Benalla Local Food Network 

​A Local Food Network is a group where local food growers, retailers, organisations and community members come together to supply the town with healthy food.

A Benalla Food Security Network has been running since 2012*. It was started to coordinate ways to improve access to healthy foods in Benalla. Due to declining attendance, a review was undertaken in 2017. The group decided to continue as the Benalla Local Food Network, an “Action Group”  of the Benalla Sustainable Future Group.   

​It is envisioned that the Benalla Local Food network will:

• Support community led local food activities e.g. sourcing grants, linking to other organisations
• Promote “Farm to Plate”, linking local producers to community and retail e.g. promote Benalla Food Coop, Open Food Network maps
• Advocate for local food (local government, state government, policies etc.)

The following diagram provides a starting point for development of the group:

Benalla Local Food Network -  Update  
2021

• Benalla's Grow Free Cart was relocated to the Tomorrow Today Foundation in late when it became clear it would be unable to continue at Benalla Health because of Covid-19  restrictions there.   Covid lockdowns made it difficult to proceed with for some months, however in November it reappeared outside the Tomorrow Today Foundation, replenished by  Benalla Central Community Garden members, who are keen for other local growers to join them in sharing produce (see banner photo above).
• Our May meeting was held in the atmospheric setting of the Benalla Central Community Garden behind the Uniting Church.  Lots of information was shared - you can find the notes from the May meeting minute here or in the News Blog
• The first meeting for 2021 was held on Wednesday 17th March from 4 to 5 pm at Benalla Community Care, Ray Sweeney Centre, Coster Street Benalla.  In addition to the excellent information included in the minutes of the meeting, there was informal discussion about the bountiful season in local gardens; the prolific sharing between neighbours and friends of home produce including fig jam; tomatoes and apples; the grow cart program; wicking beds and other innovations.  We all left with apples from Kathryn's garden! 

2020

• Meeting activities were curtailed according to Covid regulations with meeting activity going online for a meeting on Zoom on Wednesday 16 September .  Find out more:  
• The group disseminated information about the Open Food Network's Farmers & Eaters NE Victoria Project  which aims to develop actionable projects to help more North East Vic farmers get more of the retail dollar for their food!   An online Webinar ​Short and Direct Food Supply Chains: Opportunities and Challenges for Farmers in North East Victoria was held by the Open Food Network 17 June 6.30-8.30 pm .  A most informative Background Paper can be found at  https://bit.ly/ofn-ne-backgrounder  Questions? serenity@openfoodnetwork.org.au or 0411878063 ​
• Kathryn also reported that ,
  *  Indigo Shire Council have been the first local council to develop a Draft Local Food policy https://www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au/Have-your-say/Closed-consultations/Draft-Local-Food-Policy
  *  North East Food Strategy group continue to meet during COVID 19
  *  The  EAT Lancet commission report on a healthy sustainable diet helps to answer the question - can healthy food save the planet?   https://eatforum.org/learn-and-discover/can-healthy-food-save-the-planet-animation/

          *  Anecdotal reports suggest more families getting back into gardening and home cooking during lockdown which is great.
          *  Our local Benalla businesses are also doing food deliveries to our local community.

​2019

• Regulars Kathryn McQualter, Peter Maddock and Callum Morrison  and others continued to network and share news at the aptly named Farmer's Basket cafe

• Kathryn participated in the development of the North East Local Food Strategy 2018-2022, released in 2019. The plan aims to strengthen the local food system.
• Serenity Hill spoke about the Open Food Network at the March general meeting of BSFG, giving examples of how how other places in Australia are linking local food to local people!
• Kathryn started a “Grow Free Cart" inspired by the Grow Free project from South Australia. The cart is where people can swap their home grown fruit, vegetables and seedlings. It has been very popular over summer with plenty of tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh apples! The cart is located at the Ray Sweeney Centre 45 Coster St Benalla.
• Kathryn continued  working with partners on the Wicking Garden Beds Project.

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​This group was started and convened until late June 2021 by Kathryn McQualter, dietitian at Benalla Health, who is currently on maternity leave.   Group members Peter Maddock and Callum Morrison continue to pursue interests in local food production and food security, with Peter an active participant in the Benalla Central Community Garden behind the Uniting Church.  The group has not met since then because of Covid-19 restrictions, however will hopefully meet again in early 2022.  Watch this space.  New members are always welcome!

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*​For more information on the work completed by the Benalla Food Security Network from 2012 to 2017, please visit http://www.benallahealth.org.au/CommunityHealth/HealthPromotion-479/BenallaFoodSecurityNetwork-481/