Category: News

  • well the festive season is in full swing . . . .

    Today we are having a Christmas fuddle.

    A what ?

    a fuddle.

    now this was new to us last year but our C.E.O. Carol implemented it last Christmas and . .  . well i think it’s stuck.

    A fuddle is a day when you bring a little of something you’ve cooked in to work to share . . .  if enough people contribute; then there’s a plethora of tasty Christmas treats that everyone can share.

    my contribution today is the music . . . going to try and play some Carols on the guitar.  (try being the operative word there)

    then i’m off to see the boys and girls of this years Prince’s Trust this afternoon.

    deck the halls with . . . . .    dum de dum . . .

    Merry Christmas !

     

  • 14 great excuses to be very cool in 2014

    By: Rob Greenfield,

     

    This simple guide is written to help you lead a life that is good for you, your community, and the earth. Most of these tips will cost you nothing to implement and many of them will save you money. They will help you to increase your health and happiness and that of the people, animals, and environment that you interact with.

    But Beware!  People will think you are awesome.  You will be flooded with compliments, love, and appreciation.  People will want to talk to you and be around you.  Your life will have purpose and you will be passionate to be alive.

    1.  Eat a whole food plant based diet which means more veggies, fruits, grains, and nuts and less animal products. Try to buy organic and unpackaged food as well.

    2.  Start riding a bike, walking and using public transportation and minimize your time in cars.

    3.  Go local. Eat local, shop local, play local.

    4.  Reduce- Reuse- Recycle and in that order.  Recycling comes last and is a very energy intensive process.  Much of the trash we create takes 100′s of years to biodegrade so try to cut back on the amount you make.  Compost your food waste, repair items, and find new uses for old stuff.

    5.  Share! Share your stuff and share others stuff.  Be a part of the sharing economy.

    6.  Buy less stuff and purchase used items when you can.  When thinking of purchasing something ask yourself if you really need it.  This will leave you money to buy the things that you really need and want.

    7.  Conserve water and electricity.  Just be conscious of your usage.  There are 100′s of ways to cut back and you will start to see them if you pay attention.

    8.  Use products that are reusable and avoid using disposable items such as bags, take out containers, bottled water, straws, dishes, and paper towels. There is an earth friendly alternative to almost any disposable item.

    9.  Practice Positive consumerism. Buy from businesses who practice corporate social responsibly. Businesses have a responsibility to people and the planet as well as profit. Support responsible companies and boycott companies who only care about profit.

    10.  Simplify. The less you need the easier it is to be friendly to our earth. And the less money you need the more time you will have to do what you love doing.

    11.  Be conscious. When you make decisions take into account where things come from and how they were produced.  Take responsibility for your own decisions.   Find out where the things you use come from and if you don’t like what you find then seek out an alternative.

    12. Live beyond yourself.  How do your actions affect other humans, animals, and the earth?  Make your decisions based on the wellbeing of everyone and everything, not just you.

    13. Be good to others. Good creates good. Smiles create smiles. If you want to be happy just make others happy.

    14. Set your priorities. Is eating healthy more important than getting drinks at a bar or eating out?  If so spend your money on the former rather than the latter.

    Start small. Choose what will be easiest for you and do that first. Your confidence will build over time and each step will become easier as you progress in living a life that is good for everyone involved. Over time you’ll find yourself happier and healthier and you will likely feel liberated from the things that were holding you back.  Your positivity and health will likely rub off on others and you’ll find yourself creating a more vibrant world around you.

    Live Happy.  Live Healthy.  Live Free.  Live beyond yourself.

    Read more http://www.trueactivist.com/14-ways-to-live-an-awesome-earth-friendly-lifestyle/

  • Is that Sleigh bells i can hear ?

    well the season is upon us . . .

    We wanted to let the good people of Lincolnshire know that there is still time to order their Christmas bumper veg box . . . .  You’ll find everything you need for your families Christmas Table in there. (with the exception of the Turkey)

    Our cut-off date for Christmas box orders will be Wednesday 18th December 2013 – delivery will be on the 23rd December 2013

    We are also selling hand made holly and ivy wreaths for £12.50. there are only a few left but contact us on 01472 870609 to reserve one.

