Congratulations to BSFG and Food Coop members who set up and worked at the inviting information and produce stall at the Source event in the Benalla Gardens on Saturday 23rd February. To Daz de Fazio, pictured here with Helen Duggin and Kevin Smith, we value your passion and energy in creating this event to celebrate the 10th birthday of Ed Space and the musicians and music you love and to give a presence to the food, wine and makers in our region. Thank you for including organisations working towards a sustainable future when designing this promising inaugural event!
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The next General Meeting of Benalla Sustainable Future Group will be on Thursday March 28 from 7.30pm until 9.30pm at the Benalla Uniting Church Meeting Room Carrier Street Benalla, opposite the Coles car park. Our guest speaker is Warrenbayne local Serenity Hill whose topic is ‘Food, unincorporated’. ‘Sometimes the best way to fix the system is to start a new one’, https://openfoodnetwork.org.au/. The Open Food Network was founded by Serenity Hill and Kirsten Larsen in 2012 as part of the Open Food Foundation. It is a platform that supports a food system that is open and fair, where producers and community based enterprises can sell local, seasonal produce online to their community. It has now grown to a global movement. The meeting will be a good opportunity to learn more about this home grown initiative which has now spread to the UK, Scandinavia, Canada, and France, with South Africa, India and the USA coming soon. Thank you to Kathryn McQualter of our Benalla Local Food Network for arranging with Serenity to speak to us. After the business of the meeting and hearing about the Open Food Network from Serenity there will be a light supper. We look forward to seeing you there. Regards, Peter Maddock, Secretary, 0418 135 330  Beyond Zero Emmissions, supported by Renewable Energy Benalla and Benalla Rural City are presenting this forum showcasing how business and manufacturing can move to 100% renewable energy. Local presenters include Bright Brewery and Brown Brothers. The forum will:
Download the Flyer as a PDF or click on the image below.  Recently Shannon Loughnane of My Extremely Long Walk for Climate Action contacted BSFG seeking support on his walk from North Coburg to Canberra from April 20 to May 14 2019. Described as a Low-Carbon, Community-Powered Solo Walk, Shannon plans to arrive in Benalla on Saturday April 27, staying overnight & leaving for Wangaratta next day.
The support Shannon is seeking from BSFG is hosting for the night, gathering signatures on the petition, and assistance in gathering local groups and people to meet for an event on the day of his arrival. Please contact me if you are able to provide accommodation. We are looking at a number of options to collect signatures on Shannon’s Petition. The Food Co-op will have the petition available on open days, https://www.bsfg.org.au/calendar.html. We will have the petition at our General Meeting on Thursday March 28th. The petition is also available online, http://www.myextremelylongwalk.com/sign-the-petition/. Details about an event on the day of Shannon’s arrival are being looked at and I will forward information about this later, as well as any other options for signing the petition. Shannon is hoping an event on his arrival will enable him to connect with local communities on his way to Canberra to see what is happening in regards to climate change. Shannon’s route to Canberra, http://www.myextremelylongwalk.com/the-route/. We may require some assistance from BSFG members for additional collection of signatures on the petition and the welcome event - I will make contact by email about this later if necessary. Peter Maddock Secretary 0418 135 330 (From the March Newsletter)
Last October, at a BSFG Committee Meeting, we decided to review the publication of the BSFG Newsletter. As you would be aware, considerable time is required to collect articles, format and publish the newsletter. There are currently four publications per year. At this point I would like to say thankyou to Ian Herbert for his tremendous commitment in putting the newsletter together, and to the members who contribute articles. In order to ascertain what members would like and expect in the newsletter, we conducted a survey. The following information and percentages relate to the paid financial members of whom 30% responded. The compiled results are as follows: • 100% of respondents wanted to receive a newsletter • 50% read every newsletter • Of those who read the newsletter, 58% read all articles. Main reasons given for not reading the newsletter were time constraints and that some members only read the articles that interest them. The preferred number of pages was four to six. Some thought it should depended entirely on number of articles submitted. 58% wanted to receive the newsletter quarterly. Again some thought that should depend on amount of content. Another suggestion was that perhaps only two or three special editions throughout the year be emailed out, and other articles of relevance as they appear. Topics of interest • Climate change and related topics such as sustainable housing and renewable energy etc. • Limits to growth • Population • Air water and soil pollution • Waste management • Natural environment /biodiversity • Permaculture • Local activities and initiatives -practical ways to contribute, updates • Stories of what others are doing and achieving • Links to other resources, new stuff Most members wanted to see articles on action group reports, editorial comment, local issues and relevant links to topical articles. Many also thought a cartoon would be a good addition. Improvements • Fewer newsletters eg. two per year with short sharp key messages with photos • More contributions from members • As there are many opportunities to keep abreast with what you are interested in through media , it is of more interest to see what is happening locally • More photos • Make it the pick of the website discussions and content Member's contribution to the newsletter • 63% of respondents indicated they would contribute to the newsletter occasionally • 25% said they contribute regularly Other comments The newsletter could be left at other venues around Benalla e.g. TAFE and Library. 'Preaching to the converted' comes to mind - how can we reach the unconverted? Thankyou to the members who submitted their thoughts and completed the questionnaire. Although we would have liked to have heard from more of our members, the information was thoughtful and relevant. My thoughts Overall members were very happy with the content and delivery of the newsletter. Members cited climate change and related issues as very important for inclusion in the newsletter. There was a strong emphasis for wanting articles on local action, initiatives, outcomes and photos. In response to many of the questions, this topic found its way into the member's responses. Christine Holmes on behalf of the BSFG Committee Our March Newsletter is now available. Thank you to members who contributed articles. We had a number of articles which, due to space limitations we may carry over to the next Newsletter. Thank you Ian Herbert for editing the Newsletter. The deadline for submission of articles for our June Newsletter is Sunday 19th May.
Membership fees help to provide the necessary finance to run Benalla Sustainable Future Group so that BSFG can continue to provide a valuable role in the community. However we still have a few members who have not yet paid their 2018 Membership. Our policy has been that after a period of time unpaid members would be moved to our Contact list and no longer receive the Newsletter or General Meeting Minutes. The Committee may need to formalise this policy and include a definite time period on our Membership Form. However if the 2018 membership is not renewed by March 13, unpaid members will be moved to our Contact list. The Membership Renewal Notice is available on this website if you have not yet renewed your 2018 membership. The Renewal Notice has details about renewing your membership. We apologize if you have recently paid your 2018 membership. We do look forward to and appreciate your continued support. Peter Maddock Secretary |
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