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Todmorden is an ordinary town in England. In less than two years, it has changed the way it produces its food and the way its residents think about the environment. Compared with 18 months ago, a third more townspeople now grow their own vegetables, almost 7 in 10 now buy local produce regularly, and 15 times as many people are keeping chickens. “Our aim is to make our town completely self-sufficient in food production,” said Pam Warburst, who planned the project, Incredible Edible.

The change started 18 months ago. Nick Green, who runs a company that provides workspace for local artists took on the job of doing the planting. He chose the first land in the middle of the town and it attracted plenty of attention. “We wanted everyone to see what we were doing, so they could ask questions and finally join in.” he said.

Incredible Edible was originally funded out of the participants’ (参与者) own pockets. “We were very clear that we didn’t want to look at what grants (拨款) were available and change our projects to suit them,” said Mr. Green. “We felt that what would work was to start with the town and what it needed. We’d look for money later on.” What the project leaders found was that a lot could be achieved with small amounts of cash. And awards and grants have followed.

“The important thing about Incredible Edible is that it involves (影响) everyone in the town and it’s a grass-roots project. I honestly believe it’s a good plan for every neighborhood. What we’re doing here could easily be rolled out anywhere. It’s all about involving people, giving them ownership, letting them realize it can be fun and interesting and that the food is delicious, and giving them space to set up their own ideas and run with them.”