DCFA Jan - Feb 2012 Newsletter

1. The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd (DCFA)
NEWSLETTER
January – February 2012
Patrons: Judi SPIERS, BBC Radio Devon Spare Food is Share Food!
David WHITE, BBC Radio Cornwall
7 Whimple Street, Plymouth, Devon PL1 2DH Mobile: 07745819828 (text only) Email: saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk Website: http://dcfa.webs.com
FOREWORD EDITORIAL COMMENT
BY THE COMPANY CHAIR
Mrs. Christine REID I NTERNET Links. If you’re reading this on-line and come
across words with blue lettering that are underlined, then
you can click on these links and be taken directly to another
Dear Friends and Supporters,
site for more information on that particular topic.
This is the first Newsletter for 2012 If you read this on Microsoft Word, you can put your cursor
and may I start by wishing you all a over the link, hold down the Control (Ctrl) Key and click! Ed.
happy, healthy and prosperous 2012?
This is certainly the hope for DCFA for STOP PRESS!
this new year! DCFA should know by the end of A NEW DCFA PATRON
January whether its accommodation at the SHIP
Hostel is to be permanent. Please keep your fingers
crossed for us!
Y OU WILL RECALL THAT Judi SPIERS of BBC Radio Devon is
a DCFA Patron.
This left the Cornish side of DCFA a little bit out of things! So
DCFA is so very pleased to inform you that David
Victoria HURTH, the DCFA Project Coordinator, is WHITE of Radio Cornwall has now agreed to
arranging a Workshop for Wednesday, 11th January, to become its second DCFA Patron.
further investigate the needs of our customers and For information on the Judi SPIERS Show please
also to give them an update on the progress being click on the link.
made by DCFA. For information on the David WHITE Show please
click on the link.
Turkeys & Pheasants! I think especial thanks must go
to Geoff READ for transporting a good supply of large
turkeys and pheasants to our customers in time for PERSONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Christmas, and some after Christmas... I do hope they
were enjoyed by all that received them! B EST WISHES FOR a very Happy Birthday to Amanda
th
HURLOW for Wednesday, 11 January 2012. Amanda is a
Friend of DCFA. Happy Birthday Amanda!
Our colleagues at DCFA Exeter are now moving ahead
apace and have identified premises in Exeter City
Centre they might use. I’m sure we all wish them well
A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Robert SPRINGETT for
st
Saturday, 21 January 2012. Rob is a Friend of DCFA and
the organiser of the Polperro Music & Arts Festival for 2012.
as we move forward into this new year. Have a lovely day Rob! If anyone wishes to know more about
Thank you all for your continuing support! the festival, please click on this link.
Christine B EST WISHES FOR a very Happy Birthday to Samantha
st
Jayne BURDEN for Tuesday, 21 February 2012.
Samantha is a Friend of DCFA. Happy Birthday Samantha!
Christine REID
Chair,
DCFA Board of Trustees
The Devon & Cornwall Food Association Ltd. (DCFA) is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee.
Registered Company No. 07419679.
Registered Charity No. - DCFA is recognised by HMRC as a Charity for tax purposes under Reference XT27083.
Members of : Our Funder:
NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) – Membership No. MEMBERVC/13004,
CASAP (Community &Social Action Plymouth),
The Small Charities Coalition,
And Volunteering England – Membership No.1278747. … And Voluntary Donations.

2. DCFA WORKSHOP AN URGENT REQUIREMENT!
P LEASE SEE THE OPEN INVITATION below from Victoria
HURTH, our new part-time DCFA Project Coordinator... D CFA URGENTLY NEEDS to list the services of a
volunteer to become our Treasurer. The ideal
Dear All, candidate will of course have a background in financial
matters and will be offered a Trusteeship on the DCFA
Firstly I would like to introduce myself. I am the new DCFA Board of Trustees. This post is currently covered by Geoff
Project Coordinator. My initial role, which is part-time, is to READ who is also the Company Secretary and Chief Bottle
help the DCFA to attract funding so that it Washer. There must be someone out there... please help!
can expand its support of all our charitable Please contact Geoff... details at the top of this page.
organisations. As part of this task, it is
important to me that I get to know all the
organisations we work with, and better
understand their current and future
requirements. Additionally, in order to put good funding bids
together it is vital that the projects we put forward show best DCFA NEEDS HELP NOW
practice in serving those requirements, and how best to
involve the end-users of the food we provide for their long-
AT THE SHIP HOSTEL
term benefit.
