South East Food

Sustaining our Towns has partnered with regional producers’ group SCPA – South East Producers to undertake a food industry development program in the south east region called ‘South East Food’. The aim of this project is to grow the local and regional food economy from within.  The project covers the Bega Valley, Bombala, Cooma-Monaro, Eurobodalla, Palerang, Queanbeyan, and Snowy River local government areas, as well as exploring linkages into the ACT.     

South East Food Discussion Paper launched

The South East Food Discussion Paper  (Note 2.7MB) is now available.  The paper gathers together a range of research – including the local online survey conducted during November 2011 – into a discussion of how to grow local, sustainable food production and consumption across the region.  The Discussion Paper is being launched on Friday 9 December 2011 at the ‘Closing the Food Loop’ forum being held in Queanbeyan.

You are invited and encouraged to make comment on the Discussion Paper online via the South East Food website.  Alternatively you can provide comment to Carolyn Wells directly via the contact details below.  We are particularly in feedback that helps turn the ideas and strategies in the Discussion Paper into localised actions that can be implemented to achieve real change in short to medium term.

We will also be holding two regional food meetings to inform that development of the South East Food action plan in February 2012:

• Tuesday 14 February 10am-1pm in Narooma (venue to be advised)
• Tuesday 21 Febrary 10am-1pm in Queanbeyan (vanue to be advised)\

For more details contact Carolyn Wells.

Background to the South East Food  Project

The aim of South East Food is to research the status of the local food industry across the region, then identify practical strategies for moving forward.  The research will focus on all components of the food industry including actual and potential growers, transporters and buyers of local produce.      

Initial Scoping Research

Initial scoping research has been undertaken in July and August 2011 to inform the project’s development and implementation.  This was undertaken in conjunction with the project’s Reference Group.   This initial research helped to:     

• Develop a database of existing local producers, transporters and food buyers who can be further surveyed through the project
• Get an initial idea of the barriers and drivers for the local food industry across the region
• Help to clarify the questions that should be asked of future project research participants to ensure key information is captured so that an action plan can be developed
• Find models and approaches that are being used elsewhere that could have relevance to this region

During this time Carolyn Wells and Adrianne Waterman introduced the project at the successful Permaculture Convergence convened by SCPA -South East Producers in Bega on 20 August 2011.  Download their Presentation for the Permaculture Convergence to find out more about their intial findings and thinking. 

Online Local Food Survey

Initial scoping research was used to develop an online survey of food growers, buyers, transporters and other interested parties.  The online survey is open until mid December 2011 and can be accessed here .   To send us your response you’ll need to click on the SUBMIT button at the end of the survey.

South East Food Discussion Paper

The ‘South East Food: Growing the regional food economy in SE NSW’ Discussion Paper aims to generate further discussion around pathways for progressing increased local and regional food production across South Eastern NSW. 

Regional food forums and an Action Plan

The project is working to convene a regional food forum in February 2012, as well as a number of local food meetings.  The aim will be to seek comments and further insight into the Discussion Paper paper in order to develop it into a South East Regional Food Action Plan.  Our goal is for the plan to include local and regional actions and strategies that could be funded and implemented as projects over coming years.   

Developing an online grower/buyer interface

One of the products that the project will develop by March/April 2012 is an open online database that can help local farmers find local markets, or vice versa.   The database is currently under development.  

Contact

For more information about the South East Food Project contact Carolyn Wells on 0417 430 750 or wells.carolyn@gmail.com, or Adrianne Waterman 0409 323515 or  adriannewaterman@gmail.com.  

You can also find more information about the project at South East Food.