Group aims to save more surplus food from Devon farms

Food in Community wants more farmers, volunteers and partners to help rescue surplus produce and expand doorstep deliveries in Devon and Cornwall.

Food in Community, a Dartington-based community interest company, says it wants to expand its work rescuing surplus produce after spending 14 years collecting unwanted and extra crops from local growers and farmers. The organisation, which mainly operates in Devon but also sends items to Cornwall, packs the food into boxes for free doorstep deliveries and passes any leftover produce on to food banks, community fridges, lunch clubs and youth groups.

The group says it wants to work with more farmers, volunteers and business partners so it can save more food from going to waste and improve access to sustainably produced food. Devon farmer Lloyd Stone, who donates produce such as courgettes to the organisation, is among those contributing crops from local fields.

Why is the organisation expanding its work?

Food in Community says it wants to widen its network because hundreds of tonnes of surplus food can be rescued from waste and put to use. Chantelle Norton, a director at the organisation, said research done by World Wide Fund for Nature and Tesco in 2022, external estimated 2.9m tonnes of edible food is lost or wasted annually every year on UK farms.

"What's important is making the most of the resources we've got.

"We value not just the food itself and the nutrition it brings, but also the farmer's time, the water that goes into producing that crop and the care everyone puts into it.

"It's important to appreciate every last piece of edible food that is grown."

Norton said appreciating produce helped more than the people who end up eating it.

Chantelle Norton, a director of Food in Community CIC, stands smiling in front of a wall covered with lichen and moss. She is wearing an olive green apron bearing the words — Image caption, Chantelle Norton said appreciating produce helped more than the people who end up eating it

Who receives the food boxes?

Food in Community box manager Sandra Crawford said the boxes are given to people who have been referred to the organisation. She said the reason was often because "they're in particular need or having a particularly difficult time".

Crawford added that people are offered a box, usually for a limited period of up to six months, and it is delivered to their doorstep.

"They will be offered a box, usually for a limited period of up to six months, which gets delivered to their doorstep."

Sandra Crawford, the box manager for Food in Community, stands in front of rows of crates filled with fruit and vegetables. Behind her, volunteers are busy packing fresh produce into delivery boxes. She has shoulder length brown hair and is wearing a short sleeved blouse beneath a lime green high visibility vest. — Image caption, Food in Community box manager Sandra Crawford said produce is sent to people referred to the organisation

Which crops are most plentiful this year?

One crop that has been particularly plentiful this year is courgettes. Farmer Lloyd Stone, who supplies Riverford Organic Farmers, has been donating produce to Food in Community from his fields near Ashburton for two years.

"It's been a good year for courgettes and some are just too large, they are heading towards marrow size.

"The cows will eat these, but if some of them can go for human use too then that's great."

Stone said larger courgettes that are too big for sale can still be used, with the rest going to cows if necessary.

How is the food being used by young people?

Totnes Rural Area Youth Engagement (TRAYE) has been getting free fruit and vegetable boxes from Food in Community for the last two years. Teenagers at Totnes Rural Action Youth Engagement have been learning to cook with produce from Food in Community, helping them prepare meals before sitting down to eat together.

Youth worker Kerry McCain said TRAYE provides food for all the young people who come to the organisation and has nine youth clubs across south Devon.

"At TRAYE, we provide food for all the young people who come to us - we've got nine youth clubs across south Devon.

"Being able to get a free box of locally sourced fruit and vegetables makes a big difference."

She said the food also helps get young people involved in preparing and cooking meals before they eat together.

Three teenagers prepare food in a kitchen under the supervision of a youth worker. All are wearing lime green aprons. One young woman chops a red pepper beside a container of mushrooms, while a young man in a black T shirt stands nearby. In the background, another young man washes food at a sink as the youth worker looks on smiling. — Image caption, Teenagers at Totnes Rural Action Youth Engagement have been learning to cook with produce from Food in Community

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Key Facts

Food in Community is a Dartington-based community interest company that has worked for 14 years.
The group collects surplus crops from growers and farmers in Devon and also sends some items to Cornwall.
Research cited by Chantelle Norton estimated 2.9m tonnes of edible food is lost or wasted annually on UK farms.
Farmer Lloyd Stone has been donating produce from near Ashburton for two years.
TRAYE has received free fruit and vegetable boxes from the organisation for the last two years.