Is there a cheap and simple way to get a complete and thorough toxicity test for soil?
I'm worried about the number of organisations encouraging young people to grow on ground without ensuring it is safe ground to grow on and then sell the produce.
Time someone provided clear advice on this. There appears to be a conspiracy of silence as if tested and a certain level of toxicity is found it opens a large and expensive can of worms. yet continue to grow and now encouraged to sell produce. Perhaps it is really not a problem but I've tried getting some statistics on it and it is so hard, I am not sure they actually exist!
So if no one actually knows how toxic a school space may be then it is assumed safe. It may be time for a clear bit of advice, and an affordable and complete test, with advice, funds and support if toxicity may be found OR advised not to grow on untested ground or to sell to the public, perhaps using only 'safe' bought-in soil and compost.
Waitrose, who are running a 'Grow and sell' scheme to encourage local schools, say it is the responsibility of each to ensure the soil is 'fit for use'. People often ask about the safety of soil for use and my research indicates it may be safer to grow fruit and veg on a building site than a lot of untouched sites. Contaminated soil must be removed to build houses, but no such regs for veg. A simple system to test should be made available to ensure food grown to eat or sell is actually safe.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/02/waitrose-alan-titchmarsh-schools-initiative
Alas they say it is up to the schools involved to ensure the soil is 'fit for use'.
Titchmarsh said: "Teaching children at an early age about the food they eat and where it comes from is something that I'm very passionate about – we've all read shocking statistics about how many nowadays do not know what chips are made from or that a blackberry is a type of fruit and not just a phone."
When you think how many sites now grow, and in Waitrose supported schools case, sell, you would have thought someone would have sorted this issue out long ago. I think that may be wise for anyone growing, and selling, their produce as they may need to ensure it is safe. My research indicates it may be safer to grow fruit and veg on a building site than a lot of untouched sites. Contaminated soil must be removed to build houses, but no such regs for veg.
With the interest and market Organic produce, I am surprised there is not more encouragement to ensure land is 'safe'
It almost seems that as soon as lead was removed from petrol organisations think all is now safe, never mind years of the industrial and post industrial revolution, I grew up with Friends of the Earth suggesting to never grow leaf veg in the open in London.
There are ideas .. "that compost is an excellent neutralizer and is often used to remediate contaminated soil situations." but I wonder how that squares up with the main theme that growing your own is good for you and may be healthier.
Main concern is the growth of people growing their own on ground that may be toxic and selling it. No one seems to mention the importance of soil testing for heavy metals (PCB's) etc.
AS AN UPDATE,
Soil Association say............... "Hello,
Unfortunately there is no cheap and simple way to do a thorough test on
soil for toxic substances. If you know what toxin you are looking for,
and can do a specific test for that substance, that is possible, (and
the price will vary depending on the substance). But to do a very wide
ranging test would be expensive. For organic farmers and growers, when
land goes in to the 2 year conversion period, the organic inspector will
always ask about the previous history of the land use. If land has
previously been in industrial use, then organic certifiers would require
soil tests. There are some chemicals, like PCBs, which are widespread
in the environment, even though their use has been banned for many
years, and it is in practice impossible to avoid some ubiquitous
environmental contamination which human beings have caused over the last
60 years.
What organic farming and growing can do is guarantee that no more toxic chemicals are added to the soil or sprayed on food that we are going to eat. Hope this helps."
What organic farming and growing can do is guarantee that no more toxic chemicals are added to the soil or sprayed on food that we are going to eat. Hope this helps."
- Soil Association Future GrowersThe Soil Association signposts people to this organisation. http://www.eurofins.com/en/about-us/laboratory-contacts/united-kingdom/eurofins-agroscience-services.aspx They say "I'm afraid I don't know how much they cost. Local Environmental Health teams should be able to tell you what they can test for."
- RHS, and OrganicLea suggest contacting the Environmental Health.
- Waitrose have passed me a link to a site in California https://sites.google.com/site/healthygardeners/testing-labs-results
- No one contacted have provided the easy, accessible and complete way for testing
I think the time has come for a simple way to get this done with advice on the problem, level of incidence of toxicity in tests carried out and clear advice on what to do if your soil tests as toxic.
