Village shuns supermarket to grow their own

Ah, The Good Life. You've got to love it. Titter at Barbara and Tom's attempts to life a sustainable life and scoff at Margo as she despairs at what is becoming of her suburban life.

But was the 70s sit-com ahead of its time?

The villagers of Martin in Hants definitely think so. After posting my blog yesterday about the amount of doom and gloom we hear about the future of our villages, it was great to read a real feel-good story in The Telegraph. The village of Martin is trying to break its dependence on supermarkets by growing its own meat and vegetables. They work on a rota rearing their own chickens, lambs and pigs plus producing garlic, onions, chillis and veg to sell at the village market every Saturday. Of the 164 families who live in the village, 101 have signed up for Future Farms, although anyone can buy the village’s produce.

Think it’s a flash in the pan and will never last? Well, so far the co-operative, which is VAT-registered and launched in 2003, had a turnover of £27,000 in 2007.

Nick Snelgar, the originator of the idea, says:

“The nearest supermarket is six miles away. Of course people still have to go there for things like loo roll and deodorant and fruit you can't grow in Britain. So we aren't boycotting supermarkets entirely but we are gradually weaning people off them and as a result are reducing our carbon footprint by not using carrier bags and packaging."

Sounds idyllic and is a good example of a village trying to take its fate in its own hands, much like Totnes, the UK’s first transition town which we feature in our next issue. Of course, I hear the cynics cry, it’s ok for small villages with a handful of people support themselves, but how could cities the size of Bristol or Manchester do such a thing? I guess that’s the point. Have our urban cities become so bloated and sprawling that they could never embrace a sustainable life? Perhaps, villages and small towns are the future after all…