Grub's up 1 March 2009
Holt Hall, close to the North Norfolk coast exists to give children a brief refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The residential centre, run by the local council, allows children to stay for up to a week to learn about the great outdoors and how to tread more lightly on the planet.
Part of this involves learning about the food that they eat, as Christine Marshall of the centre explains: "Unless Granny or Grandad has a vegetable plot, many of our rural children can't recognise potatoes in the field even though they may live next to them." At Holt Hall, with its Victorian walled kitchen garden and glasshouses, they can grow, harvest and eat their own.
Getting children into vegetables is part of the centre's work to reduce its carbon footprint. "We need to look closely at the inefficiencies of converting grain to meat and dairy products and long distance food chains," says Christine.
As a result, two main meals a week are now meat free with one of these being dairy free - a fact which has caused a stir with some visitors. "Some people, young and old, feel a meal should always contain meat," says Christine. "The secret to winning hearts and minds is having clever menus." Burritos, falafel, and koftas have replaced the usual vegetarian options of pizza and baked potatoes. "That way people don't feel like they're being deprived of meat."
Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to revolutionise the way we produce meat and dairy, and to support good food, thriving farms and a healthy planet.
To find out more about our Food Chain campaign go to www.foe.co.uk/foodchain
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