Helmet Fourchet Urban agriculture around a neighbourhood cantine in - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Helmet Fourchet’

Urban agriculture around a neighbourhood cantine in Schaarbeek/Helmet

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History Main goals and premises Where do we stand today? Towards a proposal for Riga square Overview of activities 2012 - 2015 Projects we like Uit je eigen stad – Rotterdam Prinzesinnengärten – Berlin Skip Garden – London Boerse Poort – Ghent Site – Ghen Hackney city farm – London

History History

Parallel to the activities of the VZW Kerncabinet and within the Quartier Durable contract, the initiative to start up a neighbourhood kitchen in Helmet started to grow with a small group of people living in

• neighbourhood. Soon this idea was being followed with efforts to create a nice meeting place for everybody in

the form of a cantine. A first phase was the realisation of a communal kitchen in the Neighbourhood Community Center (MQH) a Riga square that was made possible through subsidies from the Boudewijn Foundation and the Delhaize

• Fund. This was also the start of a collaboration between Helmet Fourchet (the founding name for the

cantine)the MQH/Women’s Educational Programme and the Institute Champagnat primary school which is attached to the MQH. Helmet Fourchet started off setting up ateliers with women taking courses in the MQH while also taking part in activities with organisations in the neighbourhood, as well as cooking in public spaces with kids and other

• participants. The focus here remained meeting with the range of area residents, interculturality, healthy,

sustainable food (production+serving) and creating food awareness. This vision was also taken to the development of kitchen ateliers in local schools. Helmet Fourchet grew from a wider base, being the Cooperative d’Helmet which until now remains the umbrella structure for a range of different projects that were being set up. These included the bicycle atelier, Helmet Bicyclette, Helmet Souperette (cargo-vehicle bringing soup around the neighbourhood) and a local food source, Helmet Markèt.

Main ain goa

• als a

s and nd condit conditions ions

The neighborhood of Schaerbeek-Helmet has a diverse population, both culturally and in nationality, as well as in age and social position. Yet, between these groups there is very little connection and there are no places

• r organisations which have a mixed population.

Next to this, Helmet has few inviting places where various people can meet each other in a relaxed, homey atmosphere, where children are welcomed and able to play freely and where you can have a healthy bite or drink at an affordable price. Our neighborhood has a lot of schools, yet there is not enough awareness of good food, how veggies grow, and how to prepare the food. So two important missions in our project are: bringing together various groups in the neighborhood; offering a welcoming, democratic environment; and creating awareness of healthy food - and offer possibilities for everybody to work on this locally , promoting a do-it-yourself, communal attitude. To be able to do this we would like to develop part of Riga square into a permaculture vegetable garden and build a pavilion in the middle of this. We should be able to build the pavilion ourselves, made from recycled materials and completely independent of fixed utilities. It will then serve as a place to meet and to serve food as well as store gardening tools. The actual cooking and preparation of food will still be done in the neighborhood kitchen already set up in and in coöperation with the local community center ‘Maison Quartier Helmet’.

Wh Where d do we we st stand toda nd today?

There is a sustainable and concrete collaboration with the MQH, different schools and a group of committed and engaged people from the neighbourhood. A professional neighbourhood kitchen has been developped in the MQH in collaboration with the Institute Champagnat (Fr)primary school.At the present time, the kitchen is being adapted to meet the standards of the local food health department. Helmet Fourchet has a role as a pop-up service in local festivities and activities of local social-cultural

• rganisations.

Several exploratory conversations have been held with innovative, sustainable design offices to explore the different possibilities to realise the cantine (Rotor asbl, Alive Architects, de Bouwery/Lode Vranken). Eventually we decided to continue working with Lode Vranken because of his expertise in social/durable architecture to be constructed with project and fellow participants. Lode proposed working with a sturdy and lockable base (i.e. a container) around which a free-form shell can be build through connecting triangular elements. The shell can take any form or proportion and can be made of re- used wood elements. We presented the project on July 14 at the ‘Social Innovation Factory; an initiative of the Flemish government, promoting social innovation in new forms of social entrepreneurship. With their help, we are setting up a realistic, long-term business plan and looking at the possibilities of setting up a crowdfunding campaign to be able to realize the cantine itself and the surrounding permaculture-vegetable garden. At the end of January 15 an adapted kitchen plan was presented atthe federal agency of food regulation (AFSCA). The adaptations needed will be made before the end of 2015. Architect Lode Vranken made a proposal for the cantine and the surrounding garden based on both durability and cradle-to-cradle principle, which will have the possibility to be constructed by participants of the project. Next phase will be to check the realistic possibilities to realize the plan on the Riga square and to create sufficient political support for this. A reunion with the different eldermen involved is planned. For the set up of the bicycle-atelier Helmet Byciclette, a new candidate has been found who will be trained by the

• riginal organization that was going to set up the atelier but ran out of space Sept14 so was forced to move
• elsewhere. In addition, for the atelier to dispatch soup and other food in the neighbourhood we will buy a second-

hand cargo bike.

