In this episode, we visit one region – the West Midlands – to explore how the pandemic has highlighted connections between the local and the global, the present and the past…and between food, health, community and identity.
What can we learn from this time about the experiences, the resources and the needs of individuals and communities in the UK – and, in particular, communities of African descent?
How can having access to land, to green space and growing space, “feed” us in multiple ways – physical, emotional and spiritual?
Does being together in growing spaces allow the experience of abundance and the ability to share in that?
We hear from Lynda Macfarlane, the founder of Vegan Vybes, a Birmingham community group that champions cruelty-free and creative ways of living and communicating – including through growing and green spaces.
One of our community collaborators, designer and co-founder of Kiondo, Andre Reid, shares his experience of setting up a WhatsApp group for local people working together to grow food and becoming more resilient as a community.
We also learn from Dr Lisa Palmer, an academic who conducted archival research into the histories of allotments in Birmingham. Through the “Digging Around” project she unearthed the long history of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain growing food and maintaining connections to their heritage through allotment gardening
This episode of Who Feeds Us? was produced by DeMarkay Williams, Jo Barratt, Abby Rose and Katie Revell. Thank you to Lynda McFarlane, Dr Lisa Palmer and Andre Reid for sharing their stories. Andre was also this episode’s community collaborator – so thank you Andre for highlighting these voices and bringing them together.
The project Manager for Who Feeds Us? is Olivia Oldham. Our artwork is by Hannah Grace, and the original music for the series is by Michael O’Neil.
Our Patreon supporters help make Farmerama possible. We’re very grateful to them, and even the smallest contribution makes a big difference to us. If you’d like to become a supporter, visit patreon.com/Farmerama
Who Feeds Us? is possible thanks to the Farming the Future COVID Response Fund. We’re very grateful to The A Team Foundation, the Roddick Foundation, Thirty Percy and the Samworth Foundation for providing the funds to make this project happen. Many thanks also to Farming the Future Advisor Dee Woods for her guidance in bringing the team together.