Sustainable! That word that we all keep hearing but what does it mean and what can we do to help?
“You use sustainable to describe the use of natural resources when this use is kept at a steady level that is not likely to damage the environment.” Collins English Dictionary.
I’ve been thinking about this more and more recently and I am doing my bit with my other business Galloway Chillies. We are cutting out plastic, we use peat free compost (Dalefoot Compost), which is made from sheep wool and bracken AND is made in the neighbouring region of Cumbria, so it doesn’t travel far either. Any plants you buy from Galloway Chillies, are sold in peat free compost and biodegradable pots!
BUT what about in our homes? Do you think before you buy or does price win every time? I’ve always been a strong advocate of local food and will buy as much as I can locally. However what is local? Well local to me is available in this region and if I can’t buy here then I will look further afield but I always try and buy as much British produce as I can. For example I like chickpeas but I have swapped them for Carlin Peas which are grown in Britain and available from the fantastic Hodmedod’s. I won’t eat Strawberries, Raspberries etc unless they are in season either. And I think it is so worth it, they are then a treat and also they taste as they should instead of those quite often tasteless ones that are imported. We have become a nation that expects all food to be available all of the time but maybe we should all start to think a bit more sustainably and question the food that we buy.