Open Food Network Australia

Meet another one of our amazing partners on the voucher pilot project - The Community Grocer Richmond! 🚀 We recently visited this new market and caught up with Cass, the market manager. She shared a great story of community solidarity that warmed our hearts. During the current egg shortage, customers have been pooling their vouchers together to ensure everyone in the community can access eggs! This beautiful display of sharing and support is exactly what these markets are all about. 🥚❤️ The Richmond market is one of the newest additions to The Community Grocer market sites and has quickly become an important pilot site for our voucher program. It's already creating a significant impact by providing affordable and subsidised access to fresh produce in the community. The Community Grocer helps support vibrant community hubs where social connections can flourish alongside fresh food. Through their weekly pop-up markets, they're reimagining local food systems, building community bonds, and even creating employment pathways for locals! If you're in the Richmond area, we highly encourage you to stop by! You'll be supporting your local community, local farmers, AND enjoying delicious, healthy food! 🍎🥦🥕 Want to learn more about The Community Grocer OR the Pilot Project? https://lnkd.in/gryCvCVE https://lnkd.in/gy8dTKup #FoodSubsidyPilot #CommunityFood #LocalProduce #FoodAccess #GoodFoodForAll

🌱 Voucher Pilot Update at Merri Food Hub Last week we introduced you to one of our amazing partners, Merri Food Hub, who we visited before the launch of our Food Subsidy Pilot Project. We're thrilled to announce that since that first visit, the program has officially launched and is now LIVE! 🚀 We recently stopped by their Wednesday Glenroy market to catch up with Charmaine and see how the pilot has been going. She was happy to chat with us about the impact so far! 😊 The voucher system has already expanded food access across the community, especially for people ordering online who now have peace of mind knowing they'll receive their eggs or milk each week. 🥚🥛 The team at Merri Food Hub is doing an incredible job! If you're near Glenroy or Fawkner, we highly recommend checking them out. It's a triple win - you'll be supporting your local community, local farmers, AND enjoying delicious, healthy food! 🍅🥬🥕 Want to learn more about their markets find out more here: https://lnkd.in/g8P8j8Mj Or want to learn more about our pilot project? You can check out the project page here: https://lnkd.in/gy8dTKup #FoodSubsidyPilot #CommunityFood #LocalProduce #FoodAccess

🌿 Introducing Vine: Our New Voucher Technology Platform We're excited to introduce you to Vine (Voucher Engine), our original voucher generation and redemption software developed in collaboration with Melbourne-based OK200 for the Food Subsidy Pilot project! 💻 We use Vine to create Food Gift Cards with both in-person and online redemption capabilities. Online shopping is currently limited to the OFN Platform, but VINE is designed to be able to integrate with other sales platforms down the road. 🚀 VINE not only meets our current pilot partners' needs but also lays a solid foundation for developing more extensive food subsidisation solutions in the future. We're already exploring VINE's potential for global implementation with the OFN France team! 🌎 Curious to learn more about VINE and its capabilities? We'll be hosting a tech-specific webinar later this year! To stay updated on this and other project developments, sign up to our project newsletter via the link below. ✉️ https://lnkd.in/gVpnDCp6 #FoodSubsidy #OpenSource #TechForGood #FoodAccess

🌿 TOMORROW: Global Agroecology in Practice Event - Join Us! 🌿 Just a friendly reminder that our exciting event "Global Agroecology in Practice: Case Studies and Insights for Australia's Transition" is happening TOMORROW! 📅 This is such an incredible opportunity for all of us in the food systems space to come together and be inspired by the possibilities for transformation! Dr. Hannah Wittman will be sharing her wealth of knowledge on agroecological transitions that are good for the land, farmers, and everyone who eats what they grow. 🌱🥕 You can join us either in person at the William MacMahon Ball Room, Old Arts (refreshments provided!) or online via livestream. The link for the online session will be sent out tomorrow morning, so keep an eye on your inbox! ✉️ This event is a must see so please share this with anyone you know who's passionate about food system transformation and would love to be part of this conversation. 💚 🕒 Time: 6:30-8:00 PM, March 19, 2025 🎫 In-person tickets and online registration: https://lnkd.in/gn4YQR-Q 🖥️ Online link: Coming to your inbox tomorrow morning! Hosted by the School of Agriculture Food and Ecosystem Sciences and Open Food Network.

