Over W.I. – Food, Farming and Fishing
This month’s speaker was Jennifer Jefferies, who shared her remarkable journey from city life to championing the stories of farmers and fishers across the UK and beyond.
Jenny confessed she had never seen a combine harvester until meeting her farmer husband, John, on a blind date. That first harvest opened her eyes to the sheer graft behind a loaf of bread or a glass of beer—and inspired her to share those stories more widely. From that moment grew a series of award-winning books: For the Love of the Land and For the Love of the Sea, along with their sequels, and most recently Islands in a Common Sea, which brings together voices of farmers and fishers from around the world. Each book pairs recipes with first-hand stories, making them both cookbooks and celebrations of food producers.
Her work also has a charitable heart. Jenny donates part of her book profits to causes including the National Literacy Trust, RNLI, and the Farm Safety Foundation, while also serving as an ambassador for organisations promoting food, farming, and fishing in schools.
Closer to home, Jenny and her husband manage 750 acres in Cambridgeshire, where they embraced regenerative agriculture over a decade ago—nurturing soil health, increasing biodiversity, and welcoming back species such as yellowhammers and barn owls. She reminded us that farming with nature is not new but rooted in long traditions worldwide, from Japanese rice farmers using ducks for natural fertilisation to sustainable fishing communities in Alaska and South Africa.
Above all, Jenny’s message was clear: food is political, personal, and universal. Every small action matters—whether learning to cook, choosing responsibly sourced ingredients, or supporting local producers.
In other news, we are looking forward to our Windsor boat trip on October 2nd and our crochet workshop, for complete beginners, on October 25th. Our speaker on October 6th will be Evelyn Nallen, who’s talk is entitled The recorder—an instrument of torture? Earplugs definitely NOT required!
We are always delighted to welcome new members to our thriving group so, if you are interested in joining us, please do contact Denise (contact details available on Over Village News Groups and Clubs page) or pop along on Monday 6th October at 7.30pm to the Over Community Centre.