In this context, I would like to invite you to a half-day DCFA
N OW THAT DCFA has taken over the Ship Hostel we are
using the next few weeks to get it tidied up and fit for
use. Making it ship-shape! Can you help us to do some
Workshop at the new premises of DCFA to discuss these issues
tidying up and cleaning? If you can spare an hour then
in a semi-structured format. The proposed date for this is 9.30
th please get in touch with Karen BOWLER on 0794 867 828 or
a.m. - 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 11 January 2012.
email her at: karen.bowler@gmx.co.uk
We are working to fairly tight timescales and I would
therefore be grateful if you were able to find time to attend
this meeting. If you cannot attend this date then it would help
PUBLICITY IN THE PLYMOUTH HERALD
me if you could provide the dates you could make that week
and the week after, so I can judge if a revision is necessary. D CFA WERE DELIGHTED to find the
following article had been published in
the Plymouth Herald on Tuesday, 27
th
I am looking forward to meeting you all. In the meantime I
December 2011:
wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Victoria Taking the pasta pledge can help to reduce food poverty
A CHARITY which aims to reduce food poverty in local
This invitation is open to all with priority being given to our communities is asking people to support its 'Pasta Pesto
DCFA Customers (those organisations receiving dairy produce Pledge'.
each week). Would you please send Geoff READ the name The Plymouth-based Devon & Cornwall Food Association
and contact details of the representatives you wish to (DCFA) was formed in early 2011 to provide food to
attend? organisations working with disadvantaged people. It currently
For further information please see this link... supports around 15 local organisations including Age Concern,
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2333725 the Plymouth Foodbank and The Shekinah Mission.
We have to limit the number of vacancies on this DCFA The charity hopes the Pasta Pesto Pledge will help it raise
Workshop and these will be allocated on a money to expand. It involves swapping a more expensive meal
first-come-first-served basis, with priority for the cheaper alternative of pasta with pesto and donating
being given to representatives from our the difference to the DCFA via localgiving.com
DCFA Customers. The charity also aims to divert quality in-date food from landfill
Please contact Geoff READ to ask for and donate it to the organisations. Buy working with local food
vacancies or further information. (Details on top of page 1.) suppliers, in the first 42 weeks of running, DCFA prevented
almost 11,500 litres of milk as well as large quantities of cream
from going to landfill.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED This saved more than £11,000 for charitable organisations who
N OW THAT DCFA has permanent premises we will soon
be trading in earnest and looking to accept deliveries
of food produce from all manner of food producers and
could use the money to support more people, the DCFA says.
The charity is now seeking funding to expand its early work to
include many more food suppliers. This requires permanent
food outlets. DCFA is going to need a lot of premises, training funds, transport and staff to manage the
help from volunteers. Can you help? Please process. Email saudigeoff@yahoo.co.uk to become a friend of
contact Geoff READ to ask for vacancies or DCFA and receive regular updates about how they are making
further information. (Details on top of page 1.) a difference.
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
2

3. But this information is subject to change at short notice!
PUBLICITY IN THE
 January 2012 No Meeting
WESTERN MORNING NEWS  Tuesday, 7 th February 2012 General Board Meeting

P ASTA SWAP PLEDGE To Help Region's Poor. March 2012 No meeting
 Tuesday, 3rd April 2012 General Board Meeting
This article was published in the Western  May 2012 No meeting
nd
Morning News on Thursday, 22 December 201:  Tuesday, 12th June 2012 General Board Meeting
A West Country charity that uses unwanted food to feed the
region's hungry is now urging people to eat pasta... in a bid to
PLYMOUTH
raise enough money to feed even more mouths. FUNDRAISER GROUP MEETING
The Devon & Cornwall Food Association's (DCFA) "FullFilling" THE NEXT GROUP MEETING will be held at 12 noon on Friday,
th
project aims to divert quality in-date food from landfill and 27 January 2012 at St. Luke’s Hospice. If anyone wishes to
use it to supply organisations in Devon and Cornwall that know more about this Group then please contact: Paul READ
feed disadvantaged people. at pread@routeways.org.uk
The charity has just launched its latest campaign, the Pasta
Pesto Pledge, in which they are asking people to swap a
weekly meal for a cheap pasta alternative, donating the
AN ARTICLE BY WENDY CHAPMAN
DCFA Trustee
difference to the DCFA.
