B I O S P H E R I C

P R O J E C T

HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS

Mix oak and timber sawdust with wheat bran and a little bit of gypsum in a heatresistant bag Seal and place in the oven at 100 degrees for three hours to kill pathogens Once cooled, add mushroom spores into the sterilised bag Over a 34 day period, the mushroom spores eat the substrates and grow into full mushrooms.

is essentially take two of another food growing project initiated by MIF in 2011 that failed. Plans to establish a vertical farm in the heart of Wythenshawe were dropped due to costs and concerns that the model would be unsustainable. This second attempt, however, does seems a lot more pragmatic and accepts the lack of certainty concerning urban food growing. The Biospheric Project will continue itswork for at least ten years. The Biospheric Foundation will be opening its doors to visitors in

FOOD POVERTY IN THE UK

The annual food bill for a UK household is expected to increase by 357 in the next five years Some 9,700 people in the North West and 2,874 in Yorkshire and Humber relied on food banks in April-September 2012 In the last three years, the number of people fed by foodbanks annually has increased from 26,000 to 128,000

July, who will hopefully be able to see the various food growing systems in action. Training sessions will also be held for locals who are out of work to help them gain food production skills. As a community interest group, one of the Biospheric Foundations long-term aims is to transform the way people in Salford approach food by improving access. According to recent research, the UKs poorest 10 per cent spend almost 25 per cent of their income on food, and around four million are living in food poverty. There is a serious issue of food poverty in Salford, says Salford mayor Ian Stewart. The governments welfare cuts are making it difficult for unemployed and low paid families to put food on the table. More and more people are turning to cheap fat and sugar-filled food, which has a major negative impact on their health. To combat this, the Biospheric Foundation recently started Whole Box. The scheme home delivers fruit and veg boxes and organic food by bulk buying from ethical wholesalers. Its early days it is sending out around 40 to 60 bags a week but the plan is to open a shop in the warehouse and maybe even a community kitchen. As the austerity measures begin to bite, a consortium of over 70 charities has raised concerns that hundreds of thousands of low-income households will be unable to eat regularly and healthily. The development of food banks across the country and here in Salford is both a result of increasing food poverty and a failing welfare state, says Tom Togher from Salford Citizens Advice, which is part of the campaign. It is understandable that

the rapid growth in food charity food banks and soup kitchens is a cause of political embarrassment [but] we agree with the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, who has warned against rich countries such as ours relying on food charity to feed its citizens rather than ensuring there is an effective social security system. Walsh, however, isnt holding his breath for government action. I dont know about EU and national level policies what I do know about is my neighbourhood, he says. Policy isnt going to change things. What is going to help is action-led research and thats what the Biospheric Foundation is trying to do on a very small scale. Were not going to feed Salford but the research were developing here will help cities know how to feed themselves in the years to come. Thats going to be our legacy.

Vincent Walsh is leading the Biospheric Project including mushroom growing in a disused Salford warehouse on the banks of the Irwell

15-21 APRIL 2013 THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH

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