gardeners’ Q&AMeet our panel of experts for edible gardening and food growing advice, an afternoon in the style of Gardeners’ Question Time. Our esteemed panel members and associate in ‘dictionary corner’ will be announced on the Cultivate Festival Website.

Join us beforehand for a talk on preparing the ground for planting and take part in a fun seed swap activity.

2.30pm Preparing the GroundJulian Beere draws on his 12 years experience as an allotment gardener and member of a local crop sharing scheme to present a talk and discussion about preparing your growing sites for this summer’s fruit and vegetable crops and planning your planting. And there’s more than tips to take away – take home strawberry plants to start your own strawberry bed.

3.30pm Tea and seed swapJust can’t seem to grow that perfect tomato? Looking for a more exciting salad green? Join OrganicLea growers and volunteers for a light-hearted and interactive seed swapping experience. Bring along your own surplus seeds to swap. Tea and biscuits served by The Vintage Sisters Travelling Tearooms.

4pm Gardeners’ Q&AOur horticultural experts answer your questions about growing produce and give their own Topical Tips.

The Gardeners’ Q&A audio will be broadcast live and the key topics raised



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will be shared via live Twitter updates – so do ‘tweet in’ your questions before or during the event if you can’t be there in person. Please see our website to book or for details on how to listen in.2.30pm–5.30pmWalthamstow Central LibraryHigh StreetWalthamstow E17 7JNFreeBooking in advance via: www.gardeners.eventbrite.co.uk or www.cultivatewf.orgJoin in via Twitter @CultivateWF

Kids Kitchen Presents: Family FeastGot an inquisitive, creative toddler? Want new ways to excite their minds and tastebuds, and a great meal for you?

‘Mister Maker meets Masterchef ’: Family Feast. A delicious veggie meal in a beautiful setting for under 5’s and adult accomplices. The best part is that you AND your kids will be making it. They won’t even notice how much they are learning!

We’ll start from with the raw – locally sourced – ingredients at 10am… and by midday we’ll be sitting down together to eat the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour. We’ll feed their brilliant minds, and bodies. And we’ll even get them doing the washing up.

Some older siblings and adult friends are very welcome, but space is limited so please contact if you have any queries.10am–1pm John Beanse CentrePimp Hall Reserve Near Kings Road Recycling Centre Chingford E4 [email protected] book via: www.kidskitchen.org.ukStandard Price: £12 Adults, £8 Children. Concessions available.

Collect your pre-ordered hops and help grow Walthamstow Beer If you like beer and have a small, sunny spot in your garden then you might be interested in signing up to Walthamstow Beer. The community hop growing project invites the people of Walthamstow to plant a dwarf hop in their gardens or allotments in March. The summer is spent protecting them from pests and keeping them well watered. Green fingers are not a prerequisite, it’s easy enough to learn along the way and you’ll get lots of support and growing advice.

The hops are harvested at the end of the summer and East London Brewery uses them to brew a delicious green hopped beer ready for a launch party in October.10am–2pmWalthamstow Beer6 Glenthorne RoadWalthamstow E17 [email protected]

Please note: Hop rhizomes will not be available for purchase on the day, they need to be pre-ordered. Orders need to be placed by Friday 6th of March.It costs £20 to join, which gets you a hop rhizome, growing instructions and your share of the beer once it’s brewed. Additional hop plants can be purchased for £10.

