Vale communities build on local good food movement in Food Vale Festival

Vale communities build on local good food movement in Food Vale Festival

Communities across the Vale are taking the reins this year in the second Food Vale festival.

The festival is being organised by Food Vale, part of the Sustainable Food Places network – a partnership programme led by the Soil Association, Food Matters and Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

This year’s Food Vale Festival will take place from March 17 – 27 and will include a series of activities designed to invite more people into the good food movement in the Vale, whilst highlighting opportunities to improve the local food system.

The festival has received funding through the Cardiff and Vale Public Health Team and Food For Life Get Togethers.

The Food Vale Festival Programme

Join Plant Llantwit and More in Common Llantwit for their Chatty Café and Seed Swap! This event will run alongside the CF61 FoodShare and the mobile Weigh-To-Go-Refill van visit.

Penarth’s very own ‘Microgreengrocer’ Amanda will be delivering a special microgreen workshop with pupils of Victoria Primary School.

Join Penarth Growing Community and Friends of Victoria Park for a seed and plant exchange at Lesser Hall, Victoria Square.

Join Bethan from Wild Welsh Food as she takes you on an introductory foraging walk in Romilly Park, Barry. 

We invite Elizabeth Westaway from the Growing Real Food For Nutrition CIC (GRFFN) who will talk about their innovative research into how regenerative growing practices can yield higher nutrient density produce.

To mark the Spring Equinox, join Stephen from Ediculture for a tour of the community gardens at Coed Hills, including an overview of the veg garden, the orchard, the forest garden, and the market garden. He will also show how they are managing the woodland and planting new woodland.

On Thursday we are back at Coed Hills for a foraging walk. As well as the usual nettles and wild garlic, Stephen will introduce people to a while range of unusual wild and perennial plants which can be foraged at this time of year. Be prepared to have your taste buds stimulated!

After the pupils’ hard work planting microgreens at the beginning of the festival with the Microgreengrocer, they will now be ready to harvest at the end of the week in the Microgreen Farmers Market at Victoria Primary School.

And finally, join Awesome.Wales for their Big Barry & Cowbridge Seed Swap! This will be a great chance to meet other local gardeners and allotment owners to talk about all things green and growing and swap seeds. If you are looking for something special, there will also be the opportunity to buy hyper-local seeds from Coed Hills Organic-based Ediculture.

See the full programme on our website at https://foodvale.org/food-vale-festival/

To stay up to date on announcements for our Food Vale Festival, join our Facebook event at or follow #FoodValeFest.