Connected Communities Are More Resilient

Fair Food's weekly update: important updates, new seasons produce, news from our farmers and other interesting tidbits.

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Connected Communities Are More Resilient

Last week Chris wrote about how Climate Change is likely to impact our local food systems; increasing prices and making us more food insecure, as higher carbon imports move in to fill the space and add even more fuel to the climatic wildfire.

Fair Food has a broad mission to give local organic growers and artisans, workers and the environment a better deal. A big part of what we're about is environmental sustainability. No surprises there, given we're the growing brainchild of our parent CERES. But the task of reducing the carbon intensity of our food systems is not always straightforward.

A couple of days ago I had a tweetversation about whether it's better to buy organic imports, or local but conventionally grown food if no alternative exists (eg: no canned aussie grown organic tomatoes). There's no doubt our commitment to buying local produce means a standard issue Fair Food F&V Box travels almost 40% less than the Victorian household average. But we still think clean, green organics win out when we can't go local for certain foodstuffs.

There's some good science on this, but that doesn't mean we don't constantly think about where the lines should be drawn. In Spring, local availability is a real issue, particularly in the fresh fruit department. When there are only oranges left, and sometimes even lemons are off the table, we have the yearly in-office debate about whether we go without, or cast the net further afield to flesh out the extra fruit section (Hint: the answer is pretty much never the latter).

It's a balancing act - weighing up certain sacrifices and concessions we can live with. Our naanies do come from up north for instance, because we recognise they're a year-long staple for young families and snacking bananaphiles alike. On the flipside, we accept the impossibility of VIC grown mangoes and pawpaw. It's just never gonna happen sustainably on a commercial scale (but there's no harm in a tropical treat between friends on occasion, right?). And besides, there's an abundance of amazing local fruits in the pipeline at this time of year, so it feels like much less of a stretch.

Many of you also pick your food up from a local Food Host. Food Hosts are the heart and soul of Fair Food. Their generous contribution, by making a space for us to collect each week, lets us walk, ride, jump or skip to get our weekly groceries, rather than drive. But not just that. They also give us a porch, a garage, a place, an opportunity to connect, exchange and plug into something bigger - a community that is making humble but collectively important contributions to keeping our climate safe.

Many of us make new connections through our weekly Fair Food ritual. And you know what they say? Know your neighbours! No one is going to be better placed, or more helpful to you in a sticky situation than a good ol' (baby wipe hoarding) neighbour.

So whether you're worried about overdosing on Christmas pudding this silly season, or a freak storm rolling through while you're AWOL (having left projectiles on the front lawn), give a fellow Fair Foodster a firm and friendly handshake this week.

And if you decide you can't stand the heat but are certainly not getting out of the kitchen, you might like to get stuck into GetUp's Summer of Climate Action. Every $24+ donated to help run this campaign gets a FREE copy of Bill McKibben's new book Oil and Honey.

Have a great week everyone!

Eleonore

General Christmas Closure

Fair Food will be closed over Christmas/New Years from Dec 25 (Weds), and reopening Jan 6 (Mon). We are delivering Tuesday Dec 24, and this will be our last delivery day for 2013!

Food Host Holiday Closures

Glenlyon Rd, North Fitzroy: 19th Dec until reopen on 30th Jan
Clarke St, Northcote: 24th Dec & 14th Jan
Peckville St, Clifton Hill: 24th Dec
Union St, Northcote: 7th Jan
Morley Cres, Box Hill North: 9th & 16th Jan

New Food Hosts Now Open!

Online, with deliveries starting next week!

Rebecca at Rigby Lane, Kensington: Thur 5-8pm (replaces Weighbridge Lane)

Emily at Mayston St, Hawthorn East: Thur 4-9pm (replaces Iris Road)

Order Deadlines

For Tuesday and Wednesday deliveries, order by 11:59pm Sunday night - yes, that's tonight!
For Thursday deliveries, order by 11:59pm Tuesday night.

Missed Cut Off

If you ever miss the cut off or experience any difficulties with payments, simply email us BEFORE 10AM the following day at info@ceresfairfood.org.au and we'll sneakily pop through a manual order for you.

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5% DISCOUNT FOR ALL NEWBIES! Did you sign up with us, but never got around to ordering? Got a friend you'd like to introduce to seasonal organic eating? We'd like to give you and your friends the gift of Fair Food with a 5% storewide discount on your first order!

To redeem this first order discount, at checkout enter the coupon code: JOINUS