Victoria HURTH, DCFA Project Coordinator, said: "DCFA is
now seeking funding to expand its pilot to include many Hi! It’s that time of year again when Christmas is over and
more food suppliers. thing look gloomy and dreary, but
"This requires permanent premises, training funds, transport there are a lot of plusses; we’re
and staff to manage the process and support our committed doing very well at DCFA with lots of
volunteers. things happening.
"Food banks have recorded a 30% increase in the demand for Victoria HURTH has been employed
food across the country and so it's vital that we try and do as as our new part-time Project
much as possible. Coordinator, with view to helping
"The pledge is really about trying to get people involved for us move forward and secure some
the long term." funding to support our cause.
Increasing food prices and unprecedented austerity have As Manager of the Shekinah Drop-
meant a high rise in demand for food by those most in need in Centre, I see so many people hit
in the region. by deprivation who I know we could help through the
DCFA currently supports around 15 local organisations actions of DCFA. This is borne out by the way we at
including Age Concern, Foodbank and The Shekinah Mission. Shekinah have been blessed by the provision of dairy and
Since its opening, the charity has prevented 12,086 litres of some other products via DCFA over the past four months;
milk from going to landfill and issued it to charitable which in turn, has enabled us to ease the hardship of our
organisations in the area that deal with disadvantaged service users, albeit in a small way so far. But our hopes
people, saving them more than £11,000. are high for the assistance of others in similar
Anyone wanting to take part in the Pasta Pesto Pledge can circumstances. Along with this tangible support Shekinah
donate via www.localgiving.com. will also assist with budgetary advice, and with God’s
blessing, we’ll be able to help in more ways and with even
more food products... Watch this space!
DCFA MEETINGS Should anyone feel that they would like to help or support
D ECEMBER 2011 Meeting. This Board Meeting held on
th
Tuesday, 6 December at the Shekinah Mission in
Plymouth. Those attending demolished the Mince Pies and
DCFA, even in a small way, then please don’t hesitate to
contact Geoff READ, the Company Secretary.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a very
Cream after the meeting. Our thanks go to the Shekinah
Mission for their seasonal hospitality! Happy & Peaceful New Year!
Wendy Chapman
N EXT MEETING. The next DCFA Board Meeting will be on
th
Tuesday, 7 February 2011 at the Ship Hostel, Plymouth.
This meeting will start at 10.30 a.m.
Wendy CHAPMAN
DCFA Trustee
F UTURE MEETINGS. All meetings are scheduled to start at
10.30 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each alternate calendar
month at the Ship Hostel unless stated otherwise.
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
3

4. THE DCFA PHEASANT RUN OTHER NEWS
G EOFF READ DROVE to Carswell Farm near Mothecombe
th
Beach on Tuesday, 20 December 2011 to collect almost
60 pheasants and deliver them the same day to our
DISCLAIMER
DCFA reserves the right to select and edit articles submitted. The
opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent
those of DCFA. Although we do our best to ensure the information is
participating charitable organisations.
accurate, DCFA is not liable for any incorrect information or errors
These are some of the charities that contained herein.
benefitted:



Age Concern
Amber Initiatives
The Action Group for Halcyon
C ORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS. Gitty ANKERS
submitted this article and says she is pleased to
announce that the Pensilva Depot of the Robert Wiseman
(The Halcyon Centre) Dairies won this year's award for The Best Managed
 The Friends & Residents of Sutton Trust Medium Business Category at a ceremony held at Royal
 The Salvation Army: Congress Hall
Cornwall Show Ground in Wadebridge on Friday, 16th
DCFA is so very grateful to Noel DALY of Carswell Farm for December 2011.
supplying the birds, and to Chris FORREST of Yealmpton for This photograph shows a proud Julie WINDMILL-MAY with
providing us with the initial contact. Dick STRAWBRIDGE, the TV presenter with the best
moustache in show business! Julie is the king-pin at the
Pensilva Depot and has also helped DCFA to divert over
THE SECOND DCFA PHEASANT RUN 10,000 from landfill to charitable causes. Everyone at DCFA
G EOFF READ DROVE to J. Haimes & Sons Partners, at
th
West Sherford on Wednesday, 4 January 2012 to collect
over 80 pheasants and deliver them
are over the moon at this award. Congratulations Julie and
everyone else at Wisemans!
the same day to our participating
charitable organisations. DCFA is so
very grateful to Lesley HAIMES for
supplying the birds, and to Chris
FORREST of Yealmpton for once
again, providing us with the initial contact.
