Introduction

The “Incredible Edible” project was an idea brought about by the people in the small town of Todmorden who looked at changing their town’s landscape by growing fruit, herbs, and vegetables for everyone in the community to enjoy (Incredible Edible Todmorden, 2023). At least 16 other small towns and villages have introduced the Incredible Edible idea, and the projects are in various stages. The idea has yet to be brought to a large city, as they are still testing it.

For this report, I will dive deep into a comparison of Todmorden and Knaresborough, another similar-sized town in North Yorkshire, and then analyse Knaresborough, hoping to conclude as to its ability to support a project like one adopted in Todmorden and the wider community in Yorkshire.

How it started

The Incredible Edible scheme came to be when a small group of people met in a café in Todmorden in 2008, where they discussed what they would like to see happen to their town. With phrases like “If you eat, you’re in” and “Believe in the power of small action” being said (Incredible Edible Network, 2023). They wanted to find something that everyone in the community could get behind, and what better than food? (Our Green Warrington, 2021).

At first, the community didn’t take advantage of this new food source, with Mary Clear saying, “We’re from a country where people say, ‘get off my land’.” Mary later goes on to say that she, along with others, had to specifically tell people it was okay to take food. Now there are 283 people on their “Muck-in” list. Pam Warhurst, a former council leader in Todmorden, said, “Nearly 50% of local food shops said it has had a positive impact on their income.” (Fox, 2012).

Now the community harvest: “potatoes, leeks, carrots, cabbage, strawberries, onions, garlic, peas, parsnips, and sprouts” (Paull, 2013).

Will it work in Knaresborough?

Both Todmorden and Knaresborough have a very similar population, at just over 15,000 each, with Knaresborough closer to 16. Both settlements are found in the countryside, with the closest towns to them being some 8 miles and 3.3 miles, respectively. Both are market towns that have a small centre that replicates the high streets of major cities in the UK with well-known businesses like Halifax, Boots, Café Nero, Subway, and Tesco. However, this does not mean the scheme is guaranteed to work to the same extent as it has in Todmorden. 

To find out if the scheme will be successful in Knaresborough, we will have to look at multiple factors:

1. Availability of green space to build crop beds.
2. The ability of the local community to be willing to maintain the beds.
3. demand for the goods produced.
4. Enough household income to purchase the goods.

Figure 1 demonstrates the population distribution of Knaresborough. The general pattern is that the majority of households are found in the centre of the town, the west, and the south. This distribution is due to two reasons: one, the urban sprawl of Harrogate is encroaching on Knaresborough, which has been increasing the population in the south-west. The other reason is that there are large bodies of water in the north of the town, preventing major expansion in that direction. Furthermore, the south has better transport connections, making the area more appealing to developers. 

Figure 1- Map showing the population distribution in Knaresborough using the 2011 census.

Figure 2 – Diagram showcasing the distribution of higher managerial positions in Knaresborough using the 2011 census.

Figure 3 – Map showing the distribution of people who have never worked or are in long-term unemployment using the 2011 census.

By comparing Figures 2 and 3, we can see there is a clear distribution of employed and unemployed residents in Knaresborough. The majority of people who hold a higher job are found around the outskirts of the town, compared to those who are unemployed and reside in the central region. However, it is important to note that Knaresborough is a large retirement town; therefore, the data used will be somewhat misleading. Nevertheless, this still does prove that the people who live close to the centre have more time on their hands to do maintenance on the crop beds. 

Figure 4 – Map showing house prices in Knaresborough. Source – HouseMetric.co.uk

We can also see the correlation between Figures 2 (employment grade distribution) and 3 (non-working distribution) compared to Figure 4 (house price distribution), demonstrating how, in general, higher house prices correspond with higher employment grades and lower house prices correspond with the non-working population.

A survey conducted in Todmorden said that 47 percent of respondents stated that they ‘have grown food at home this year’ while 35 percent stated that they are ‘fairly new to food growing’. Finally, 79 percent said that they ‘would like to see more food growing around the town’. (Lee-Woolf, 2009).

Figure 5 – Map showing the distribution of food outlets in Knaresborough.

Figure 5 shows that the distribution of food outlets is congregated around the central square and the central portion of the A59, where 31 of a total of 43 food outlets and supermarkets are located. The distribution of these establishments would mean volunteers would have to deliver the crops to the business. However, the herbs, which are closer, could easily be picked when needed, making the business less dependent on others, which increases reliability.

If the consensus amongst residents is to adopt the Incredible Edible idea into their community, then, as a result of it being a small community, it would be more likely for the people living there to know which businesses are buying into the idea, which would add pressure to those who are not.

Certain areas in the centre of Knaresborough could be used to grow either herbs or vegetables. These areas are very small plots; in fact, of the 20 viable areas that I found, only 10 I thought were suitable for vegetable growth. These plots, as seen in Figure 6, are predominantly found outside the town centre, with only three suitable locations found close to the majority of the food outlets.

Figure 6 – Map showing studied areas where I think would be suitable starting points for the Incredible Edible idea.

A good aspect of Knaresborough is the fact that there are still a large number of residents in the central area, close to the shops. This is beneficial to what we are trying to achieve, as about 33% are over the age of 60 and a healthy population of children aged between 10 and 19 is just over 11%. All these indicate that a scheme like this would have enough people in the area to make sure the crops were maintained and harvested. A poll by the Royal Voluntary Service found that one in five people in 2013 over the age of 60 in 2013 helped out with at least two charities, and recent estimates in 2022 state that this contributes over £15bn to the economy, which, when compared to Figure 3, shows that a large number of retired members of the community live close to the centre, allowing them easy access to maintain the beds in their free time (AgeUK, 2013). Also, the scheme could work with local schools to encourage participation by their pupils to help, as over 8 in 10 8–15-year-olds say they want to do more to help the environment (Nature England, 2021).

Furthermore, there is evidence that the local community does want to help nature and make their town more attractive. One such piece of evidence is the “Knaresborough Nidd Gorge Conservation Group,” which has 150 members who work in the gorge just north of the town. They restore paths and help maintain the Gorges’ environment.

In the UK, the latest estimates, between 2021 and 2022, of the percentage of adults aged 18 or over in England that are overweight are placed at 63.3% (Office for Health Improvement & Disparities, 2023). Therefore, if the adoption of the Incredible Edible scheme can help the younger generations realise the importance of homegrown food from both a healthy and environmental point of view, then this would help the county in the long run and reduce reliance on imported foods, which account for 46% of the food it consumes (Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs, 2023).

If I were going to do this study again, I would take a much wider look at Knaresborough, including many of the housing estates around the centre. However, when trying to make a good first impression on visitors, you always want to develop the area that will be visited the most, and, like with all urban areas, that is the centre of the town or city. Therefore, the data I gathered will still be important in developing the centre.

Conclusion

The Incredible Edible project in Todmorden aims to turn unused or unattractive bits of land into productive pieces of land to help feed the local population. However, when walking the streets of Knaresborough, I noticed some areas of greenery that looked run-down, but not many. Indicating that the local council is maintaining the areas, so they look appealing. This then begs the question of whether the town actually needs such a scheme.

If the idea is to renovate unattractive portions of greenery, then I would say the answer is “no,” but if the main purpose of it is to provide food for the community, then I think Knaresborough is a viable option for the scheme to be expanded to another part of Yorkshire, as there are several good locations all around the centre and a healthy population to maintain them.