Monday 23 March

Talk: Copped Hall Walled Kitchen Garden Copped Hall Garden volunteers are restoring a four acre walled garden. Hear how the garden used to work as part of a large estate and see how we have brought it back to life after



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many years of dereliction. We will illustrate our story with extracts from a journeyman gardener’s diary who worked on the estate, and our photo archive of the restoration and the resulting new crops.6.30pm–8.30pmVestry House Museum Community Room11 Vestry RoadWalthamstow E17 [email protected] www.coppedhalltrust.org.uk FreeBook via: www.coppedhalltalk.eventbrite.co.ukor www.cultivatewf.org

Gather & Grow Enterprise EventAn enterprise afternoon for those involved in the areas of growing food and retailing, providing information, advice and inspiration. There will be 2 workshops, drop-in networking with advisers on hand and a Lessons Learnt session where live case studies from business owners will be shared via a Q&A session. This event is aimed at food growers and food producers looking to improve their marketing or move into retail.2pm–7pmThe Mill7–11 Coppermill LaneWalthamstow E17 7HAEnquiries: [email protected] £10 per person via: www.cultivatewfenterprise.eventbrite.co.ukor www.cultivatewf.org Make Your Own Locally Grown WineTraditional country wine is a simple ferment composed of fruit, sugar, water, air and time. It is an age-old practice that preserves the best of the season. In this workshop you

will learn that wine-making does not need specialist equipment and you don’t have to own a vineyard. Join OrganicLea wine enthusiasts to learn how to ferment fruit and wild food into country wine with some theory, some practical work, and a chance to sample some locally made country wine.6pm–8pmThe Hornbeam458 Hoe St Walthamstow E17 9AH020 8524 [email protected] Entry

Tuesday 24 March

Make Your Own Baby FoodOver the last few months Mums from around the borough have been gathering to turn locally grown veg into nutritious food for the next generation. As a group they have worked together to gain skills in enterprise, nutrition, cooking as well as making and preserving their own baby food that also feeds the whole family. Now with the support of the community, the group will be launching their own social enterprise. Come to this demo and learn more about the project! 10am–12pmSeddon Centre33 Clyde PlaceLeyton E10 5AS020 8524 [email protected] entry

Sow what? Grow-your-own drop-in with Capital Growth. Pop in to plant some seeds

and get yourself starting to grow your own veg this season. We will also show you how to make a ‘seed bomb’ – an easy and fun way to grow plants in your garden, schools or growing space. Plus arrive early for a chance to receive a Grow Wild wildflower seed kit! Capital Growth is London’s Food Growing Network and offers practical help, training and support to people wanting to grow their own food, whether at home, on an allotment or as part of a community group.3pm–5pmThe Mill7–11 Coppermill LaneWalthamstow E17 7HA Free

Strawberry StoriesCome and grow strawberry stories with us and plant your own seed to take home! Suki is the smallest strawberry in the field- join her on a storytelling adventure and help her grow! Drama and making with Sarah from Grow Your Own Theatre for all ages (4–8yrs recommended).3.30pm–5.30pmWood St LibraryForest Road/Wood StreetWalthamstow E17 4AA07740 [email protected] entry

Food Sovereignty in ActionOrganicLea welcomes the local community to discuss our potential to realise food sovereignty within the borough, the city, the UK and beyond. The aim of food sovereignty is to reclaim control of our food system and recognises the power of the people who grow food, sell it, and eat it. This is a space for people to learn

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about the food sovereignty movement at the local and global level while brainstorming our own potential to create change. 6pm–8pmThe Hornbeam458 Hoe StWalthamstow E17 9AH020 8524 [email protected] entry

Sourdough Bread Basic CourseLearn the basics of this wonderful technique to bake incredibly nutritious and tasty loaves. You will learn to make sourdough starters and production leavens to create three different doughs to be taken away and baked at home. This workshop will provide you with your own starter for future baking, recipes and lots of new skills.6.30pm–9.30pmBlackhorse Workshop 1-2 Sutherland Road PathWalthamstow E17 6BX07815 849523 [email protected] to be booked via email in advance/£40 per person

Sprouting @ The Wild Goose Whether you want to describe sprouts as packed with nutrients and useful enzymes or imbibing the essence of life, eating seed sprouts is certainly a good step towards a healthy diet. It is also inexpensive and leaves a tiny carbon footprint. If you know about sprouting come along and share your experience and if you know nothing come along and find out. Phil & Mihkel will have sprouts to share, some recipes and lots of information.