Waitrose to launch 'grow and sell' initiative for school children
Local schools will get seed kits, equipment, growing instructions and invitation to set up stalls at stores to sell produce
Gardener Alan
Titchmarsh has backed Waitrose scheme, which has already run a pilot, to
encourage school children to grow vegetables and sell them at the
store. Photograph: Waitrose
Waitrose is set to sell wonky carrots and knobbly potatoes grown in local schools under a new national scheme backed by gardener Alan Titchmarsh.
The supermarket's new 'grow and sell' initiative aims to encourage
green fingers in 7- to 11-year-olds across the UK by helping them grow
and sell their own produce.
Every Waitrose branch in the UK will work with four local primary schools who will each receive a seed kit. The kit is designed to get school vegetable patches up and running, and includes seeds, equipment and step-by-step growing instructions. Later in the summer, the branches will invite the schools to sell their home-grown produce outside the store.
Schools will also be able to receive additional seed kits' through the in-store Waitrose community matters scheme, where customers can support a local charity by dropping a green token into the relevant perspex box. It is hoped that the scheme, run in association with the Waitrose farm on the Leckford Estate, will reach over 100,000 children.
The national roll-out follows a successful pilot last year when 20 primary and secondary schools across London worked with 10 Waitrose branches in conjunction with the School Food Matters charity to sell fruit, vegetables, eggs, chutneys and jams.
The TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh was recently hired by Waitrose to help raise the profile of British agriculture and horticulture. The store is branching out into the gardening market with the launch of 6,000 products to help customers grow their own flowers, fruit and vegetables.
Titchmarsh said: "Teaching children at an early age about the food they eat and where it comes from is something that I'm very passionate about – we've all read shocking statistics about how many nowadays do not know what chips are made from or that a blackberry is a type of fruit and not just a phone."
Tina Varns, sustainability and ethical sourcing manager at Waitrose, added: "We are really pleased to be rolling this initiative out to all 290 of our branches. Growing at school encourages children to eat well and to go for a wider variety in their food – we believe this is very important as it paves the way for healthy eating."
She said the scheme also allows children to identify where food comes from, the importance of seasonality and the impact of bad weather, as well as developing an entrepreneurial spirit.
The previous government introduced a sustainable schools standard to reflect the importance of sustainability in the curriculum and in schools' own practice but this was not officially adopted by the coalition government.
A major review of the curriculum is currently under way, sparking speculation about how sustainability and climate change will be taught in the future. But it emerged in March that specific mention of "climate change" has been erased from the draft geography curriculum in England up to and including key stage 3 (all children aged up to 14). However, horticulture is included in the new curriculum review.
Every Waitrose branch in the UK will work with four local primary schools who will each receive a seed kit. The kit is designed to get school vegetable patches up and running, and includes seeds, equipment and step-by-step growing instructions. Later in the summer, the branches will invite the schools to sell their home-grown produce outside the store.
Schools will also be able to receive additional seed kits' through the in-store Waitrose community matters scheme, where customers can support a local charity by dropping a green token into the relevant perspex box. It is hoped that the scheme, run in association with the Waitrose farm on the Leckford Estate, will reach over 100,000 children.
The national roll-out follows a successful pilot last year when 20 primary and secondary schools across London worked with 10 Waitrose branches in conjunction with the School Food Matters charity to sell fruit, vegetables, eggs, chutneys and jams.
The TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh was recently hired by Waitrose to help raise the profile of British agriculture and horticulture. The store is branching out into the gardening market with the launch of 6,000 products to help customers grow their own flowers, fruit and vegetables.
Titchmarsh said: "Teaching children at an early age about the food they eat and where it comes from is something that I'm very passionate about – we've all read shocking statistics about how many nowadays do not know what chips are made from or that a blackberry is a type of fruit and not just a phone."
Tina Varns, sustainability and ethical sourcing manager at Waitrose, added: "We are really pleased to be rolling this initiative out to all 290 of our branches. Growing at school encourages children to eat well and to go for a wider variety in their food – we believe this is very important as it paves the way for healthy eating."
She said the scheme also allows children to identify where food comes from, the importance of seasonality and the impact of bad weather, as well as developing an entrepreneurial spirit.
The previous government introduced a sustainable schools standard to reflect the importance of sustainability in the curriculum and in schools' own practice but this was not officially adopted by the coalition government.
A major review of the curriculum is currently under way, sparking speculation about how sustainability and climate change will be taught in the future. But it emerged in March that specific mention of "climate change" has been erased from the draft geography curriculum in England up to and including key stage 3 (all children aged up to 14). However, horticulture is included in the new curriculum review.
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