Towa Towards rds a a pro roposal f sal for

• r Riga sq

Riga squa uare

Research by architect Lode Vranken – de Bouwerij

Ov Overvie view o w of activities activities 201 2012 – 2015 015

Taking part in local free-time activity market within the ‘Brede School Helmet’; a project in which different neighbourhood schools work together on different topics. Workshops on healthy food for schoolkids / Sept 13 Excursion Ghent/Rabot to the local vegetable garden project, ‘De Site’, and the ajacent social restaurant ‘Toreke’ / May 13 Neighbourhood banquet in collaboration with the vegetable garden-project of Social Housing Project ‘Schaarbeekse haard’ / June 13 Reception/catering expo and book presentation neighbourhood project, ‘Helmet’, by photoprapher Kurt Deruyter / Aug 13 Neighbourhood banquet, Apollo Square, on the Sunday Without ars / Sep 13 Set up and start activities in communal kitchen in Maison Quartier Helmet(MQH) /Riga square / Jan 14 From Jan 14, ateliers for women within literacy courses in MQH, set up regular public projects together Pancake-party for/with local kids at the vernissage of public art work Apollo Square / March 14 Commual meal together with MQH at Riga Square /April 14 Working together making school dinner party for all people involved in Inst Champagnat primary school, a partner in our kitchen /June 14 Excursion Ghent with the particiants o MQH; visit to several social (inter)cultural projects / June 14 Sunday Without Cars buffet ‘Asiettes gourmandes’ + local bio-market in collaboration with Bio-Concept / Sep 14 Sunday brunch: neighbourhood presentation future plans of Helmet Fourchet together with architect Lode Vranken; specifically for group of seriously engaged citizens/ Nov 14 Light-fest start of winter: gluhwein, hot chocolate, public information moment for Helmet Fourchet / Dec 14 . Apero-info for people living at the Riga square / Jan 15 Presentation of plan + live-size set up together with NGO Rocsa for Week of the vegetable garden / April 15 Presentation of plan + workshop ‘Jardinage-recyclage’ recycle gardening / June 15

Pr Projects we

• jects we like

like

Boerse Poort – Ghent Skip Garden – London Uit je eigen stad – Rotterdam Prinzesinnengärten – Berlin Site – Ghent Hackney city farm – London

Boer Boerse se P Poor

• ort co

community unity gar gardens s – Ghent nt

We are a popular garden which is open to everyone. The organization of the ‘Boerse Poort’ is done by local

• residents. On site, we provide room and logistics for meeting, work together and having fun. By organizing

joint activities, we contribute to a richer social fabric. We like urban agriculture, local production and nature made possible near the city. (Next to street gardens, exchange markets set up together as well ...) We also commit ourselves to making our garden a nice, cozy environment for all. The gardeners maintain their own piece of field or garden room but also make it possible for everyone to enjoy the ‘Boerse poort’ as a communal space. On the field there are 50 gardens of various sizes. These are rented to people (mainly from the nearby Brugse Poort neighbourhood) to grow vegetables, herbs and berries in a ecological

The ‘Kot’ The ‘Boerse Poort’ building consists of different features: a lean-to shelter and picnic/meeting place (where you can picnic and meet people, yet also make jam, give or take courses, clean your vegetables etc ...) , individual storage cupboards for gardeners of the field (tools, boots ...) and for the Garden Rooms as well as communal storage space for larger equipment (wheelbarrows, ...).

Practical The field does not consist of ‘classic' allotments. So forget sheds, hedges, individual tidy lawns with garden furniture and so on. Think instead of: kitchen gardens with perhaps a modest fence (up to 30 cm high);common rest and picnic areas scattered around the field; and storage and disposal locations for all gardeners in a common building with opportunities to encounter cooperation and mutual learning. Want to participate? Those who would like a garden, can enroll during an info point (see calendar). Rent How much does a parcel of land on the field cost you?

• joining fee / deposit: 120 euro (you will get this back when you stop renting)
• annual rent depends on the size of your garden:
• 50 m2: 60 EUR / year
• 100 m2: 90 EUR / year
• 150 m2: 120 euro / year
• 200 m2: 150 euro / year

Discount? People on social welfare can rent a parcel of land at half price.

