farm fresh
Mon, 2008-02-25 22:25 — chop
im am an apprentice chef in bundaberg and am wonderin why bundaberg has no local fruit and veg ? why do we pay for transport when we fram it locally
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February 25th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Hi Chop,
you bring up a common question. It's a story with a long history. This
area hasn't really diversified its crops as fast as its population has
grown. Farmers who have diversified may have been doing single cropping
previously - sugar cane or tomatoes maybe. If you are single cropping
then you often sell most of your crop to out of town. Its just the way
it worked. Bundaberg has not changed with the times and the influx of
people are from somewhere else. Somewhere that may have had a more
diverse range of crops sold locally. These "new" comers are just as
surprised as you that there isn't a real local market. One that can
supply local restaurants and to those who want to purchase locally to
prepare at home.
Is it more complicated than that? Most assuredly. Why not think more on
it and let us all know how you can get involved in making a real local
market happen.
chop wrote:
>
> im am an apprentice chef in bundaberg and am wonderin why bundaberg
> has no local fruit and veg ? why do we pay for transport when we fram
> it locally
>
Dean
February 26th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Thanks dean for returning my email but you dont give enough credit too our local farmers.
In bundaberg alone we produce 5 types of potatos just as many tomatoes,zucchini,squash, green beans ,other "vine climbers" capsicums maccadamias pineapples and the melons that is just what i have used and kno of personally. The reason for farmers "single cropping" is the maket gets flooded when in season, so in order to keep up with compitition you have to have quality and quanity.
February 27th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Hi Chop - you are right that there is a good deal of diversity in the
local area. But my point was not that there was a lack of diversity but
rather the diversity did not change as fast as the population. As such
new ways to sell those diverse range of products did not spring forth.
Now we are at the point where we have a great range of fruit and veg but
no easy way for the cook at home to easily get access to it. You as an
aspiring chef would love to be able to duck out for a couple of hours
before dinner and select from a great range of local produce all in one
spot. Now add in cheeses and breads and cured meats all produced
locally. How cool would that be?
Bundaberg relied heavily on single cropping for a long while and the
infrastructure we have now is a legacy of that. If enough people like
you and Jan want it bad enough we'll get there.
Dean
February 28th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Your point shines through the population could not support a local deli etc. because there is no demand thats the point that needs to be spread. why dont the population support the local fresh produce? because its cheaper to go to iga and buy prepacked or frozen food i hope that one day the Shalom markets can expand because that is the only place you will see the products of the local area.
March 4th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
I have mentioned this before on this site.
I agree we need a venue to buy locally grown produce. Until Bundaberg
reaches the stage to have a stand alone Farmers Market, I think we
should capitalise on using the Shalom markets.
My suggestion is for local growers to sell their produce at the Shalom
markets under the Sustainabundy banner. Stall holders would have to be
members of Sustainabundy, abiding by what it stands for, therefore
giving them the right to display the Sustainabundy logo in banner form
on their stall. This highly visible and increasingly identifiable logo
would indicate local produce to the customers. As it is now, the fruit
and vegetables at the markets are coming from anywhere in the country
or overseas.
The stall holders could be clustered together, thus giving more impact.
These stalls would also be promoting the Sustainabundy movement with
flyers on the objectives and upcoming events.
This is something that can start now, even with one grower, and then be
built up with seasonal produce. The attraction of a Farmer's Market is
to have the farmer serving the customers, so a lot depends on the time
the farmer has to spend preparing for and manning the stall - and
hopefully worthwhile.
The banners could be hired from Sustainabundy - that way the standard
and requirements can be monitored . The stall site and everything else
is at the cost of the farmer.
What do you think?
The Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Market opposite Coles, is a retail
outlet doing a good job in supporting local farmers and organic
produce. But one would have to ask what is grown locally.
March 6th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
wwfisher i think this is a small step but a great first step to havelocal farmers all backing local produce under a common banner
is sustaniabundy ready to put its name down for the ride?
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March 8th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Chop - Generating interest in the general public for local produce is what we're doing now. Have you been along to one of our movie nights or Garage Sale Parties and seen how much we talk about it? Have you asked what you can you do to help? Putting a SustainaBundy sticker on things isn't going to immediately start a revolution in local purchasing.Farmers are the only ones who can sell local produce. But they won't unless there is a clear demand for it. This is called "pull-marketing". Local food is the brand, not SustainaBundy. Word of mouth is the best way for this process to work. All of us reading your posts are already aware of the brand.
So make sure you get involved, because for a real change to take place we need more people willing to make the effort.
Dean Hazelwood
SustainaBundy President
www.SustainaBundy.org
dean@
Phone: 07 4196 0043
Mobile: 0400 42 14 42
March 4th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Hi Bundy Bell - you have some good ideas. We like leveraging existing
infrastructure - like the Shalom Markets. No need to reinvent the wheel.
However I don't think SustainaBundy needs to be the "got local?" police.
We definitely should all be talking to local sellers at the markets and
asking about the "localness" of the produce. If they want to show their
awareness and support of SustainaBundy by displaying their goods as
local then we can definitely get behind that.
The key here is to raise awareness. If people (us and people we know)
ask for local produce often enough and all over the region then it will
come about. But we all need to be talking to friends, coworkers and
family about the benefits of local produce, and organic if you can get
it. This won't happen over night. But it won't happen at all if we don't
spread the word.
Dean
February 26th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Hi Dino,
Just a thought, may seem a little bizzare and very obvious, buy why doesn't some one start "Bundaberg Growers' Market" ? A Market that purchases from local growers and sells on to local businesses. I mean basically that is what they are doing now. They have an agent in Brisbane or Sydney, who then onsells to business all over Australia. Why can't we do that here. Instead of the agent being in Bris or Sydney, have one here, onselling to our local businesses, and to the rest of Australia. Too simple perhaps.
Manager/Proprietor
Soil Assessment & Management Services
Ph: 07 41551385
Fax: 07 41550388
soil@
February 26th, 2008
Re: farm fresh
Hi Jan,
This topic has come up before. You are preaching to the choir. Either
Farmers or their reps need to drive this. It's a lost cause without
farmers on board. I've talked to a few. Some like the idea. Some see it
as a threat to their current business model. Few are interested in
working together. It's very odd.
Right now there isn't a "some one" or enough some ones who want it bad
enough. As for you and me, we have the Shalom markets and I like to go
there for plenty of fresh fruit and veges and even fresh herbs. However
I would love to see markets to rival the Gouger Street Markets in
Adelaide or whatever Melbourne has to offer. Village markets through
Europe are something we just can't even begin to imagine. Local fish,
bread, cheeses, cured meats and salamis! All of it could be done here.
Who will drive it and make it happen. The good thing is that you have
asked the question - why not? Do you talk to your friends, neighbours
and co-workers about how cool a real market would be? Do you encourage
people to buy local? If you do and then those you have spoken to do the
same then I am sure we'll have a market one day. We need a critical mass
of people to create a demand that local producers can sell to. If there
isn't perceived demand then we'll never get a market.