Gary Stanyard latest blog - Dig Dig Dig
Posted on Wed 09 May 2012
“Dig, Dig, Dig and your muscles will grow big.”
The great American writer John Steinbeck worked as a war correspondent for the New York Times during World War Two. He was billeted to England where he captured the love and sweat of American troops, carefully tending to vegetable gardens at the edge of the airforce base. Inevitably, he captured the ambition of trying to grow lush watermelons in a climate more suitable to turnips and how this cool weather humbled beefsteak tomatoes. Yet, he also captured the pleasure people took in working the soil until late into the long summer evenings and the excited chatter in the normally staid pubs as people shared recipes and advice and exclaimed how the produce tasted much better than at the local market.
What Steinbeck captured was the joy and value in doing something together. Even those who had spent a lifetime in the city enthusiastically took up a trowel to 'Dig for Victory'. In this time of war, the gardens brought an opportunity to have a peaceful but valuable relationship with co-workers, friends, neighbours and the earth itself. The excitement of a campaign that mobilised a nation to be more self sufficient had such an impact that seed companies were regularly short of stock. It wasn’t just the food production that shot up, it was morale too. In difficult circumstances, people had a way to come together, share and enjoy their time together.
The message of ‘Dig for Victory’ isn’t the statistic, nor is it a nostalgic flag waving where we imagine brave English townsfolk, knotted union jack handkercheifs on their sweating brows, peppering limping german Meschermits with surplus potatos. If we dig deeper into this part of our history, to the streets and gardens we are reminded of a story that still has value today.
This week I met Bolton’s local food group and just one of the things I learned was the 'Dig for Victory' campaign increased Britain’s total food production by 60%. In a time when the agricultural sector was depleted in both manpower and resources, to increase production is a staggering achievement of people power at a local level. The local food group is an amalgamation of Bolton Urban Growers, local Friends of the Earth, a co-operative kitchen, a local greenhouse project and the Bolton branch of the Transition Town movement.
The members of this group all have a positive vision to realise the potential of Bolton's population and to encourage people to be connected to their food and more importantly to each other. Some of the great initiatives that they are encouraging to bring people and food closer together include a Wild Food Walk, guerilla gardening, regular Seed Swaps at the local pub,an ‘Apple day’ at the local allotments and the beginnings of Bolton’s own 'incredible edibles' at Bromley Cross. When Vicky from Transition Town Bolton unfolds a green map of Sheffield, it becomes a very real template for bringing people and businesses together. At the same time another member Alan produces his printed script for his soon to be published book that gives some guidance on how to get there and stories of success.
If we tap into the skills and connections of people like Alan or Vicky at the food group, or Steve the permaculture specialist who will lead the Wild Food Walk then just as with Dig for Victory, we can make a greater impact than originally imagined; certainly greater than the state could organise by itself. Reminding ourselves of the skills and assets that are already present helps us to reconnect to a narrative in which community is doing, not theorising. It is purposeful, it matters and it is a space in which people can share ideas and possibilities.
This message isn’t new but there is a sense the message has become lost. As Nick Massey points out here, traditional ways of funding and service delivery around need have created dependency and a ‘fix it' culture in which communities are divided by their deficiencies. Our community building team is finding ways that foster the spirit of ‘Dig for Victory’ in which people are trusted to be self reliant, encouraged to share, feel part of purposeful local movement and feel valued through the simple act of doing something together - just check out James’ Roll Call of Lostock to see the potential in just one small community - they are growing a lot more than carrots.
So this summer as we come together for the Jubilee bank holidays, in crowded pubs and parks for the European football championships or Olympics we should remind oursevles it is not the event itself that is special but the gathering of people to enjoy and share in the story of it. We should remember to dig a little deeper into the history we are creating to celebrate the relationships that already exist, are newly made and the potential they create for opportunities to celebrate again and again in our communities in the future.
Gary Stanyard
Forever Manchester's Asset Based Community Builder working in Great Lever, Bolton.
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