Eat Local Friday kicks off in Canberra this Friday at the picturesque Botanic Gardens, with fresh foods and produce direct from growers and makers. The Eat Local Movement’s ambassador, Costa Georgiadis, colourful host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia will be front and centre to put his stamp on the event.
The Eat Local Movement, which has its roots in Wagga Wagga, came about as a means to assist local farmers with a sustainable business model, to give consumers better choice on fresh produce and to retain moneys spent on produce within local communities. Not just another farmer’s market, the Eat Local Movement has its focus on supporting local farmers to be prosperous, to discourage cheap imports and to provide Australians with food security.
Founder Pennie Scott, a happy paddock-pig farmer from south of Wagga Wagga, is passionate about providing an alternative business model for farmers. She has set about creating a model where growers can sell a variety of products at any one time, where they take direct responsibility for their own processing, packaging, branding, transport, distribution, marketing and direct selling. “Farmers Markets are the most obvious example of this model,” she says. “We need more retail farmers and trading opportunities for them”.
“Canberra is an exciting food destination and the growers and makers from Southern New South Wales and the Riverina are looking forward to meeting others committed to enjoying chemical and GMO-free foods and making a host of new friends,” she continues. “Regularly connecting with the people who grow your food is a delicious strategy for survival and the mutually beneficial outcomes ensure loyal relationships through lean and abundant times.”
As more and more Australians seek out organic and chemical free foods, the popularity of farmers’ markets continues to grow. However, as most of the markets are held on weekends, the organisation believes that it narrows opportunity for growers and makers to sell their produce, so the Eat Local Movement model supports weekday farmers markets. According to Scott, research shows most people prefer to do their food shopping during the week,so the Eat Local Friday model not only expands the reach for sellers but caters to the preference of busy shoppers.
Eat Local Friday at the Botanic Gardens
runs every Friday from 2.30pm to 7.30pm
in the Garden’s top car-park and concourse.
Launch: Friday, 4 September from 2.30pm
Check out the
Eat Local website
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