At The Community Farm we are committed to a sustainable vision of food production that not only includes organic food production but incorporates lowering fuel emissions generated by our activity, reducing packaging wherever possible and making the right decisions regarding the suppliers we use.
Waste
A staggering 8.3 million tonnes of food is wasted every year in the UK. A third of food waste can be attributed to households with the other two thirds as a result of retailers and wholesalers throwing away produce that isn’t good enough to sell. At The Community Farm we are committed to reducing our waste by:
- Donating produce that isn’t fit for retail to community kitchens
- Composting produce that can’t be sold
- Feeding the rest of the waste to our pigs
- Working with our customers and suppliers to reduce the need to waste produce
Our own land
Farming the land simply and gently improving carbon sequestration. Producing as many as 70 different fruits and vegetables on a field scale. Building soil fertility and wildlife diversity for the benefit of all. We all love the land and working together in all weathers for something really making a difference to our community.
Imported Produce
To provide fruit and vegetables all year round, we have to import some of our produce. We never import produce by air freight and make our decisions about the produce we sell based on seasonality and best practice. This means that we don’t automatically buy the cheapest, choosing instead to use suppliers that share our vision and aims.
Deliveries
Our box scheme drivers’ start work very early – starting deliveries in Bristol from 4am. Delivering at this time means less traffic and therefore lower fuel emissions.
Packaging
There really is no alternative to simply reducing packaging though we recognise some is needed to get your produce to you in a good condition. We:
- Reuse wooden boxes for the majority of our deliveries as they are more durable
- Recycle all of our plastic, paper and cardboard
- Use conventional plastic bags rather than bio-plastics or compostable as neither can be recycled effectively and can lead to higher emissions
- Re-use newspaper to line our boxes
Finally remember to return your boxes and packaging so it can be used again if appropriate!
A fair deal
The environment isn’t simply the atmosphere that surrounds us but includes all of the people and life that we interact with on a daily basis. At The Community Farm we believe that everyone we deal with from members to workers to suppliers should receive a fair deal.