THE THIRD DCFA TURKEY RUN
G EOFF READ DROVE up to
Sladesdown Farm at Ashburton
again on Christmas Eve to collect a
further fifteen 20lb free-range turkeys For a bigger photograph please go to DCFA Facebook page:
and delivered them the same day to http://goo.gl/MHCPX
our participating charitable
Best Medium Managed Business
organisations.
sponsored by the University of Exeter.
 Devon & Cornwall Refugee The 2011 Winner:
Support Robert Wiseman Dairies
 The Reestart Recovery House
(Pensilva Depot)
 The Salvation Army: Congress Hall
Liskeard-based dairy whose team on a local level really
DCFA is once again so very grateful to Daniel & Elaine MASON! have the drive and energy to make a difference to their
community by working at a grass roots level. In particular
ANOTHER URGENT REQUIREMENT! the company has greatly reduced the amount of waste it
sends to landfill by launching a pioneering project with local
K ANDA HAS BEEN our very own IT advisor and webmaster
since DCFA began. Kanda has decided that she now
needs to take a break to concentrate on other things in her
charity, the Devon & Cornwall Food Association (DCFA).
The company has a sustainability strategy for the next five
years to reduce their environmental impact. And in the last
life. We will miss her constant guidance and assistance but 12 months these measures have seen them reduce energy,
thank her for all she has done and wish her well for the waste, water and pollution significantly. They are also going
future. This leaves DCFA with a void. Who will run our beyond the ISO14001 standard in order to drive further
website? Can you help? Can you offer advice? There must improvement.
be someone out there... please help! Please contact Geoff... More Information regarding the Cornwall Sustainability
details at the bottom of this page. Awards can be found by clicking on this link.
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
4

5. P OLPERRO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL. The following is a
a Press Release fresh in from the organisers: W ARM WEATHER BRINGS a Fit of the Cauli Wobbles:
Topsy-turvy weather means vegetables arrive three
months early. This article was published by the Daily Mail
Planning for the 2012 Polperro Music & Arts Festival is well th
on Thursday, 29 December 2011 by Tamara Cohen:
under way and the committee has been lucky enough to
have been awarded a grant from the Co-Operative Bumper crops of vegetables are arriving months too early in
Community Fund. The committee members spend all year the latest saga of this year’s topsy-turvy weather.
fundraising to enable the nine-day festival in June to remain Farmers say they are harvesting cabbages, sprouts, broccoli
free to all whilst highlighting the history and heritage of the and cauliflowers up to three months earlier than usual and
historic and picturesque fishing village. some fear they could see shortages in the Spring.
Rob SPRINGETT (Festival Chairperson) says ‘‘This year’s Yesterday forecasters predicted temperatures could reach
th 14C on New Year’s Eve... great for outdoor revellers... in what
festival is the 17 in a row and takes a lot of dedication and
planning from volunteers but can be very rewarding. We would be one of the most unusual weather events in years.
also try and highlight and promote the work of other
groups as well as our own so for 2012 we’ll be championing Unexpected rise: Farmers are
the important work of the Polperro Environmental Group tending to crops that are reaping
and Polperro District Memory Cafe, The Devon & Cornwall ahead of schedule.
Food Association (DCFA) and the British Hen Welfare Trust th
After a cool day today (29 ) with
amongst others. If community groups and charities can
strong winds and some showers, a stretch of mild weather
share the workload and work together and help each other th
will begin tomorrow (30 ) and continue into the first week of
then it benefits all concerned especially in this economic
2012.
climate. Although generally not an exciting subject it is an
At Riverford Farm near Totnes in Devon, which supplies
important area for any community group. One of our
40,000 households with vegetables every week, Savoy
biggest expenditures is stationery and the money received
cabbages are already so big they have burst of out their
from the Co-operative Community Fund will be put towards
boxes and between 15 and 20% of the crop had to be
this so we would like to thank the Cooperative Group and
ploughed back into the ground.
its members’’
‘’This year you can look forward to a Comedy Night Christmas morning: Despite the
although the guests are still a secret, last year we were traditionally colder season a
lucky to have TV personalities Josh WIDDICOMBE and farmer heads across his field on a
James ACASTER. We will also have the usual arts and crafts mild day in County Durham.
stalls, Carnival, outdoor music and well as Pauline’s Bingo,
Foody Friday! and many other fringe events as well as the Harvest manager Ed SCOTT said without a cold snap which
main Festival marquee on Big Green.’’ allows leeks and cabbages to ‘hibernate’ and start growing
More information about the events and updates can be again in February or March, they had just carried on.
found on our website. He said: ‘This crop has become so confused by the
th th comparatively warm conditions that as well as maturing well
Saturday, 16 – Sunday, 24 June 2012
ahead of schedule, a fair number of the plants are actually
Telephone: (07813) 303445
flowering.