7.30pm–9pmThe Wild Goose Bakery654 High Road Leytonstone E11 3AA07973 733239 events@transitionleytonstone.org.ukwww.transitionleytonstone.org.ukFree, donations welcome

Wednesday 25 March

FoodWorks Taster DayAre you aged between 16-25, resident in Waltham Forest and currently seeking work? Have you ever thought about working in horticulture, food growing and associated enterprises? Come and find your place - as OrganicLea is really pleased to offer a work scheme for young people in partnership with Waltham Forest Council.

Taster sessions take place at Hawkwood Community Plant Nursery in Chingford. Young people who’ve successfully completed a taster session will be eligible to join the work experience programme. Contact Clare on [email protected] to arrange another opportunity.

Our Food Works programme, offers a range of opportunities within our food enterprises including: • Introductory work tasters• 8–16 week work experience placements (includes completion of a City and Guilds Award)• Paid work placements • Start-up business support and grants

“Hawkwood Nursery is a great place to work. Food Works has helped me to find the career I was looking for that I enjoy.” Brandon, 19, Leytonstone; speaking to Waltham Forest News

12am–4pmHawkwood Plant Nursery115 Hawkwood CrescentChingford E4 7UH020 8524 [email protected] entry

The Makers Hub: Tasty Tomatoes with OrganicLeaBring your passion for delicious tomatoes to this workshop and OrganicLea will provide the rest. Make your tomato garden grow with some seeds and a little support. We will help you turn your variety of produce into something delicious to eat. 1.30pm–3pmHale End Library Castle Avenue Highams Park E4 9QD020 8524 [email protected] entry

Thursday 26 March

Children’s Propagator Planting WorkshopKids: Have you ever grown something from seed and then eaten it? Would you like to try? Come to this free drop-in session and learn to plant vegetable seeds in a windowsill propagator to take home and grow. The Secret Seed Society will show you how to grow your own vegetables in a specially made propagator made from recycled materials.3.30pm–5.30pmLeyton LibraryHigh RoadLeyton E10 5QHFree entry

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Gluten-Free Bread CourseThe ultimate gluten-free bread course that covers all you need to know about alternative flours and bread making. Taught by an industry professional – this introductory course will not only provide you with recipes, but guide you to create your own bread mixes to suit your diet and lifestyle by covering more than ten variations of gluten-free flours and their attributes. 6.30pm–9.30pmBlackhorse Workshop 1-2 Sutherland Road PathWalthamstow E17 6BX07815 849523 [email protected] for places via email / £40 per person

Three Acres And A Cow, A History Of Land Rights And Protest In Folk Song And Story ‘Three Acres And A Cow’ connects the Norman Conquest and Peasants’ Revolt with current issues like fracking, the housing crisis and transition town and food sovereignty movements via the Enclosures, English Civil War, Irish Land League and Industrial Revolution, drawing a compelling narrative through the radical people’s history of Britain in folk song, stories and poems.

Part TED talk, part history lecture, part folk club sing-a-long, part fireside storytelling session… Come and share

in these tales as they have been shared for generations.

Featuring Rachel Rose Reid, Robin Grey and guests.

“The history lesson I’ve always wanted. Thank you for a very entertaining/life changing Saturday evening. I’ll be looking at the land and listening to folk songs in a very different way.” Emily

“Thank you for being a highlight of my festival… Fun, enlightening and empowering; at times I was joining in with the songs and at other times I was moved to tears.” Eliot6.45pm–10pm The Asian Centre18a Orford RoadWalthamstow E17 9LN07930 410280 [email protected] are £5 plus a £1 online booking fee from our website – you can buy tickets for £5 without the booking fee from The Hornbeam Centre, 458 Hoe Street, London, E17 9AH.

Raw Food @ The Wild Goose Did you know that we can lose most of the vitamins and minerals in fruit and vegetables through cooking? When we eat ‘Live’ food (raw or just warmed) we get more of the vitamins, the enzymes and what raw foodists call ‘life force’, with benefits to our mental and physical health.