    From everyone involved in Green Futures – we would like to wish you a Happy festive season and a prosperous New Year

     

     

  • As Christmas approaches, it’s time to think about those that have and those that don’t.

    Hello to all you good people that support Green Futures at the Vanson Centre.

    For me it’s a pleasure to work towards creating a centre for the people of Grimsby . . . A centre to access information, to learn how to make your money go further, how to interact with the natural environment, how to grow your own food and how to access information that’ll assist in personal growth, your general well being and a more sustainable lifestyle.

    This coming Christmas I implore you to make cards or presents for loved ones, if you’re creative side won’t allow that; then buy locally, invest in a local artist, friend or locally run business to provide a special something for that certain someone. it’s these small gestures that’ll keep Grimsby’s economy alive. It is us that make the decisions as to where we invest our money and time. invest well . . . . . buying locally. . . . . invests in the people you know, it puts money back into YOUR locality . . . buying at global organisations that exploit the local economy by having the ability to undercut the market is investing in a false economy (of which we are starting to feel the shock waves at the moment with the dramatic leap in people accessing food banks – employed and unemployed people accessing food banks – which has tripled in the last 12 months).

    My Christmas message to one and all this year is this:

    i hope that you are lucky enough to spend quality time with your nearest and dearest, because at this time of year when the fire needs to be on and the car has to be run, and the bills have to be paid, and the mortgage, and the taxes, and the cost of. . .  and the . . . when you sometimes stop and address the situation. . .  we do live the good life.  It might not seem like it at times, we may get stretched, pushed and pulled in all directions at times; BUT THINK WHAT YOU HAVE.

    At this time of year my heart goes out to people less fortunate than myself. people who are hungry, people that are war torn, people that are on their own and isolated, people that are cold, people that live under the threat of eviction, and those who have aggression and violence in their home lives.

    Christmas isn’t what Santa brings you . . . YOU are Santa (Sorry Kids) !

    Make a difference this year. don’t believe the hype . . .  the world if full of GOOD people, you’ve just got to get out there and meet them.

    only then will you see the true face of what Christmas is really all about.

    Peace and Love to all

    Pete

     

  • Christmas Boxes from Green Futures

    Can you believe all of this could be yours, delivered to your home a day or two before Christmas . . . no fuss, no bother . . . just a local non profit making social enterprise trying its hardest to create an easy build up to your festive season.  .  .  .  and all of this for just £25.00

    All you have to do is ring us on 01474 870609, or email us at:  orders@greenfuturesgrimsby.co.uk

    Get them whilst you can.

    £25 includes 2.5k Linconshire potatoes, 700g red onions, 1k carrots, 800g leeks, 1 cabbage, 1 garlic, 600g beetroot or turnips, 1 swede, 1 stalk of Brussels sprouts, 1k parsnips, 1 broccoli head, 1 pepper, 1 cauliflower, 1 squash, 250g mushrooms, 1 handmade Christmas biscuit, 6 locally made Lacie’s chocolates, 1 box organic stuffing, 1 jar of local made cranberry sauce, 1 mulled wine sachet of herbs and spices, 3-4 oranges.
    Can be delivered on Monday 23rd or if you collect from site you will get an extra item in the box!

  • Veg Box News 25.11.13

    Its Monday as I start to write this, its cold in the office and I’m wearing thermals. So the winter time is all about staying warm and tidying up. Last week the placement guys did loads of digging and helped clear out the garage of stuff that has been sat there for 3 years, amazing the things we found. As for the digging these guys are like little JCB’s and are doing a stirling job at preparing the ground of the new polytunnel.

    Last week I was in Manchester with Carol, the CEO, presenting to the Lottery about this project; they view us as a successful one, so like us to share some of the achievements we have made. We told them about the over 200 customers we have had, the hundreds of volunteer hours donated to the site, the partnership working, the 13 tons of potatoes we get through in a year or the 7 and a half tons of onions or over 800 cabbages. The amount of stuff we have grown and packed and delivered is phenomenal when you add it all up! Next year these amounts will increase too as we grow more and more ourselves, and as we gain a few more customers. Customers who are realising you can get better quality, better priced and fresher veg from local growers and producers, than you can usually find in the supermarkets. You can feel happy that you are already part of the wise crowd that already knows this and supports a great community project. Thanks and well done you!

