Can you believe the festive season is nearly upon us? The disruptions of 2020 have brought many questions about our food system to the fore: food security, scarcity, affordability, donations, distribution, community connection, growing your own, sourdough and fermentation are now hot topics! Localism has seen a welcome resurgence, offering solutions to many of these questions.
Our December Newsletter has tips on how to support your local producers and independent retailers to both strengthen the local economy and help grow a vibrant local food culture. This festive season, we challenge you to take the time to shop local for food, drinks and gifts. Discover the stories behind the food you eat! We also encourage you to shop smart, minimise waste, share your excess, donate time and produce to those in need and trade with others in your community.
Have a safe and fair festive season, and see you in 2021.
- Did you know that every dollar spent locally generates twice as much for the local economy?
- Did you know that when added together, the food in an average Australian shopping basket travels a total of 70,803 km to get to that basket?
- Did you know the Illawarra has seven different veggie box systems currently operating?
- Did you know Illawarra is home to dozens of operating farms that sell their products within the local community?
With an abundance of produce from organic vegetables, meat, eggs, dairy, honey, preserves and baked goods – a farmers market has all the local food you need to fill your shopping basket each week. Click here for more
Vegetable box systems are a simple and convenient way of getting fresh, local produce each week. They come directly from the farm and are delivered to your door or dropped off at local pickup points. Click here for more
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a subscription model supporting local farmers – where all customers share in the rewards of a bountiful harvest, and the risks of crop failures. Click here for more
Some local farms open their gates to the public – allowing customers to see how their food is grown, whilst having their pick of the freshest local produce available. Click here for more
Community food co-ops are not-for-profit, member-owned and run food stores that prioritise local, organic and minimum-waste shopping. Click here for more
Local retailers allow you to shop within your community when buying directly from the producer isn’t possible or convenient. Click here for more
For those looking for the convenience and range of products found at a supermarket, local and independent businesses are a much better alternative to major companies. Click here for more
Major supermarkets sell large amounts of imported foods, factory-farmed meats, and non-organic, intensively farmed monocrop produce – which have severe impacts on animal welfare, and carbon emissions. Click here for more
Advocate for local food in the Illawarra!
Here are some tips for starting a conversation in your local community, talking to friends, colleagues and peers, sharing information or writing to local councillors and Members of Parliament. Click here for more.
Fair Food Champion: Ashleigh Holmes
‘Local food does a number of things for the local community. It supports the local economy through keeping funds and jobs localised, it decreases food miles which is great for the planet, locally grown food is often much fresher, in season, less processed and made with less preservatives…’
Click here for more.
Love Local!!
Are you interested in helping us to grow a vibrant food culture and economy in the Illawarra? Join our ‘Love Local’ campaign! We are calling on local food retailers to adopt our ‘I’m Local’ labels in their stores to help consumers identify locally grown or produced products more easily while they shop.
Click here for more.
An awesome database of fair food events in the Illawarra region and online such as workshops, seminars, markets, community garden days, and cooking classes. We’ve listed a few exciting events coming up in the fair food calendar:
Green Connect | Warrawong
Gardening Basics | 5th December | 9am – 12:30pm
Working With Nature | 5th December | 1:30pm – 5pm
Native Plant Nourishment | 6th December | 1:30pm – 5pm
Fruit Trees and Food Forests | 6th December | 9am – 12:30pm
Vermont Farm to Plate | 11am – 1pm | Online
Sustainable & Secure Food & Farming Systems | 2nd December
Sustainable Farming & Healthy Food Access | 9th December
The Public Purse Driving Food Systems Change | 16th December
Mondays and Thursdays | 8am – 9:30am | Koonawarra
Free Community Breakfast. Come for a coffee, a chat, or the works with cereal followed by scrambled eggs and beans on toast at Koonawarra Community Centre. Everyone welcome!
Click here for more.
27 December 2020 | 9am – 3pm | Coledale
Rifle through the stalls of pre-loved clothes, vinyl records, books, earrings, crockery, paintings, beautiful handmade knits and soaps. If you can withstand the scent of curry and coffee, fresh bread & cakes, you can get some serious shopping done.
Click here for more.
Foragers Markets | Wollongong/Bulli
Friday Foragers Market | Every Friday | 9am – 2pm
Every Friday at Crown Street Mall in Wollongong.
Sunday Foragers Market | 13th December | 9am – 3pm
Second Sunday of the month at Bulli Showground.
Every Wednesday | 3pm – 5pm | Kiama
Find fresh produce brought to you by local suppliers and mingle with friends at the Kiama Farmers Markets every Wednesday.
Click here for more.