Who are we?

Canalside Community Food is run by a small but very committed group of people, most of whom have been meeting since the Summer 2005. We are a diverse group, ranging from farmers to organic researchers, but what we do all share are strong beliefs in local food and community empowerment, and in particular what we are doing in starting up this specific project. For your interest, below is a brief profile of all the people involved in the Canalside Steering Group, just so you know who we are and how to recognise us when we come to meet eachother!

Tom and Caz Ingall have lived and worked on the farm since 2002. Before that, their work focuss Tom & Caz Ingall

ed on HIV/AIDS, particularly in Africa, and they both spent some time in Zimbabwe and Tanzania doing HIV/AIDS related work. Since living on the farm, however, they have reconnected with their roots in this country and have moved further towards a farming way of life. They feel very strongly about all environmental issues and about organic/local food production in particular. Having the kind of access to farmland as they do, they feel a large responsibility to use the land to the greatest environmental and social benefits as possible, hence the creation of Canalside Community Food. Tom is a part-time grower and Caz the Administrator for the project.

Gareth Davies works at HDRA (www.hdra.org.uk) on weeds, insects and diseases but has a great

interest in local food, especially eating it. Apart from the CSA he is also interested in environmental action and is involved with Action21 (www.action21.co.uk), the local agenda 21 company that runs the Recycle Warehouse at Princes Drive and the Community Freebay website (www.communityfreebay.co.uk).

He has a background in agricultural experimental work concerned with pests, diseases and varieties. This has included 10 years work in Africa involving the use of participatory research and extension methods as well as on-farm trials. He is currently working on aspects of weed (www.organicweeds.org.uk), pest and disease management in organic farming and is especially interested in getting growers involved in the work. Gareth has been on the Canalside Steering group since its beginnings.

Judy Steele
Judy has also been on the Canalside Steering group since its beginnings.

Danny St

eele lives with his wife Meg and daughters Ruth and Esme in Leamington. Strongly influenced by his mother, he has a keen interest in local, seasonal and sustainable food production. He used to work at an organic market garden in Hampshire where he grew up. More recently, his work has been in the catering and retail of organic food which he has enjoyed but is glad to be working on the land again. He's very excited that Canalside is using the CSA structure which involves people in producing local and affordable food and connects them with the land on which it is grown. Danny is the main grower on the project.

Stew Moir has been living at Leasowe Farm since September 2006 and is now starting to feel more settled here, having been overseas for the previous 4 years. He has visited and worked

on many organic projects around the world and now feels great to be involved in a project with a long term view; to see it grow and develop. He feels that working with the land connects us to our surroundings, and that doing this with the involvement of the local community can only strenghten this bond. He looks forward to creating connections with everyone involved in the project.

Stew is also adding to his skills by training as a tree surgeon and learning guitar, as well as continuing to develop his knowledge of nutrition and his commitment to meditation. Stew is also working as a grower on the project, for 1 day a week.

Thalia Nunis has been growing vegetables commercially for 10 years after gaining an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture from Wye College (the agricultural college of London University) and currently has a day job as Trials Field Manager for HDRA, the foremost organic horticultural research organisation in the country (see link to website above). Her real interest in veg growing was stimulated by visiting her cousin's smallholding in Wales from childhood (though she did toy with the idea of a career in foreign languages for a while.) Thalia is passionate about everything to do with organic living and promoting sustainability. She lives in Coventry until she can afford something more rural! Thalia is the expert organic horticultural consultant for the project.

And here are pictures of some of our brilliant workshare volunteers (updated July 2008):

Ali Jeffery

Ali Jeffery Graham Williams Dan Britton

Home The Farm Events Vegetables Photos Recipes CSA FAQs

Canalside Community Food, Leasowe Farm, Southam Road, Radford Semele, Leamington Spa, Warks, CV31 1TY
Tel: 01926 423939 Email: Canalside Community Food