"We've never really been worried about competition from another market - we are more concerned that you are putting alot of effort into building something unnecessary when your energies can be better applied."

I'm confused about what would be unnecessary - as mentioned at the meeting, the idea was for a mid week market where restaurants and cafes could source first quality produce direct from the farmers. In the previous thread you said, "If you decide to start a new market make it a mid-week one so that the growers get expanded opportunities and it is not seen as a challenege to Shaloam because no matter what the emphasis is people will still take a negative view. Nevertheless, a mid-week market will attract a completely different client base." (For the benefit of new members, the previous farmers' market conversation happened here.) Those who participated in the conversation at the Gin Gin meeting while we were there said that a farmers market sounded like a good idea, but expressed concern that it would be difficult to get farmers to look at a new business model because they don't like change and wouldn't have the time to sell their produce themselves.

Your possible plan of action sounds similar to what Dean and I discussed on the way home from the meeting - that if the response from the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers members to BFVG's request for interest is positive, then perhaps one business model for them to look at would be for their members to each chip in for a full time BFVG coordinator/driver - someone to coordinate supply and who can also drive to the farms and pick up the produce to take to the farmer's market. However, SustainaBundy has no official role with BFVG or the farming community in general - all we can do is make suggestions for models that support relocalisation and environmental and economic sustainability in our region. How or if they choose to proceed is up to them. Involving DPI is a great idea. If the model is successful, other associations would be able to duplicate it in their own regions if they chose to do so.

SustainaBundy's stated goals, coupled with SustainaBundy's very small number of financial members, limits the scope of involvement we're able to have with this project. Focusing SustainaBundy's efforts on the practical, administrative and financial creation and maintenance of such a project, be it a farmers market or some other system, would be an inappropriate use of our very limited resources (namely time and a very small number of people - and as for the idea of a database to be made by SustainaBundy and sold to each region, in addition to it being out of the scope of our goals, as a nonprofit organisation this wouldn't be something we could legally do). All other projects that are within our scope (the guidebook project, movie nights, garage sale parties, permablitzes, reskilling workshops, etc.) would have to go by the wayside in order for SustainaBundy to take the lead on something of this size, and I don't think that's in the organisation's best interest.

As mentioned initially in our prospectus and officially in our incorporation documents, SustainaBundy's goals are as follows:

1. Working for a sustainable Bundaberg region by raising community awareness of and preparedness for peak oil and climate change.
2. Promoting and assisting in the Relocalisation of the Bundaberg region.
3. Connecting individuals, organisations, businesses and government bodies that share in our vision for a sustainable Bundaberg region.
4. Promoting and assisting the relocalisation of other communities.