Skip Skip G Gar arden n – London ndon

Uit je Uit je eig igen sta stad d – Rott Rotterd rdam am

Social enterprise ‘Uit je eigen stad’ (From Your Own Town) is a social enterprise where we are building a healthy company, but always with our social mission impact first. We want all

• ur activities to make a positive contribution to a sustainable food system in which we, as consumers and

producers (again), consciously deal with our food. We do this in three pillars: education, innovation and validation. Education: Inspiration and learning Food is the basis of everything. A necessity of life. Food nourishes and brings people together. Food is enjoying, eating inspires, strengthens and unites people. But food and its production has, in recent decades come to dominate more and more people. ‘Uit je eigen stad’ will, once again, connect urbanites with the food that ends up on their plates every day. By showing how food is produced, by letting them feel, smell and taste AND UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF PROVENANCE and by inspiring knowledge transfer with guided tours, lectures, workshops, teaching materials, discussion evenings and events. Innovation: Innovation and experimentation ‘Uit je eigen stad’ does not believe in stagnation and decline. Certainly it has not been the case that was was available before was better. We are open to new developments and techniques in food production and distribution, preparation and consumption. ‘Uit je eigen stad’ is a testing ground, a place where there is room for experimentation and space to facilitate discussion. We want to continue to look at what we are doing in a critical way by being open about what is working or not working and drawing lessons from what could be improved with the aim of contributing to a more sustainable food system in the Netherlands and abroad. Validation: Creating Value for the city ‘Uit je eigen stad’ does not function separately from its surroundings. In fact, our place in the city is one of the pillars of our existence. We want to underline that interest in the city and engaging all its inhabitants in what we do is of great importance. To not only start in a neglected place in the city and try again to revive it but also by creating a fine place for city dwellers to be, to enjoy locally produced food and be aware of their food, learning about food produce and get inspired. By creating opportunities for less advantaged urban dwellers as well as being a meeting place and (knowledge) platform for local small-scale food producers.

Uit je eigen stad – zomer 2014

Pr Prinzes inzessinengä sinengärten ten – Ber Berlin in.

Nomadisch Grün (Nomadic Green) launched Prinzessinnengärten (Princess gardens) as a pilot project in the

summer of 2009 at Moritzplatz in Berlin Kreuzberg, a site which had been a wasteland for over half a century. Along with friends, activists and neighbours, the group cleared away rubbish, built transportable organic vegetable plots and reaped the first fruits of their labour.

Imagine a future where every available space in big cities is used to let new green spaces bloom. Green spaces

that local residents create themselves and use to produce fresh and healthy food. The result would be increased biological diversity, less CO2 and a better microclimate. The spaces would promote a sense of community and the exchange of a wide variety of competencies and forms of knowledge, and would help people lead more sustainable lives. They would be a kind of miniature utopia, a place where a new style of urban living can emerge, where people can work together, relax, communicate and enjoy locally produced vegetables.

In future ever more people will be living in cities rather than in rural areas. The city will therefore become the

decisive place for the development of more sustainable ways of eating, living and moving. The city of the future should be a climate-friendly, pleasant place to live, where every care is taken to conserve our natural resources. Prinzessinnengärten is a new urban place of learning. It is where locals can come together to experiment and discover more about organic food production, biodiversity and climate protection. The space will help them adapt to climate change and learn about healthy eating, sustainable living and a future-oriented urban lifestyle. With this project Nomadisch Grün intends to increase biological, social and cultural diversity in the neighbourhood and pioneer a new way of living together in the city Some facts about Prinzessinnengarten

 omadisch Gr n ( omadic Green) Starting in the summer of 2009, the non-profit company omadisch

Gr n has leased a site in Berlin/Kreuzberg in order to create a mobile urban farm: The Prinzessinnengarten.

Locally grown organic vegetables Our fresh, organic, locally produced herbs and vegetables are grown in raised

compost beds without using any pesticides or artificial fertilisers.

Mobile Gardening We temporarily transform unused spaces such as buildingsites, car parks and roofs into

urban farmland and green meeting places.