Many people have found that just making a shift to a diet containing 50% live food has helped them to balance weight, improve mental clarity, lift mood and boost energy. Stephanie will show you some delicious recipes which will save money on food and fuel, and time in the kitchen!

7.30pm–9pmThe Wild Goose Bakery654 High Road Leytonstone E11 3AA07747 014235 events@transitionleytonstone.org.ukwww.transitionleytonstone.org.ukFree, donations welcome

Friday 27 March

Grow to Sell Hawkwood TourAre you interested in market garden scale vegetable growing and local food enterprise? Come join us on a tour of Hawkwood Plant Nursery to see and hear about OrganicLea’s enterprise work. Here at OrganicLea we grow over £45k worth of vegetables a year on 1.5 acres of land whilst running successful food enterprises including a veg box scheme, two weekly market stalls and supplying 15 restaurants, cafes and grocers. We also support Waltham Forest growers to find small plots of land and train them to grow to sell, supplying produce to our outlets. Come find out more! 2pm–3pmHawkwood Plant Nursery115 Hawkwood CrescentChingford E4 7UH020 8524 [email protected] entry

Guerrilla Seed Bombing WorkshopSeed bombs are the perfect vehicle to spread flower power into nooks, crannies and hard-to-reach places across the city. Under-used spaces can be transformed into lush wildflower meadows. Join OrganicLea to explore the world of subversive seed dispersal – with exploding eggs, seed balloons, and the

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classic London clay. This is a great event for the whole family to get involved in. All ages welcome. 3pm–5pmNorth Chingford Library The GreenChingford E4 [email protected] entry

Food for Change Film Series: Dirt! The MovieOne of our most valuable natural resources is the soil beneath our feet but it might also be the most taken for granted. Did you know that in the last 40 years, 30 percent of the world’s arable land has become unproductive due to soil erosion? To celebrate 2015 UN Year of the Soil, OrganicLea will be showing “Dirt! The Movie” as part of the Food for Change film series. Learn about the environmental, economic, social and political impact of soil. Norman Loves will be cooking up treats with locally sourced ingredients (as well as beer, cider and wine) and OrganicLea will be providing free popcorn for all. Free childcare will be provided! 6.30pm–9.30pmThe Hornbeam458 Hoe StWalthamstow E17 9AH020 8524 [email protected] entry

Saturday 28 March

Urban Herbal Street PartyHerbs are easy to grow, fragrant, flavourful and versatile – and they look great on a sunny windowsill. Join us at our street party to celebrate all things herbal in the city! Walks, workshops, storytelling and more – there’s something for everyone in this fun-packed afternoon.

Herbal Forage Walk and WorkshopJoin Waltham Forest community herbalist Rasheeqa Ahmad of Hedge Herbs, urban forager Willy Forbes, and Waltham Forest LETS for a spring forage on the Marshes to explore the wild green potential of our edible and medicinal plant friends: local, native and abundant!

Head back with us to The Hornbeam afterwards to brew up some of the herbs and try them as teas, and mix others into a glorious springtime salad. Rasheeqa will be on hand to discuss using herbs in the home for health and how to make different medicinal plant preparations.

Meet at the Lee Valley Ice Centre on Lea Bridge Road to head onto the marshes; we’ll walk for an hour and a half and then head back to The Hornbeam by bus or bicycle. 10am–12pmLee Valley Ice CentreLea Bridge RoadLeyton E10 7QL [email protected] walk

Plant a Paint Pot and MorePlant a herb in a recycled paint pot and take it home to brighten your windowsill and add flavour to your meals. Discover a range of innovative planters made from recycled objects, and upcycle waste materials into simple plant labels or paper pots.

Hero HerbsMake a bouquet garni, and learn about the culinary and medicinal uses of herbs. Pick up recipe and growing cards and join us in storytelling.