    The long black leafy stuff is Calvero Nero or Black Kale. Don’t forget serve with a squeeze of lemon juice to help your body make best use of the nutrients and to add a really great zing to the flavour.

    In veg news this week I have been talking to wholesalers and farmers and the price of some veg has nearly doubled. This is due to flooding abroad which has pushed up the English veg price. Thankfully we have some good farmer contacts and grow some of our own, but this is indicative of things to come. We can’t stress hard enough; Grow some of your own veg! It is easier than you think and you can grow quite a lot in pots and small spaces. We are always happy to give advice and next year we will be running a few workshops and courses.

    PS – WE REUSE PLASTIC PUNNETS PLEASE WASH AND RETURN!

    Don’t forget we sell FREE RANGE Eggs from Chickens NOT fed on GM soya. Most other non organic eggs will be from GM fed chickens.

    PPS one of our customers if giving away some chickens, get in touch if you are interested.

  • Veg Box News 18.11.13

    On site this week the Princes Trust volunteers have been helping out with a variety of jobs and proving once again that the media images of the youth of today are far from the truth. They have helped plant trees, and a new hedge plus helped with load of general tidying jobs. Their dedication and perseverance, working in all weathers, is inspirational.

    This week we have kindly had donated a large number of old scaffolding boards, very useful for our garden building projects. Recycling old industrial materials like this is another way we can demonstrate practical sustainability. Nothing in nature is thrown away, it all gets used, only humans have rubbish, we should all learn from this.

    On site more work has gone on the poly tunnel. Planting out brassicas and lots of bulbs ready for spring. We have been double fleecing and bringing into the poly tunnels some of our delicate plants ready for the harsh frosts that are forecast.

    This week in the veg box is a healthy selection of root veg. The parsnips and carrots are from North Somercotes and the potatoes are from Kirton. They are a different variety; Melody, and are very good as mash and Baked potatoes. We have harvested some of our celariac and golden beets although we have had to add to our own harvest as we didn’t have enough ourselves for everyone’s box. The weird knobbly veg, incase you didn’t know, is a celariac. To use, simply peel and grate and used raw in salads of coleslaw. Or you can chop it into chunks and roast it or use like a potatoes. It is great mixed with potatoes to make an interesting mash. The Candy beetroot are really interesting; stripy red and white when you slice through them. Enjoy!!

    Thanks Sean and Kylie

     PS – WE REUSE PLASTIC PUNNETS PLEASE WASH AND RETURN!

    Don’t forget we sell FREE RANGE Eggs from Chickens NOT fed on GM soya. Most other non organic eggs will be from GM fed chickens.

    PPS one of our customers if giving away some chickens, get in touch if you are interested.

  • Practical Cookery Session Wed 13th Nov

     
    Practical Cookery Session
    Wednesday 13th
    November, 2013.
    Participants can take part in a practical cookery demonstration
    and eat the fruits of their labour in a session held at
    Second Avenue Resource Centre with Vicki Hall.
    Preference will be given to
    people who pledge to ‘pass it on’
    – to share the practical skills they
    have learnt with family and/or
    friends.
    For more information please contact:
    Steven Markham
    (01472) 326241
    Steven.Markham@nelincs.gov.uk

    Using a ‘Veggie Box’ from us. 🙂
    The course is high value,
    but no charge will be made
    to participants.

     

     

    2013_11_13_Veggie Box Cookery Scheme

  • giant pumpkins get your bids in!

    we  are taking bids for our giant pumkins, reserve is £20…. we will close the bidding friday 25th Oct at 15:00 at which point the winner(s) will be called to collect the monster!!!!

    Simply email your bid to orders at greenfuturesgrimsby.co.uk or message our facebook page

    thanks

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