A recent pilot project has generated some tasty discussion about food production in the Morecambe Bay area. The Half Hectare Project asked an array of people from different walks of life to imagine the development of a community space for food growing. Participants conceived of a space which would bring together school groups, college learners, and special educational needs providers. It would draw on a wealth of expertise from community networks and people of all generations from across the local area. And — sitting at the outskirts of Lancaster and Morecambe College – it would help raise educational aspiration in the community.

The conversations brought out a lot of issues about how young people view food, a necessary aspect of everyone’s daily life that people often do not reflect on enough. Where does our food come from? How is it grown, harvested, transported and prepared for eating? What food can be grown locally? Can young people benefit from the experience of working the land to make their own food? Is there possibility to create an entrepreneurial opportunity for themselves? How do such issues fit with a packed curriculum? How can institutions like schools and colleges work with community stakeholders? These are difficult issues with no easy answers.

The project was launched as a joint initiative between Lancaster and Morecambe College and Lancaster University. The working group grew to include representatives from the council, schools, and a children’s care provider. Policy workshops highlighted that a college space focused on food production could serve as a great vehicle for raising educational aspiration across the area more generally – strongly positioning Further Education at the heart of the community, with the college as a place for people to visit regularly throughout their lives.

A highlight of the project were workshops where school learners visited the college. They explored the college’s outdoor spaces and engaged in structured activities, thinking deeply about food production, what could be achieved on site, and what difference they could make by taking part.

The project has stimulated deep reflection in the college about how the topic of sustainability is discussed and the wide possibilities engagement with the topic might open up. The college has concurrently been developing a real garden where food is grown, currently embedded in catering courses and social community initiatives.

The project has forged a coalition of stakeholders, focused on educational aspiration around the Morecambe Bay, which aim to work together in the future for the purpose of widening participation in post-16 education in the regional area.

This project has now come to an end, but if you would like to discuss it's legacy, please contact our team on mbc@lancaster.ac.uk