With ' Our Common food' we bring people together around the topic of seasonal and regional food. We try to gain attention of the local government. We would like the local board of Utrecht to make steps towards a policy of planting edible crops because this is both in the season and local food. What we have done is a official opening of a tree in a small inner-garden in Utrecht. With this Cherry-tree we have put forward a couple of points which we would like to see in our city. This is an example of what the government could do.
Official voice and glasses
'I, mayor of the city of Utrecht, welcome you, citizens and the councilors of local and seasonal food on this formal opening of the cherry tree.
We are gathered here today, not only to open this tree, but also because of the proposal of our councilors of local and seasonal food. Three projects which will be implemented in phases throughout this year:
first, make it possible for citizens to receive education about edible crops in the city and we will make small signs at those tree's in the city. Moreover, we will develop websites like www.plukdestad.nl in order to map all the edible crops .
In newly build parts of the city, only edible crops will be planted and the local government will use all spare ground in the city for neighborhood-vegetable gardens. In times like ours, the economical crisis is near and food-security is not only a problem of developing countries.
These are these the Steps on the Right Way!
Therefore, I, the Mayor of the city of Utrecht, declare this tree and this proposed policy OPEN'
back in reality
Through humorous actions like this one, we hope to achieve attention and we will publish a book this January in order to finish our process and make our awareness also publicly available. We hope that it will be on many kitchen tables and people will read about food, what they can make, how to do it, what is local food etc In this way we hope to create a longer lasting effect than only a humorous action, and of course, we would also like to see the real local government acting in the way we did and do something with this important topic of food.
*Time to Turn are SPEAK's sister network in the Netherlands - find out more about their campaign here: http://www.timetoturn.nl/voor-t-oprapen/