The average banana travels 4,812 miles to reach the UK - Britain’s second most consumed fruit. With 45% of our food grown outside of the UK, and the wide availability of cheap imported food, is it realistic to expect most people to buy local or even grow their own?

This free online event explored initiatives that make local food more accessible, tips for how you can make simple and cheap changes to make an impact, a locally sourced food cook off plus a workshop on how to grow your own food if you don’t have a garden. We featured photographer and environmentalist Heather McGuinness, video from the Railway Farm Shop, local film-maker Frankie Shaftain-Fenner who has recently covered The Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm, forger and folklorist Tom Peer, plus a guest appearance from singer, songwriter and musician from Suffolk, Bessie Turner. 

Session host: Russell Arnott

Bessie Turner
Bessie Turner is an alt pop artist who has been championed by BBC Introducing. She headlined the BBC Introducing Stage at Latitude and Reading & Leeds in 2018 and has supported ED SHEERAN plus BAXTER DURY and PALACE WINTER across the UK.

Well-known and loved singer, songwriter and musician from Suffolk, Bessie describes herself as "Musician/songwriter/eating/praying/loving/getting quite into watching eating challenges on YouTube"
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Frankie Shaftain-Fenner
Frankie is currently in her third year at the University of Suffolk in Ipswich, on the Digital Film Production course (BA Hons). Unsure of what area she would like to go into regarding film, they have mostly worked on Documentary and Experimental (Avant Garde) films. She is mostly passionate about displaying beautiful images and colours, using the camera perhaps more like a photographer than a cinematographer.

I was mostly interested in the community aspect of The Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm. Since I've never grown my own produce, but have always cared about the environment, it was an interesting new idea to explore. Shot throughout the first UK lockdown, it was certainly a challenge to get enough footage for this film! However, in the end I'm happy with how it's turned out. Generally, but also specifically during the UK lockdowns, it seems that time outdoors to get exercise and socialise (socially distanced, of course) is of an ever-growing importance.
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Heather McGuinness
I’m Heather, I’m 22 and I work as a Social Media Executive by day but graduated from my degree in Photography in 2019. During my time at university my work took a focus around environmental issues such as marine debris, plastic pollution and waterway pollution. Going into my degree I was quite unsure of what I was really passionate about photographing, I just knew it was something I enjoyed. I think often there’s pressure to stick to certain photographic ‘rules’ and ‘traditions’ which can be quite restrictive. As soon I started to look at environmental issues as my practise it was all very experimental and ironically a lot of my final work became camera-less. I’d use scanners and physical negatives to exhibit my work and that for me was more exciting, as similarly to analogue photography, you never knew how the final product would turn out. It also made me very aware of the crisis that we’re currently facing on the planet, which before I don’t think I quite understood the scale of. I found myself considerably changing my habits in my life. Even simple changes such as cosmetics and cleaning products which are incredibly easy and affordable to make. 

Instagram: photos @heathermcgphotog and baking cakes @heatherbakescakes1 
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Tom & Ashley  At Forage & Folklore Tours we provide guided nature walks going over the ecology of the area, identification of edible and medicinal plants found in our location, as well as the corresponding historical anecdotes and forgotten folkloric tales and traditions surrounding the plants and animals we come across.Your nature guide, Tom, is from Northern Ontario, Canada and has a formal education in Wildlife and Forestry conservation, worked at a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre and lived briefly in South Africa as an ecology research intern, assisting in guiding international volunteers as well as data collection and analysis. Ashley is originally from South Africa, but has grown up most of her life here in England and has fallen in love with this land. Since moving to Suffolk, she has devoted herself to the study of traditional pagan practices, folklore, history and herbalism. Ashley & Tom met in South Africa as volunteers on a wildlife research project and have since moved to Suffolk. Their shared interests in foraging, herbalism and folk practices, combined with our common background in conservation of nature and wildlife, have each led to the formation of Foraging and Folklore Tours. 

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