We Love Low Cost Living RoadshowMeet local organisations that can give advice on how to live better for less, while treading lightly on the environment. Find out more about the We Love Low Cost Living campaign at welovelowcostliving.wordpress.com

OrganicLea ‘A Taste of Local’ Market StallTaste produce we source from local growers, our Chingford growing site and East Anglian organic farms – have a chance to meet one of our local growers, bakers or outreach workers.12pm–3pmThe Hornbeam and The Paint PlaceBakers AvenueWalthamstow E17 9AH020 8558 6880info@hornbeam.org.ukwww.hornbeam.org.ukwww.frponline.org.ukwww.organiclea.org.uk £1 entry (includes workshops and herb to plant and take home)

The Hornbeam Café Pop in for a taste of delicious and lovingly prepared vegetarian food which is local, organic and fairly traded.10pm–5pmThe Hornbeam Café



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458 Hoe StWalthamstow E17 9AH020 8558 6880www.hornbeam.org.uk

Get Growing in Your SchoolWalthamstow School for Girls is opening its beautiful garden to teachers, parents and community leaders throughout the borough to learn from their success. This will be an event that can give you the confidence to grow in your own school as well as get guidance to develop the garden you already have. Exciting and innovative curriculum links, accreditation,and engaging enrichment will be discussed. If you want to get growing in your school, this is your opportunity to learn how. Bring your wellies as we will also get stuck in and start preparing the garden for spring planting. We will provide tea and coffee. 9.30am–12.30pmWalthamstow School for Girls Church HillWalthamstow E17 9RZ 020 8524 [email protected] entry

Grow Your Own Salad BoxDon’t have an outside growing space? Come join us to start your very own salad window box. At this workshop we will create window boxes and sow salad seeds with help from an OrganicLea grower. You can have nutritious salad greens at your fingertips all year long and you don’t even need a garden, as you can put it on your balcony or your windowsill. Drop in throughout the afternoon and invite the whole family. 10am–1.30pmThe Mill 7–11 Coppermill Lane

Walthamstow E17 7HA 020 8524 [email protected] entry

Get Growing—The ABC’s Want to grow food, but wondering how to get started? Learn the basics behind growing organic vegetables in this fun and interactive workshop. Using OrganicLea’s Hawkwood site as an inspiration, participants will get key planning advice and guidance on starting to grow food that includes a gardener’s surgery. So bring your questions or concerns, but above all bring your enthusiasm! 11am–2pmHawkwood Plant Nursery115 Hawkwood CrescentChingford E4 7UH020 8524 [email protected] www.organiclea.org.uk Free entry

Seed Sowing, Sharing, Swapping On March 28, the Church Lane Community Garden will be giving away seeds and sowing bean and squash seeds. From 1-3pm, come and check out the garden’s collection of seeds and take some home to grow your own fruit and veg and bring along some of your

own seeds that you’re happy to share with members of the community. At 1pm, Ruth from Groundwork will be showing us the proper way to sow bean and squash seeds, and how to care for the seedlings indoors before planting them outside. Participants will be able to take home pots of sown seeds.1pm–3pmChurch Lane Community GardenHarold Road (by playground)Leytonstone E11 4QX07450 474538 [email protected] Free, donations welcome.

GulptivateTo celebrate their first birthday and to close their pop-up in style Bestowed Kitchen will be hosting a specially curated vegetable, fruit and herb inspired cocktail night as part of the festival.

The night will see the glorious mix of food and drink come together to honour all things grown and wild! On the drinks front expect refreshing creations such as a ‘cucumber, gin and coriander cooler’ amongst other delicious concoctions. Bottled local beer and soft drinks will also be available.

To fulfil your hunger there be will be a selection of Bestowed’s fresh, handmade food to purchase.

