Article published in the Health Triangle Magazine Dec. 2024
Written by Trish Beaver
Erica Brown’s journey from chef to gardener and then seed saving champion
has been about embracing nature and moving towards sustainability. Her
organic seed business has been a culmination of many life experiences that
taught her she needed to be instrumental in changing attitudes to health and
food.
She recalls the beginning, “I was 19 years old and found myself at the
beginning of my career as a pot washer in a hotel kitchen in Cheltenham, the
pots and pans were so big I could sit inside them. I literally started at the
bottom of the hospitality industry and worked my way up gaining skills and
knowledge from one cheffing environment to another. Initially cooking gave
me the ability to travel and this was the bug that bit me the hardest. I wanted
to experience and see the world and learn about new cultures.”
She said: “Moving from different restaurant environments and working with
produce I became aware of the changes in the quality of produce coming in,
especially fresh produce, like veg, meat and seafood. In particular I remember
working at a seafood restaurant where I noticed the whole fresh salmon was
coming in lacking in lustre, the scales were damaged and the fish were smaller.
“I also noticed how much perfectly good food was being binned. Coming from
South Africa, this appalled me as we have so many people living below the
breadline. I began questioning my passion for my career.
Co-incidentally my health started taking a serious downward spiral and the
stress of running busy kitchens was not helping.
In 2013 Erica was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease an auto-immune disease
affecting the thyroid. She decided she needed to re-evaluate her lifestyle and
reduce her stress levels. “Stress is accepted as part and parcel of modern
living, but it really is very harmful to our health.”
“Part of my healing lay in gardening and connecting with nature. I was house
sitting a Spanish villa in France, on the border of Spain for 8 months and during
this re-think, re-feel, re-design of the blueprint of my life, I embraced the
garden of this villa, and in this healing space I connected to nature and noticed
a single seed holds the potential for something that has enormous potential.
“Something so tiny can give life – you just add soil, water, and sunlight. One
tiny seed has the potential to create abundant fresh food.”
Returning to South Africa for a few years Erica started a small vegetarian
catering company called Sōlfood. She remembers: “At first, I had a humble
market stall every Saturday but quickly I started offering catering events
specialising in plant-based food. My aim was to educate people and show
them that food can taste great without animal products. I also offered cooking
courses to those who wanted to learn how to cook healthy food and spoke
endlessly how using organic and home-grown vegetables gives one not only
fresh living food but a connection to nature.”
Now based in beautiful southern Cornwall, Erica believes convenience food
staples are affecting human health on a global scale. “People are eating food
that has a myriad concoction of preservatives added to extend the shelf-life.
Food that is over preserved has little natural nutrition left. More people live
with diabetes, heart problems, obesity due to the fact they are not getting
nutrition from their food.
“One of the biggest issues is monoculture farming. Growing the same crop
over lad depletes the soil of nutrition. Pesticides are used to stop bugs from
taking bites out of the produce. There is no eco-system left – essentially this is
how the dust bowl in the USA was created.
Supporting local farmers is imperative to keeping small scale farm practices
alive. The farmers are more likely to have a personal relationship with their
land and what they produce ensuring that decisions made are made with the
future of their family in mind. Profits are generally higher and so they can
make a better margin. Local farmers hire local staff which supports the local
economy.”
Erica explains that consumer demand for food that is out of season means
food is imported and stored artificially. It is packaged in plastic which adds to
the pollution of the environment. “I always advise people to eat local, source
fresh food, and grow as much as you can.” She aspires to be as much a
“locavore” as she can be – she eats what is available locally and makes sure it
is sustainably produced.
When Erica moved to the UK she grew her plants on an empty farmer’s field
with their permission. But now she manages a large piece of land on an
allotment owned by the British Legion. I was fortunate to be in the right place
at the right time and I have taken on close to 100 square metres of land which
had two small greenhouses, a shed and four established fruit trees.
She added: “The allotment managers who oversee the allotments want to
know you are serious and will be dedicated to the up-keep and growing of the
space you have been assigned. As there are many people on year long waiting
lists wanting a piece of land to grow on.
“I grow what is known as a “potage-style-garden” which means planting
flowers, veg and fruit all in amongst each other. This is how nature would grow
and so I endeavour to align myself with the practices of nature. The gardens
are always so interesting as you spot a patch of spinach growing in a swathe of
yarrow, calendula and cornflowers growing under climbing beans. I grow many
flowering varieties as trap crops for insects to eat and hopefully leave the veg
alone. It’s a feast for the senses and for all the creatures that make your
allotment their home. “
This year Erica’s allotment was awarded 2 nd prize in a yearly award, this was
her first season. “I was thrilled to hear how people loved to see so many
flowers growing among the veg.”
Erica’s seed saving journey began with food and has ended with a passion for
saving seeds and living sustainably.
“I sell a variety of different organic seed packets. The uniqueness of these
seed packets is that each one is hand painted with a colourful illustration of
the seed variety, the card is made from 100% post-consumer waste and the
painting can be cut out and sent as a postcard.
“The varieties I sell are flower mixes to attract certain beneficial pollinators
into one’s garden like the very popular “Bee mix” and “Butterfly mix”. I also
sell Wild Bird seed mixes which attract the insects’ that birds feed on. There
are various vegetable, herb and flower varieties too. Every year I try to bring
out a new packet of seeds. I am working on a new product for the new year
which will hopefully be a Night Pollinator flower seed mix for the beneficial
pollinating insects that prefer to work by moonlight.
Erica also works part-time in a health shop where she has the opportunity to
share her knowledge about the importance of natural ingredients and our role
in supporting the environment.
Thriving in the Cornwall countryside has reinforced her love of rural living. She
says: “Being in nature is where you can stop and take stock of life, be present
in the moment and be a real witness to the seasons and the changes
happening within nature all the time.”
But even city folk can connect with nature if they make the effort. Erica
suggests that people can start their journey to sustainable living by doing the
following:
* Grow as much of your own fruit and vegetables as you have space and time
for. Simple potted herbs on your windowsill is a start.
* Support local organic farmers or shops by buying their produce and veg
boxes.
* Volunteer at a local community garden or park that may need extra hands to
grow more green spaces.
* Eat seasonally as much as possible – the produce is full of nutrition and this
reduces the carbon footprint.
* Support local businesses in general, these are the backbones to a healthy
balanced society.
* Talk to people and share information about local products and suppliers.
You can support her small business or learn more about her journey to
sustainability on her website:
https://www.solseed.uk
https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SolseedUK?ref=shop_sugg_market
About the Author:
Trish Beaver is a freelance writer, journalist and creative entrepreneur. She
combines dynamic written articles and blogs with digital marketing and she is
passionate about helping small businesses to thrive and convert ideas to
clients. You can visit her at www.trishbeaver.com
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