Sustainable Living The Prinzessinnengarten is a place of discovery where children, neighbours, experts and

those curious about sustainable living can come together to about and explore alternative visions for our city

De De S Sit ite – Ghent nt Rab Rabot a

• t area

rea

The Site is a meeting point ‘The Site is a meeting point for local residents, different population groups and nationalities and people of different ages. This kind of meeting place is created not only by providing the necessary infrastructure (including a 3000 m² urban horticulture plot, mini kitchen gardens, a multi-purpose sports terrain, containers to provide material storage and work space, etc.), but also by developing projects with appropriate content (relating to both the neighbourhood and beyond). ‘To offer every possible opportunity to make the project a success and guarantee maximum sustainability of the results and effects in/on the neighbourhood and existing (or future) neighbourhood organisations and activities, widespread support is required from within the neighbourhood and at city level. However, the project would not make much sense without extensive participation from local residents and users. Participation in/support for the Site is layered. The aim is to achieve maximum interaction and cross connection between the different layers and thus interlink various types of expertise, knowledge and experience (i.e. professionals, volunteers, residents, users, workers). This will create a basis for the development of co-ownership and co-production.’

‘Samenlevingsopbouw Gent vzw’ (Social Structures Ghent PO) supports the Site

Samenlevingsopbouw Gent offers expertise and independent support to promote the participation of population groups in society, with a particular focus on socially vulnerable groups. This organisation helps them acquire basic rights and develop solutions for collective problems, by mobilising all stakeholders in this process, with the overall objective of creating a sustainable society. Samenlevingsopbouw Gent vzw concentrates on three key social tasks:

providing support for target groups; developing innovative solutions focused on a specific area; initiating structural measures.

Working at the Site is working to advance a liveable environment

A project such as the Site aims to create the right conditions for pleasant, safe, sustainable and harmonious residential and living environments in relevant areas. Conflicts of interest between people are taken into account and the focus is on 'upward social mobility' rather than 'social mix'. The creation of a 'liveable environment' involves both physical and social dimensions. The physical dimension refers to the material aspects of the residential and living environment (infrastructure, layout, environment, etc.), whereas the social dimension refers to the living climate – in a broad sense – of a residential and living environment (society, local services and provisions, safety, etc.).

Approach based on participation

Civil participation, particularly at neighbourhood level, is in our opinion an essential factor for long-lasting improvement of the urban residential and living climate. After all, this participation implies that residents get involved in the maintenance and protection of their own

• environment. Low level civil participation within this concept is a significant cause of urban decay. As people increasingly start to feel that

they have a stake in their living environment, they can be approached with a request to participate in the organisation of this

• environment. Participation can be encouraged by giving residents a role to play in the open space, by organising activities and projects

with input from them. Temporary fulfilment” as is the case with the Site effectively creates a link with the future Tondelier living project that will be built at the same site. A bond is created with a physical location, where structural work can be undertaken at a later stage.

De Site Ghent summer 2014

Hackne Hackney City City Fa Farm rm – London

• ndon

For over 20 years, Hackney City Farm has been giving the local community the opportunity to experience farming right in the heart of the city. We offer children and adults the opportunity to get up close to a range of farmyard animals; see, smell and plant vegetables and other food plants; and learn new skills to live a healthier, happier life with a lower environmental impact.As well as running our own courses and volunteering sessions, we are a home to various other social enterprises and community groups. We aim to be a centre for environmental improvement and a hub for projects for the improvement of the community and local environment. 1984 and beyond Over the past twenty years, the farm has evolved from a derelict and dirty lorry park into a thriving popular community

• resource. It houses a wide range of farm animals as well as a rich cottage garden.The older outbuildings have all been

renovated into animal housing and much of the main building has undergone refurbishment. We have built a straw bale building and added various new container offices.It is now the home to the award winning Frizzante café, a well equipped pottery studio, Bike Yard East, Magnificent Revolution, meeting and training rooms and offices for Kindle and Fonic. The Future During its early years, Hackney City Farm received a moderate core grant from the local authority (London Borough of Hackney). Over the last three years, this has been greatly reduced in line with council cutbacks. In response the farm has concentrated on securing a sustainable future by developing areas of social enterprise. As a local resource, the farm offers many opportunities for learning and leisure to a wide cross-section of the community. In the commercial market it also offers licensed office workspace to other charities, supplies fresh produce and growing mediums and sells souvenirs and toys. The result is a successful mix of commercial and community activities enhancing the farm’s sustainability whilst investing in the local community. We are now looking at both how we can continue to replicate a farm in the city and carry out the role of a farm – seed, nurture and harvest from the city and perform a metabolic function.

Hackney City Farm summer 2014

Coöperative d’Helmet / Helmet Fourchet

Anatole francestraat 122 1030 Brussels/Schaarbeek coöperativedhelmet@gmail.com Philippe Dupriez, Barbra Erhardt, Catherine Garré, Yolaine Guislain, Patrick Marchal