Eat local!

Do you want local food?

As more veg and fruit comes into season, take a minute to think about how eating local food is good for you, your community and nature.

Local food is picked/produced just before it’s consumed, so it has been allowed to ripen longer, is fresher & tastier, has less handling and transport, and retains more of its nutrients.  It is also healthier and more in tune with nature to eat what’s in season and from your local area.  

Eating locally helps the local economy.  Whether it is a euro spent with a local producer, or a barter of vegetables with your neighbour, eating locally generates additional economic activity locally.  

Local food generates less pollution.  Apart from less transport, small growers, even those that aren’t organic, tend to use fewer chemicals on their crops and less intensive methods of raising animals.

Buying locally helps producers spend less time focusing on packing, shipping and shelf life issues and instead puting their efforts into growing fresher, tastier and more nutritious produce.

Local small producers are more likely to try small crops of a broader range of various fruits and vegetables that would probably never make it to a large supermarket.  So eating locally means more variety.  This is good for your family’s health and also benefits biodiversity.

Finally, buying local also gives you a personal connection to your food and your community.

How can you "eat local" in east Wicklow?

OOOOBY (Out Of Our Own Back Yard) is here in Glenealy, Co Wicklow as a resource and centre for local food.  We can help you grow your own through advice, supplies, seeds, and through hosting local gardening groups.   We also will facilitate local growers and producers, no matter how small, to sell or barter through our website and store.  Let us know what you have grown or made and we'll help match you up with people who want some!

If you're not local to us, we're willing to help with ideas & advice; you might want to consider setting up your own local OOOOBY.  We can share our experience both logistical and technical (including the possibility of piggybacking onto our web ordering system)

New Box Scheme

We've been running a health foods buying group for the last 8 years and will now expand this to include as much local food and produce as we can.  So you will be able to order a box with local organic eggs, local jams, local fruit & veg, along with non-local staples such as organic flour, rice, pasta, tinned items, etc. 
To see what's available, check the local foods category and for other non-local items, click on the full catalogue online.  There's also a product search.

We're pleased to announce that Bia Beatha jams, chutneys and sauces, which were very popular at our Winter Solstice market, are now back and available as part of this new box scheme.  Check them out in the jams and chutneys section

Also coming is produce from a local salad & vegetable grower, will be announced soon. 

Barter

If you have any produce you'd prefer to barter rather than sell, let us know and we'll add it to the newsletter. 

Our first barter offer is for Gooseberries in exchange for other produce - get in touch if you'd like this person's contact details.

Upcoming events

Potluck Picnic (this Sunday 4th of July)

Remember this Sunday, the 4th of July, is a Potluck picnic at the farm from 12-3.  Bring a dish to share and enjoy a day in beautiful peaceful surroundings.  We'll be there even if it's raining, look for us inside the yurt (round tent)! Free/donation.

Practical Permaculture (31 July & 1 August)

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in nature.  It has practical applications in your garden, of course, but also your house, your street and your town.  Suzie, who teaches Permaculture through the VEC, and Graham Strouts, who teaches the Sustainability Course in Kinsale and is one of Ireland's leading permaculture teachers, have put together two days of practical permaculture examples along with some of the theory.  There will be a variety of topics covered, the focus for the first day will be on biochar and charcoal making (a potential business opportunity!).  The second day they will mainly focus on Edible Forest Gardens.  The course costs €60/day and is aimed at beginners but those who already know permaculture will still gain from the practical exercises.  You can attend one or both days.  Coffees/teas/camping included.

Hope to see you on the land soon,

Mike & Suzie Cahn
www.dulra.org - info@dulra.org - 0404 69570