1. Green your work place “Growing food in impossible places –
staff engagement by growing food in your spare spaces,
however small, and adding plants to improve aesthetics”.
Clare Shorter, Chair of Incredible Edible Winchester,
for
Hampshire Sustainable Business Network,

2. The Business Plate
Chair of the Incredible Edible Network, Pam Warhurst, explains why local business is key to our movement
It's what we as individuals can do to support a local food economy.
For me the business pate is nothing at all to do with sponsorship or  asking others for help. Getting pounds into the pockets of small local food businesses so that over time they might be able to produce more and employ more people. It's dead simple, if it's possible, the more people shop for local food, the stronger our local food economy is.

3. Food action group
2014
2016
2017
2016

4. Vertical garden at Hat Fair 2016

5. Widening local interest about
greening urban areas, community growing and edible plants generally for well-being.
Recent request from Mulberry Lodge (the mental health unit adjacent to Winchester hospital) where gardens are used as therapeutic spaces for patients.

6. Impossible or feasible?

7. IEW aims to create a more sustainable community by helping local people:
Grow and eat seasonal food
Reduce food waste and do more composting
Be more aware of the carbon footprint of food
How can your “business” community learn?

8. Climate change is the biggest challenge humans have ever had to face
Climate change is the biggest challenge humans have ever had to face. It is happening now, and accelerating. We need to decarbonise fast. Help your staff learn to live more sustainably. Start with what we EAT! Small steps to start, then move on to bigger issues. (CSR)

9. Future cities – global urban living
“Concrete jungle?” “Nature deficit?”
Do you know how many of your staff do NOT have access to garden/green growing space?

10. There are social and emotional benefits of daily contact with living things.

11. WHY? Growing plants may help to improve the mental and physical health of staff
Growing plants can be :
Sociable, creative activity, a place for discussion and information exchange
relaxing, de-stressing, improving people’s moods
(Research into Mycobacterium vaccae by C. Lowry in Bristol University in 2007, has shown that contact with soil bacteria by hand or inhalation can stimulate the immune system. )
Growing EDIBLE plants can have the additional benefits of:
Healthy, better nutrition (broader diet, perhaps)
Tastier as fresher (vitamins, anti-oxidants)
Reducing impact on climate change (less transport, less packaging etc.)
Would you like happier, healthier, more creative staff living more sustainably?

12. Hi-tech solutions
Madrid, Spain
Singapore

13. Low-tech solutions
window bottle garden
Paved front garden in Gosforth

14. Growing food in impossible places:
Case Study:
Winchester Railway Station
Dark,
draughty,
hard surfaces……
BUT a keen station manager
Plants can grow even in winter.
Some passengers like to touch and taste.

15. Growing food in impossible places:
We learnt:
the best way to display messages
To involve passengers personally
Problem- solving ie watering in summer
Which plants to grow in containers
Rota organisation etc.
Label food plant name
Green stick when ready to eat
Black board to list plants ready to harvest and cooking tips

16. How to start Start small, preferably in spring (it is not too late!)
Anyone can grow herbs, salads and even vegetables in a planter outdoors or indoors on a window sill.
Invite your staff to “own” the idea of growing edible plants. Engage their interests and abilities to help them to live more sustainably. (Eco-committee?)
Re-use containers, make compost to improve the soil. You do not need to throw money at this, be inventive. It’s fun.

17. Interested? Why not join IEW to get a quarterly newsletter, or pick up a leaflet or visit the WinACC web site.
18th June - new allotment harvest
IncredibleEdibleWinchester
@Incredible Win
winacc.org.uk

18. 3 minute Utube TV recording from That’s Hampshire https://www. youtube
3 minute Utube TV recording from That’s Hampshire   Questions and Answers