 | The
name, "Wholesome Food Association" was coined by Sky
McCain, a member of the original group, the first secretary - and now
director - of the organisation.
Sky
is a retired IT professional with a lifelong love of the Earth
and a
keen interest in growing, gardening, walking and the "great
outdoors." | | | | and
then it grew........ |  | The
original symbol - with a picture of a garden fork - was officially
unveiled in September 1999. | The
idea caught on, and it was decided to offer the symbol to other
groups and growers who found themselves in the same situation.
Enquiries came in from all over the UK, most with the same story,
"we want to sell our organic produce but we are too small to
afford full organic certification."
| | | | with
a little help from its friends..... | | At
that point, administrative assistance from the International Society
for Ecology & Culture (ISEC) was given to launch the WFA as a
national organisation. Phil Chandler, while working for ISEC, took on
the project, created the structure, and contributed to the
guidelines. Phil created the first website, redesigned the symbol ... |  | ... and
served as Managing Director for two years. He later handed the
reins to Sky, but remains a Director and is still available for special projects.
In 2006, Matt Adams, of the Good Gardeners Association, joined the WFA as a Director.
| In
August of that year, the
WFA, in conjunction with the Good Gardeners Association and supported
by the Soil Association and organic farmer Robert Mann from
Somerset, held its first national conference at the Green and Away outdoor
conference centre in Gloucestershire.
| The
WFA is registered as a non-profit company limited by guarantee, which
means that it has no shareholders and exists solely for the benefit
of its affiliates.
All
administrative work is done on a voluntary basis.
the
future ....
Sky
says: "We believe that smallholders and small and family
farmers have a vital role to play in the localisation of our food
supplies and the regeneration of rural economies. We offer a means
for growers and manufacturers to demonstrate their commitment to
local and sustainable food production, for which there is a proven,
growing demand." |
click
on the
colander to get to the WFA newsletter page
|