So come along and help celebrate with some tasty and interesting food and drink, great people and good music! 7.30pm–11.30pmHoe Street CentralUnit 3 Central Parade, Hoe StreetWalthamstow E17 4RT [email protected] Free entry Please RSVP: gulptivate.splashthat.com

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icola Tree

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Sunday 29 March

OrganicLea Open DayTake a look round our unique site and take part in shared work tasks and drop-in learning opportunities. Drop by at any time or stay for the day. We will have cake from Norman Loves and Hawkwood Herbal teas on offer at our popular cake stall. Our first plant and fruit bush sale of the season will also be open all day so you can stock up for spring seedlings! A special Forest School session will be open to children of all ages with the opportunity to explore and play in our woodland space. At the end of the day we will close the Cultivate Festival with a Waltham Forest Harvest of Stories panel where local food and community leaders share in the success and look forward to transforming our community into the food growing hub of London.

Drop-in workshops:Each running 12pm–1.30pm and 2pm–3.30pm

Introduction to Garden WildlifeWildlife is an essential part of any garden, the buzzing of bees and insects is a welcome sound to any gardener. Join this workshop to learn more about the wildlife we have on site and the benefits of biodiversity as well as simple ideas to create some wildlife spaces of your own.

Spring Seed Sowing As Hawkwood gears up for regular seed sprouting production, we’re offering a workshop where you can learn this simple growing skill. If you’ve ever had trouble growing from seed, or you’d like to drop in and ask

some advice this is a great place to be. You will also get to learn about new and heritage varieties – you might even get to sow some seed that OrganicLea has saved from last year.

Fly Your Food Flag The Fly Your Food Flag workshops make it to Hawkwood! Throughout the festival community gardens have been exploring their place within our complex food system. This is a chance to chat, to draw, to write poetry and to think a little more deeply about the food on our plates and the plants in our gardens. Sow some seeds of creativity and see what artistic fruits they will bear.

1.30pm Break for lunch, please bring a packed lunch

2.30 Hawkwood Site Tours Site tours are informative and fun. Hawkwood has much to offer beyond its glasshouses and growing beds. Learn more about our site design, vineyards and our work beyond the fields. Even volunteers who have been on site for years are still finding special nooks and crannies, so who knows what you might discover!

12.00–3.00pm Forest SchoolA forest school is a type of outdoor education in which children visit forests and woodlands, learning personal, social and technical skills. Forest schools are often ‘led by the child’s interests’ by comparison and encourage them to explore with all of the senses, empowering children in the natural environment. Activities and free play for children of all ages. Children under 6 must be accompanied. Spaces are limited so please email [email protected]

3.00pm-3.30pm Waltham Forest Harvest of Stories Panel and Closing of Cultivate Festival Cultivate Festival is an incredible insight into food growing activity that is happening throughout the borough. It’s exciting times around here with market gardens and food-enterprises popping up everywhere. Schools are teaching students how to grow veg and restaurants are working with growers to get more local veg on our dinner plates. Come and listen to the stories from community leaders who are the movers and the shakers behind this ‘growing’ movement. 12pm–4pmHawkwood Plant Nursery 115 Hawkwood CrescentChingford E4 7UH020 8524 [email protected] Entry

A Taste of Local MarketsTaste produce we source from local growers, our Chingford growing site and East Anglian organic farms - have a chance to meet our local growers, bakers or outreach workers. OrganicLea market stalls are open every Saturday at the following sites:10am–3pm The corner of Hoe St & Bakers Ave, Walthamstow E17 9AH

10.30am–3pmHigh Road nestled between Matalan & St Johns Church, Leytonstone E11 1HH



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A Chingford Foodie History WalkDiscover Chingford’s food and drink history on this walk with tour guide and local resident Joanna Moncrieff. Although only around 12 miles from Central London and 4.5 miles from Walthamstow, Chingford was practically cut off from civilisation until the arrival of the railways and still has quite a rural feel to it being right on the edge of Epping Forest. Hear about the three significant events at the end of the 19th Century that turned Chingford and the Forest into a tourist destination with some 100,000 visitors arriving by train on one bank holiday. Find out why the pub built as the railway hotel is nowhere near the station, where the 19th Century daytrippers to the Forest stopped for post-walk refreshments and hear about some of the more unusual foods eaten during Tudor times at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge.

