First-of-a-kind festival gave food for thought

Nick Herbert, former shadow environment minister and Arundel MP at the time, helped to launch the festival on Saturday, October 16, 2010, and was taken on a tour of the market by organisers. On the Sunday, the emphasis switched from consuming to growing, with an open day at Crossbush Farm and Shop attracting 100 visitors and a ploughing demonstration.

The farm had also provided an impressive display of agricultural equipment old and new at the Mill Road car park on the Saturday, including a towering combine harvester.

Smaller scale food production was on view on the Monday, when allotment holders in Priory Road invited the public to see their plots and share gardening tips and advice.

But it was a key debate at Arundel Castle on the Monday night, posing the question ‘Can we eat our way to a sustainable future?’, which served up a fascinating discussion. An audience of approaching 100 people listened intently to speakers including Vicky Johnson from New Economics Foundation, Toby Quantrill from Fairtrade Federation, Arundel farmer Caroline Harriott, Permaculture magazine editor Maddy Harland and Christian eco-activist Ruth Valerio.

They outlined issues facing individuals, communities and nations rich and poor, as the world started to get to grips with the future of food.

Cookery writer and food activist Rosemary Moon chaired the debate and said afterwards: “It was absolutely fantastic, really stimulating.

“With issues like this, it has to be something to enjoy, or people won’t come together to make any attempt to change how they eat and shop and will continue buying the cheapest, processed food.

“It was a very motivated audience. One man came up to me afterwards and said that although his wife was very keen on green issues, he hadn’t taken as much interest, but he had found the evening very stimulating and wanted to know what he could do next.”