🌱 Dan Kittredge Launches First Certificate-Level Nutrient-Dense Food Masterclass Exciting news for food producers and sustainability enthusiasts! 🚀 Dan Kittredge, organic farmer and founder of the Bionutrient Food Association, is launching the world's first Certificate-Level Masterclass in Nutrient-Dense Food Production in Australia (April). This groundbreaking two-part seasonal program teaches participants how to produce foods with superior nutritional content and natural resilience. 🌿 When plants receive complete, balanced nutrition, they naturally resist disease and pests, increasing both productivity and profitability. Kittredge pioneered the term "nutrient density" and invented the Bionutrient Meter – a handheld spectrometer that measures food quality at point of purchase. 📱 The comprehensive Masterclass covers soil minerals, plant health, inoculants, and sustainable growing practices. Participants receive ongoing support throughout the program and earn accreditation after demonstrating their ability to grow nutrient-dense crops. "I've spent decades showing how food systems can nourish both land and people," says Kittredge. Join Dan and register via his website - www.DanKittredge.com! 🌎

🎉THIS WEEK! our latest newsletter 🗞️🗞️ for Food Subsidy Pilot Project is being sent out (Friday 14th March) We will officially be introducing our project partners, our new piece of software that makes this project so exciting and updates on the next webinar. If you aren't already signed up to the project newsletter follow the link to stay informed: https://lnkd.in/gVpnDCp6

PUBLIC EVENT: Global Agroecology in Practice: Case Studies and Insights for Australia's Transition We're excited to announce an event that delves into pathways for food system transformations, in collaboration with researchers in the School of Agriculture Food and Ecosystems Sciences at the University of Melbourne and Dr. Hannah Wittman. Dr. Wittman will present a public lecture about agroecological transitions worldwide and their relevance to Australia. Drawing on extensive community-based and participatory research, Dr. Wittman will share insights from her work in agrarian reform, food sovereignty, and health equity. The lecture will compare approaches generating agroecological transitions across diverse global contexts including Canada, Brazil, and Ecuador. Key topics include: - Policies supporting ecological farming and access to healthy food - Investments in public procurement and farm-to-school programs - Development of open-source digital tools for on-farm decision-making About the Speaker: Dr. Hannah Wittman is a Professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia and a member of multiple sustainability-focused research centres. As leader of UBC's Research Excellence Cluster in Diversified Agroecosystems, her work spans global contexts with a focus on community-based solutions. FREE tickets via Humanitix: https://lnkd.in/gn4YQR-Q 📅 March 19, 2025 ⏰ 6:30-8:00 PM 📍 William MacMahon Ball Room, Old Arts Refreshments provided for a casual Q&A session at the end of the lecture Hosted by the School of Agriculture Food and Ecosystem Sciences and Open Food Network. Photo: by José Carlos Alexandre of farming in Burkina Faso

Do you know an Australian primary or secondary school teacher? Please let them know about this opportunity! 🎒   We're working with 15 Research and Development Corporations to develop a National Schools Food and Fibre Education Strategy.   High-quality food and fibre education in schools can help bridge the disconnect between urban populations and the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors by improving understanding of modern food and fibre industries and inspiring students to pursue relevant careers.   We've developed a short survey to inform the strategy and are keen to hear from teachers, principals, lead teachers and other relevant school-based staff.    Fill out the survey below or get in touch with RMCG Senior Consultant Brooke Hermans for more information.    https://lnkd.in/g97QjnCn   #survey #education #foodandfibre #strategy #workforce

As a part of reflecting back on 2024 and the amazing people that built Discover Regenerative, we wanted to share a case study done by one of the team. “Very few aspects were clear from the start. There wasn't much knowledge about this emerging market in Australia, and the definition of regenerative agriculture was, and still is, debated even within the industry experts. We knew we wanted to increase the market for regenerative produce, but defining drivers and blockers for growth in this space was also unclear.” To tackle these challenges, we were fortunate to have Digital Product and UX Designer, Mario Carabotta, join our team for the first phase of the Discover Regenerative Portal. Mario's expertise in facilitating digital product initiatives, conducting research, interactive design, and leading product development made him the perfect fit for our goals. Mario documented this journey in a design-focused case study that offers readers an inside look at launching the Discover Regenerative Portal. His study reveals how we navigated uncertainties and complexities to bring the platform to life. Read the case study via: [https://lnkd.in/guBpkVsP] and find our definition of Regenerative Agriculture via https://lnkd.in/gqFCwNuB Images: Mario / Discover Regenerative simple branding designs

Happy 2025! Open Food Network Australia is kicking off the year with an exciting launch of the Food Subsidy Pilot Project this February! 🚀 Throughout January, we'll be introducing you to our partner organisations, the new technology underpinning the project, and sharing details about our upcoming webinar. If you can't wait to find out more, sign up for the Food Subsidy Pilot newsletter to receive all the latest updates. Newsletter is out in the next two weeks and you can signup via the link: [https://lnkd.in/gVpnDCp6]