Setting up a food swap
Would you like to set up a Transition Darebin Food Swap in your neighbourhood?
The following guidelines set out the basics. For further information or to let us know you’d like to go ahead, email transitiondarebin@gmail.com.
Setting up a Transition Darebin Food Swap
Why?
To build community capacity (one of the goals of the Transition movement).
To encourage people to share garden produce and food-growing skills with others in your local area.
To extend the geographical range of Transition Darebin food swaps — others are in Reservoir, Preston South/Thornbury and Fairfield.
Who?
To be viable the group needs a core of at least 3 people, of whom 2 would be available each month.
The swap is open to anyone in the local area who would like to share garden produce — e.g. fruit & veg, seeds, seedlings, preserves — or just ideas.
When?
Transition Darebin swaps to date have been monthly, on a Saturday morning, for 1 hour.
11am-12noon is recommended, based on past experience.
Take into account the dates of other Transition Darebin food swaps — it's good to spread them across the month if possible.
Where?
An outdoor, sheltered site which has passing foot traffic is ideal.
Some considerations (you’d be super lucky if you had a site that met all of these):
shelter — from sun, rain, wind
passing foot traffic
storage for food swap kit (see below)
pleasant surrounds — an inviting place to sit or stand and chat
a table to put stuff on.
A site where you can easily get the landholder's approval if needed.
Gather a ‘food-swap kit’:
Seeds
Seed box
Baskets for display
Table (depending on venue, may be available on-site)
Transition Darebin information poster with QR code for mailing list
Transition Darebin banner or sandwich board for display.
Publicity:
Transition Darebin can provide a poster template, which can be modified and printed for local noticeboards.
Transition Darebin promotes food swaps regularly through social media channels and the Transition Darebin mailing list.