By Sariah M.

Reeser
Usually movements toward social
change are seen in larger cities. Small
rural tows, it would seem, tend to be
quieter and more content to stay the
same. This was not so for Todmor-
den, a small town in northern Eng-
land where a couple of lady friends
chatting around the kitchen table
came up with quite a big idea. They
started with an heirloom seed swap,
but could never have imagined the
changes to follow.
Todmorden, now commonly known
as the Incredible Edible Town, has
set an example of individuals and
citizens coming together in the search
for local empowerment. Founded
in 2007, Incredible Edible, sought
to fnd a way to connect local learn-
ing, community and business. Pam
Warhurst, the projects cofounder
and her lady friends decided that the
one language everyone could under-
stand was food. They say, if you
eat, youre in. Their enterprising
spirit lead them and their entire town
to repurpose public spaces to grow
public crops. And all the food grown
is free.
Foregoing the red tape, they didnt
ask for authorization, and they didnt
write up a single report. As Pam War-
hurst put it, We dont ask permis-
sion. It takes too long and anyway
were improving the place. After a
brief public meeting, which rallied
monstrous support, the citizens of
Todmorden started planting garden
herbs and vegetables around city
buildings, along paths, and even the
local cemetary. They say the soil
there is very good.
The idea was to bring the com-
munity closer and to support local
agriculture. It worked. The project
has not only changed the landscape
of this small town; it has changed
the way people see their community
and interact with each other and the
environment.

The people of Todmorden dont
rush off to the store for their veggies
anymore. Now theyre taking the
Green-Route, following a map of
the town which marks the locations
of fruits, herbs and vegetables grown
for public use throughout the village.
Schools and organizations have
risen to the call, supporting involve-
ment through gardens of their own
and through educational programs.
Local artists have contributed to the
design of both edible gardens and
signs identifying edible plants. Local
kitchens provide cooking classes and
education in canning, preserving and
even camp-fre cooking.
The town is booming with tour-
ism, and these vegetable tourists are
spreading the word. Efforts toward
edible landscaping
and community self
suffciency have been
organized in towns all
over the world. The In-
credible Edible Network
now has over 200 community groups
involved in the movement interna-
tionally.
The level of interest shown in
Todmorden and in Incredible Edible
has sparked even further growth.
They have expanded gardens and
greenhouses, connected farmers and
producers, and circulated an Egg
Map, showing local egg farmers. In
addition to this they now have the In-
credible Aqua Garden where they are
combining hydroponics and auqapon-
ics to grow crops and raise fsh.
I have seen the power of small
actions and it is awesome, Pam War-
hurst said in her TED talk. And she
wasnt kidding. Todmorden is look-
ing to become the frst completely
sustainable community in terms of
food by 2018.
Every action by each person in
this small town has contributed to
their success. Theyve shown the
world how people can come togeth-
er to tackle the larger global issues
of genetic modifcation, limited
resources and environmental change
through community engagement.
People are ready. Pam Warhurst
said, Its time to take personal
responsibility and invest in more
kindness to each other and to the
environment.
For more information on Todmor-
den and Incredible Edible check out
www.incredible-edible-todmorden.
co.uk or watch the TED talk at www.
ted.com/talks/pam_warhurst_how_
we_can_eat_our_landscapes.
Small Town
Big Ideas
I have seen the
power of small
actions and it is
awesome
TED (Technology, Entertainment,
Design) operates under the slogan
ideas worth spreading. Each talks
requires the speaker to convey their
message in under eighteen minutes
and can be viewed online at TED.com
Polination Street
Raised beds in front of the Police Station
Apothecary Garden at the Healthcare Center