The Turning

What's the scene on your high street just now? Ours is stuffed full of contradictions. There's the glitter and the stressed out (but still smiling) faces...

Shop windows shout huge discounts. Inside staff wonder if they'll have a job in the New Year.

People are falling behind on their mortgage repayments. More homelessness. Teachers know the changes will affect the leafy-laned schools as well as the inner cities as pupil behaviour is set to worsen as the recession hits.

It's a good three years since I wrote 'Fuelling the Future' - a feature first published in 'The Green Parent' magazine. It's about 'Peak Oil' and the effect it is having on the global economy. It was a challenging piece to write, and it changed me. You can read it here: http://www.franceslaing.co.uk/features.html

The picture shows a 'Newton Wonder' apple tree I inherited from a previous occupant of my allotment. It is a good size and must be at least forty years old. I pruned it quite heavily, planted a clover and rye grass lawn around, and gave it a dressing of manure. This year the crop was amazing - and the apples stayed on until December.

The Guardian reported today :

For millions of people in developing countries, eating the minimum amount of
food every day to live an active and healthy life is a distant dream...(from the U.N Food and Agriculture Organisation's hunger report).

I take my questions with me to the veg patch.

If there is a widespread recognition that the UK food system's 'dependence on oil will have to change' - why are governments and local authorities so slow to act in support of people who want to grow their own?

There are still a number of derelict plots on our site. And there shouldn't be (we have a waiting list). It's a huge challenge to bring land like this back into circulation and a lot more should be done to help those brave souls who are willing to try...