Greet Your Growers

If you have been following my farmher journey for the past 3 years, you will know of the challenges I have faced in accessing sales channels, and distribution for my produce.

The intention in starting Lifeforce Farm, was that I would be able to provide high quality, affordable, organic, local produce for Byron Shire. Transport, freight and large scale global distribution are key factors in climate change, and in the degradation of our food quality. So, I felt that I could offer a feasible alternative for our community.

In seeking a viable business model over the years, I have tried selling veggie boxes, however, I found it difficult to find the number of committed customers required in order to make this profitable (60peeps every week). I applied to the local farmers markets, and was told by all of them that they wouldn’t give me a spot, as they had other market farms already, (the other farms, are not even located in Byron Shire!). So, I ended up needing to take my organic, local, Byron shire produce to the Gold Coast each weekend to sell it! (there needs to be a preference given to local farms for each famers market, to prevent this crazy situation).

I stopped selling at my Gold Coast markets in May of this year, as I was finding it too exhausting…and growing produce to sell the majority in Qld, was just not fulfilling the intention and mission of my dreaming.

At the same time my farming colleague, friend, and all-round amazing human, came to visit from Tasmania, James Hutchinson (www.activevista.com.au). He told me of a networking event that had gained traction in his community, and was creating new opportunites for him, other growers and chefs – “Producer Meets Procurer”, and he encouraged, and supported me to start one here.

The Northern Rivers, holds some of the most beautiful and fertile lands in Australia, however, the vast majority of the foods and flowers available, are not grown or sourced here. The produce is bought into the region via considerable, and narrow distribution channels, operating from large scale industrialised and unsustainable agriculture.

We do not yet, have a thriving local food economy, in the Northern Rivers. This situation makes it more challenging to connect farms with local businesses. Local food sovereignty is a key piece in addressing climate change, food miles and a host of other critical issues that we as a population are faced with.

So, I have been working behind the scenes for several months with Joel Orchard of Young Farmers Connect, and Amy Colli of Gastronomic Goodness to initiate a similar event locally.

We are delighted to announce the first of our networking events called, ‘Greet Your Growers’, on the 11th November, at The Farm, from 4:30-7pm. We have organised a panel with a local grower (mwah), local chef (Matt Kemp), and retailer (Santos, Mullumbimby), to open the dialogue (30mins)…followed by casual networking for the remainder of the time. The event will run seasonally – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.

The intention of this event, is to bring together growers, florists, chef’s, caterers and any other business’s that would like to purchase from local growers, so that we can find ways to have more of the produce that is grown here, bought and consumed here. In this way, growers and business’s have the opportunity to connect, and build stronger community ties.

I would love to see local business’s sourcing 10% of their produce and flowers locally. This would have an enormous impact for our growers, and stimulate a higher level of food security, and sovereignty for the Northern Rivers as a region, however, we collectively need to work together to find ways to make this a reality. I would also love to see growers working co-operatively together to collectively meet the needs of the community.

We are inviting local growers of all denominations – veg, flowers, fruits, nuts, meats, eggs etc. to the event. So, if you are a grower, or a local business, that already sources from local growers, or you are a local business that would like to start sourcing from local growers, then I would encourage you to come along to our first event, and become a part of the solution.

From my heart to yours,

sheia x