How to Get Involved in Local Food System Education in Bristol with Generation Soil
- Alex Montgomery
- Aug 12, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 13, 2025
Bristol is a city bursting with creativity, community spirit, and a growing passion for regenerative living. But behind the bustling markets, community gardens, and thriving allotments lies a challenge. Our food system is under pressure. From food waste and declining soil health to biodiversity loss and climate change, we urgently need new solutions that bring people together and rebuild our connection with the land.
That’s where Generation Soil CIC comes in. We’re on a mission to transform Bristol’s food system through education, hands-on experience, and community action. And the good news? There are so many ways for you to get involved.
Why Local Food System Education Matters
A resilient and sustainable food system doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built by communities who understand where food comes from, how it’s grown, and what happens when it’s 'wasted'.
Right now in the UK, millions of tonnes of food waste end up in landfill or incinerators every year. Luckily, in Bristol, we are told that our food waste is driven thirteen miles out of Bristol to Avonmouth, where a small proportion of energy is created for the grid. However, we want to see 20% of Bristol's food waste to be composted and used to regenerate local soils. Healthy soil is at the heart of sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and climate resilience. But soil health is declining fast, both globally and locally. By learning how our food system works, and how we can change it, we can take practical steps to protect the environment, improve our wellbeing, and grow stronger communities.
What We Do at Generation Soil
Generation Soil CIC is more than just a composting project. We’re building a circular food system in Bristol. That means tackling food waste at the source, regenerating soil health, and sharing the skills and knowledge people need to make a difference.
Our work includes:
Food Waste Collection: Partnering with local businesses and households to divert food waste from landfill, composting it instead.
Composting: Turning food waste into nutrient-rich compost using sustainable methods such as Bokashi fermentation, in-vessel composting, and aerobic composting.
Market Garden and Agroforestry: Growing vegetables, herbs, and fruits in harmony with nature while boosting biodiversity.
Workshops and Training: Hosting engaging, practical sessions on composting, soil health, sustainable gardening, and food systems.
Community Engagement: Bringing people together to share knowledge, take action, and inspire change.
Ways You Can Get Involved
ONE. Join a Workshop or Training Session
Our food system education workshops are open to everyone, whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned grower. We cover everything from the science of soil microbes and fungi to hands-on composting techniques you can use at home or on an allotment.
Workshops are held across Bristol, often at our market garden site, where you can see composting and regenerative growing in action.
TWO. Volunteer in the Market Garden
If you want to learn by doing, volunteering is the best way to immerse yourself in the work of building a sustainable food system, in our two-acre food forest market garden in collaboration with Roots Allotments. You could help:
Turn food waste into compost.
Plant and care for vegetables and fruit trees.
Maintain wildlife habitats.
Build infrastructure like compost bays or polytunnels.
You’ll gain practical skills, meet like-minded people, and contribute directly to improving soil health in Bristol.
THREE. Support Our Food Waste Collection Scheme
If you’re a Bristol café, restaurant, or household looking for a sustainable waste solution, you can join our food waste collection service. We’ll collect your food scraps and turn them into compost that supports local growing projects, closing the loop in our circular economy.
FOUR. Bring Us Into Your School, Business, or Community Group
Generation Soil offers tailored education sessions for schools, workplaces, and community organisations. These sessions bring food system topics to life with interactive activities, from investigating compost under the microscope to learning how to grow food in small urban spaces.
FIVE. Advocate for Soil and Food System Change
You don’t have to be on site to make a difference. Sharing our work, starting conversations about soil health, or encouraging your network to compost food waste all help to grow the movement. Follow us on social media, join our newsletter, and invite others to take part.
The Benefits of Getting Involved
By joining Generation Soil’s mission, you’re not just helping the environment, you’re part of a community-led solution that benefits people and the planet. Here’s what you can expect:
Learn Valuable Skills: From composting and soil science to growing your own food.
Improve Your Wellbeing: Spending time in nature, working with plants, and connecting with others is proven to boost mental health.
Be Part of a Bigger Movement: Bristol is a leader in sustainability, and your involvement helps shape the future of our city’s food system.
Our Vision for Bristol’s Food Future
We believe in a decentralised composting network where every neighbourhood can turn its food waste into fertile soil. We see more schools teaching soil literacy, more community gardens growing fresh food, and more businesses committing to sustainability.
With your help, this vision can become a reality.
How to Take the First Step
Getting involved is easy:
Sign up as a volunteer.
Join our food waste collection project.
Follow us on social media for tips, news, and inspiration.
Bristol’s food future is in our hands, and together, we can make it healthy, regenerative, and resilient.
Join Generation Soil CIC today and be part of the movement to regenerate soil, reduce food waste, and create a thriving local food system in Bristol. The change starts with you, and it starts now.
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