Farm the City London

 

 Eat, drink, grow and be merry at Farmival, a free festival dedicated to urban farming, community and music, happening on 21 September, in W10, from 1pm to 7pm.

 

Golborne Road based volunteer group, Farm the City London are hosting the event in Meanwhile Gardens and expect 500 guests of all ages, from budding window box gardeners to fully fledged community food growers, to come together on the last day of summer, to celebrate the highs and lows of Spring/Summer ’13 and join in the capital’s celebration of Urban Food Fortnight

 

 

5 things not to miss at this year’s Farmival:

 

• The Earth

 

Headline act The Earth will round off the day in true party style. Just about to release their debut album OFF/ON 1, the band from over the Welsh border aren’t new to the scene with Mark Roberts of Catatonia, Dafydd Ieuan from Super Furry Animals, bassist Tristan Marley and Dionne Bennett from Peth. Expect warm super pop tunes with a funky bass, psychedelic orchestral undertones and an almighty voice to take you on a trip around your soul. This is going to make you fly.

 

• Plastic bottle greenhouse building

 

We need litter’ally thousands of clear plastic bottles and some nifty handiwork from festival revellers to make walls, doors and roof panels from bottles and locally grown bamboo canes to create a 100% recycled greenhouse. Greenhouses and shelters help to grow seedlings and exotic plants, and are essential if you want to get the most out of each growing season.

 

•  Unplugged by the Pond Stage

 

If you go down to the woods that day, you’ll find acoustic sets, poetry, and open mic sessions mixed up from 3pm to 5.15pm by the pond. Lay back in the Morroccan Garden, right at the foot of Trellick Tower, and listen to the sounds of Portobello’s finest unsigned singer-song writers and spoken word artists. Open mic acts should contact Marioneth to let her know they’re coming: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

• Edible Skincare

 

Local growers Growing Kultur are running fun, practical sessions on ways to upgrade your skincare using ingredients you would usually find in your kitchen. 60-70% of what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream, which means pure skin products are as important as pure food.

 

• Seedling giveaway – oriental winter greens

 

It will show you how to repot seedlings into a big pot supplying organic compost and a homemade propagator to help you nurture the veggies as the days get shorter and the leaves get bigger. From seed specialist Real Seeds, we’re giving away in seedling form a selection of winter greens that once grown are super versatile and can be eaten raw in salads, cooked alone, or mixed in with any favourite recipe. Be sure to take one of our seedlings home, or plant your own seed, and start your A/W 13-14 with this season’s must have accessory: a pot of fertile earth.

 

Last year Farm The City London launched with a spectacular festival day of music and workshops, and now have two community food-growing spaces in Golborne, provide free seedlings, and run affordable courses in home growing.

 

In its second year, the Notting Hill festival dubbed ‘Farmival’ is a not-for-profit event sponsored by the council’s Love Golborne fund, businesses and community groups with donations being collected for new growing areas in West London, specifically Golborne Ward in North Kensington, which is officially rated the second most-deprived ward in London.

 

Supporters include Strummerville, a music charity set up by the friends and family of Joe Strummer in the year after his death to offer support, resources and performance opportunities to artists who would not normally have access to them.