Fork and Dig It

This submission responds to the open theme by photographing the individuals who came together to create Brighton's first community food growing project committed to the organic principles of Health, Ecology, Fairness and Care. Fork and Dig It originally founded in 2007 grows fruit and vegetables on 3 acres of Soil Association accredited organic land within Stanmer Park in East Sussex. This project documents and exemplifies the wonderful work that the Fork and Dig It team perpetuate in contributing to organic sustainable living, the images submitted record the dedicated agricultural work that takes place during the year as we move through the four seasons, such as harvesting, and distributing, a repeated cyclical process that this veg share goes through to produce and supply the fruit and vegetables they grow to provide for the local community, especially during what has been and to some extent still is very difficult times.

As a benefitting recipient of its weekly veg share I fully appreciate the individual commitment and approach to sustainable agriculture that Fork and Dig It pursues. They practice and teach sustainable agriculture with a sensitive approach towards land management, biodiversity and the environment and their approach is informed by both traditional organic farming techniques and the no-dig method. Whilst encouraging healthy, active lifestyles, their work aims to develop a closer, more meaningful connection to the food we eat, to each other and to the soil, respectively. They provide the people of Brighton access to a hands-on organic farming experience, a regular supply of organic food that has a very low Carbon footprint, a crop share that offers variety and promotes seasonal eating 48 weeks of the year. In 2011, they went on to set up their own community supported agriculture project to promote radical ways in which they could re-take control and ownership of their food system. They offer a variety of activities that locals can get involved with such as training, education days, team building, agricultural and domestic workshops, food events and volunteering, respectively.

Having been a resident of Brighton for the last 20 years, moving from an inner city area of London, I have embraced the accessible countryside all around me. Fork and Dig It, as members of Stanmer Organics and being located on the fringes of Brighton in the South Downs National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, takes full advantage of this accessible land use. They move from strength to strength with a strong message of organic, agro-ecological local food production, teaching the next generation of growers, inspiring a deeper connection with the land, ensuring the values and ethos of the project continue sustainably into the future, and with the impact that climate changes and global warming are having on the environment it is imperative that projects like Fork and Dig It are enabled to continue to use the land, weather, and seasonality without impacting negatively the world within which we all live.