News Article

The town of Middlesbrough is going wild in an unusual way, thanks to a new initiative that kicks off this week.  Urban Farming is part of Dott 07 (Designs of the time 2007), a year of community projects, events and exhibitions in North East England that explore what life in a sustainable region could be like and how design can help us get there.  Urban Farming will directly address the pressing issue of food miles and their impact on the environment.

The people of Middlesbrough are springing into action, sowing seeds in locations varying from window boxes and balconies, to roundabouts and skips.  The Urban Farming team has already lined up support from across the local community and at least 1,000 people are expected to participate in the planting.  Crops planted this week will be cultivated throughout the summer and will be harvested and cooked for a ‘Meal for Middlesbrough’ in September.  The town’s new urban farmers will be responsible for supplying produce for the public meal.

Urban farmers will represent many sections of the local community: staff and pupils from 16 schools; two residential care homes and old people’s drop-in centres; mental health units at two hospitals; Psyche department store and other retailers; students from the University of Teesside; and local allotment owners.  Middlesbrough Council is supporting the project and has agreed to turn over some of its parkland, town centre planters and other land-holdings for growing fruit and vegetables. 

Dott 07’s Urban Farming project director is David Barrie, who comments:
“The number of miles that food travels before it hits our plates is on the increase, and food transport generates millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions that harm Middlesbrough and the rest of the planet.  The Dott 07 Urban Farming project uses design principals to develop ways of combating these unsustainable trends and pioneering local food production as one answer to the economic and environmental future of our towns and cities. 

“The project has captured the imagination of hundreds of people in Middlesbrough.  They have decided that they want to design a way to combat climate change and lead a healthier, more environmentally friendly life.  This project aims to make locally produced food a new way of life in Middlesbrough and turn some of its ‘dead’ land into places to grow food for years to come.”

Councillor Bob Kerr, deputy mayor of Middlesbrough, adds:
“The Urban Farming project is a wonderful chance for the people of Middlesbrough to design a more sustainable approach to food production and supply that can be used in the town and wider Tees Valley.  Middlesbrough has a lot of disused land and we can use this space to provide a practical benefit for everyone.  This Dott 07 project will allow the people of the town to directly affect the way in which their community evolves and chooses to live.” 

The Urban Farming project is the result of a partnership between Dott 07, Middlesbrough Council, Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust, Groundwork South Tees, Sure Start, Stand Together East Middlesbrough (STEM) and BioRegional Quintain Estates and Development plc.

For more information contact Chris Lines of Press Ahead on (0191) 516 6235, (07971) 868329 or cl@pressahead.info