You can also become a friend and follow us on Facebook @
www.facebook.com/pages/polperro-estival/178134535534063 ‘This should not be happening until February and they’ve
or Twitter www.twitter.com/polperrofest been blooming through December, a full three months early.
‘Our concern now is whether or not these crops will hold till
we can pick them. I never thought I’d say this, especially after
last year’s brutal winter, but bring on the snow and ice!’
Both cabbage, left and cauliflower
fields have been benefiting from
warmer climates.
Cornish farmers are predicting a
cauliflower shortage after an
early crop.
Philip PRYOR, a grower near Truro
in Cornwall, said that the warm weather had caused a glut
and a fall in prices, and said if the weather does not return to
normal ‘volumes are not going to be there for what is
required.’
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
5

6. Last year’s freezing winter saw temperatures reach -7C and
ADVERTISEMENTS
vegetable crops frozen into the ground.
N
The National Farmers Union played down reports of
shortages and said the early crops had been seen in the EED HELP WITH YOUR
south west of England but were ‘not a national picture’.
A spokeswoman said: ‘This has not been the case all over the accounts, books and records,
country, and although the warm weather has made the
seasons move around a bit, we are not going to see any or tax returns?
empty supermarket shelves. We are likely to see the Spring Don't get out of your depth!
crops arrive earlier than usual too.’
The warm spell which began in late September has hardly Call Sarah on (01752) 768549
abated with temperatures reaching a Boxing Day high of for a FREE initial appointment.
15.5C (60F) in Aberdeenshire... the
average daytime temperature for
June.
Spare Food is Share Food.
Gardeners claimed to have seen
snowdrops, which usually appear in Come join DCFA!
February, and even daffodils Stop good food from ending up at landfill sites!
blooming early in Devon and
Buckinghamshire over Christmas. Talk to DCFA on Facebook
Sacha HUBBARD of Hill House Plant
Nursery, Ashburton, Devon wrote Follow DCFA on Twitter
on Twitter: ‘A daffodil is in flower...
not a usual Christmas event at all!’
A Met Office spokesman said: ‘Temperatures are slightly View DCFA on LinkedIn
above average but the windy weather means it doesn’t feel
like it yet, but it will warm up again from Friday and New
Year’s Eve will be particularly mild.’
‘The first week or so of January is expected to be relatively Welcome to DCFA Website:
mild but unsettled, with cloudy periods with some rain
interspersed with colder, clearer and more showery
weather.’ http://dcfa.webs.com/intro.htm
To read more on this article please click on this link.
DAIRY PRODUCE DELIVERIES! http://dcfa.webs.com/stats.htm
W ISEMANS DAIRIES WILL be delivering their last lot of
dairy produce (Milk & Cream) to the Salvation Army
th
Congress Hall on Thursday, 12 January 2012. Thereafter and http://dcfa.webs.com/sponsors.htm
th
with effect from Thursday, 19 January 2012, Wisemans will
be delivering to DCFA at The Ship Hostel early in the morning.
Receiving Organisations should be able to collect their issues
from the Ship from 8 a.m. onwards. Hopefully you won’t all
turn up at the same time as only one customer can be served
at any one time! DCFA should like to take this opportunity of
thanking Mr. Derek POOK of the Salvation Army for hosting us http://dcfa.webs.com/ppp.htm
over the past few months when we had nowhere to go, and to
Lorraine who supplied us with never-ending cups of tea!
DAIRY PRODUCE IN 2011
In 45 weeks of 2011, DCFA prevented nearly 13,000 litres of
good quality milk from going to landfill and issued it to
charitable organisations in the area that deal with
disadvantaged people.
This represents an overall saving to those Charitable
organisations of nearly £13,000...just for fresh milk!
Contact the DCFA Newsletter Editor at DCFA... details at the top of Page 1.
6