The walk will include one or two tasting stops of locally produced food/drink and will finish at the aforementioned 19th Century refreshment retreat on the edge of the Forest but only a 10 minute downhill walk back to the station. Please wear appropriate shoes as the last ten minutes of the walk will be across Chingford Plain.11am–1pmOutside North Chingford LibraryThe GreenChingford E4 7EN07790 [email protected]. Book tickets in advance via www.chingfordfoodwalk.eventbrite.co.uk or www.cultivatewf.org

Spring Into Your Saddle: Local Food Growing TourHave some fun with the Walthamstow Family Bike Club and Transition

Walthamstow, with a cycle tour of food growing sites in Waltham Forest, and a volunteering activity at OrganicLea’s Hawkwood site.

We’ll set off promptly at 1pm from outside the Ancient House, stopping off at a cafe for a bite to eat around 4pm and will return to the village by 6pm. Approximate distance 15 miles.1pm–6pmMeeting at The Ancient House2 Church LaneWalthamstow E17 9RW [email protected] 8520 0648www.walthamstowfamilybikeclub.wordpress.comFree

Throughout the festival

Bestowed Kitchen pop-up Award winning food start up Bestowed Kitchen is to pop-up for two weeks in Waltham Forest Council’s special shop, Hoe Street Central (opposite ‘The Scene’/HSBC).

We will be hosting a cafe-deli serving a range of our fresh and healthy food including: breakfasts (e.g. our own yoghurt with multi-seed and almond granola); gourmet salads (e.g. pearl barley, balsamic red onions, roasted pumpkin, toasted hazelnuts, lemon whipped feta and parsley); cold mains (e.g. rose water and harissa baked chicken); handmade breads (e.g. fennel and multi-seed); cakes (such as salted caramel and pear).

We also will be holding a special herb, vegetable and fruit based cocktail party – ‘Gulptivate’ – to end the pop-up on Saturday 28th

March from 7.30pm and to celebrate our 1st birthday.

Don’t miss out on 11 days of tasty and creatively prepared food made with love!Open daily from Wednesday March 18 to Sunday 29 March. 10am–6pm, Mon-Fri9am–6pm, Sat-SunHoe Street CentralUnit 3 Central Parade, Hoe StreetWalthamstow E17 [email protected] entry

Fly Your Food FlagHave you ever wondered about where your food comes from? In this fun and creative workshop we use art as a tool to explore that very question. OrganicLea will be hosting these workshops in community gardens across the borough to create a colourful fabric mosaic that represents our ever-changing local food system. If you’d like us to bring this workshop to your community gardening project during Cultivate, please get in touch with [email protected] by March 9th.

Food Growing ResourcesYou can find all kinds of books and useful resources about gardening and food growing in the borough’s libraries. Find your nearest library, check opening times and see what else is going on at www.walthamforest.gov.uk/libraries



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To celebrate the sowing season Waltham Forest Council are organising free compost to be available all around Waltham Forest during Cultivate Festival. Compost will be available to collect in a pile, just bring a shovel and bags to help yourself.

Locations where compost can be found throughout the festival from 20 March:• Large car park, Church Lane, Leytonstone E11 1HE • Langthorne Park car park, Birch Grove, Leytonstone E11 4YG • South Grove Car park, South Grove, Walthamstow E17 7NX • Car Park, John Beanse Waste and Recycling Education Centre, Pimp Hall Nature Reserve, 48 Kings Road, Chingford E4 7HR

The Big Compost Give Away!



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PartnersCultivate Festival is a Waltham Forest Council initiative and has been delivered together with festival partners Artillery, OrganicLea, Capital Growth and To Market.www.walthamforest.gov.uk

Documents

Cultivate Festival 2015