The Benalla Food Co-op is in its 14th year of operation and currently has a membership of 75 households with over 50 of them shopping regularly.
The committee has been very busy. The warmer weather saw an increase in oat bugs, resulting in some stock losses. Efforts to address the issue included a very well attended working bee, the introduction/replacement of bait traps and the storing of most products in plastic containers in the fridge. A chest freezer is now on the shopping list in preparation for the next warm season in the hope that we can quarantine some products when they first arrive.
Callum Morrison, The Public Health Coordinator, provided a Food Safety Assessment report after a visit during one of our open sessions. He raised a few items that needed addressing, including the labelling of clean and used scoop tubs and a small hole in the wall of the building. The committee promptly addressed these concerns.
Post-pandemic publicity for the co-op included a stall at the BRCC’s Creating Community Connections Expo, an interview on ABC local radio, an opening during the Benalla Heritage week and an article in the Ensign announcing the appointment of a new Coordinator.
We currently stock 127 products, many of which are chemical free and sourced from within Victoria. Our product list had a few changes with the introduction of Australian dried figs. Teabags are no longer available and we are now stocking 3 types of loose organic tea. Some of our regular and much-loved products such as dried apricots, choc hazelnuts, olive oil and more recently, plain and SR flour have been difficult to source for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, we now have a supply of olive oil and choc hazelnuts in stock. We are hoping the other products will be in stock again soon.
The Co-op continues to open earlier on Monday afternoons during winter due to shorter daylight hours and colder weather. This commenced in May.
Thank you to Claire Mathlin-Cook for her time in the co-ordinator role. She did a great job keeping on top of the many demands of the role.
Thank you to Wendy Baker for the overall accounting matters (see Wendy’s financial year report). Thank you Christine for continuing to coordinate the roster, and Peter for ongoing management of the day-to-day accounts as well as the biannual stock take. The Holmes have been a huge support to me in my new role as coordinator, having relied heavily on their knowledge and experience.
Thank you to Rhona for the regular email update news and for the fabulous job she did being interviewed on radio. Her promotion of the co-op directly resulted in the signing up of some new members.
Thank you to Graeme Greed for ongoing equipment and building maintenance.
Thank you Maren and her support crew (Julienne and Marlies) for ordering and packaging the spices and herbs.
Thank you to Karen for her dedication as a committee member, which she resigned from late last year. She will continue supporting the co-op in her role as a computer operator.
Thank you to my husband Damien who has regularly collected products and helped unload and stack into the cupboards.
Thank you to Beverly Lee and Peter Maddock for maintaining our social media and BSFG website presence.
And finally, a special thank you to our dear friend and committee member Julie McPherson, who lost her battle with cancer in May this year. Her friendship along with her dedication and passion for the co-op over the many years she was involved, will be deeply missed.
Co-op Committee: Sonia (new coordinator), Christine (rosters), Peter (finance), Rhona (weekly up-dates), Judy (BSFG secretary), Tanya and Rosalie
Duty managers: Graeme, Sonia, Tanya, Rosalie, Christine, Rhona, Joy, Robyn, Eleanor, Claire, Jenny Muller (new) and Theresa Carney (new)
iPad Operators: Peter, Karen, Glenys, Simon, Stacy, Deanne, Jenny, Julienne, Maren, Marlies, Sally and Robert, Graeme
Enquires/feedback welcome via the BSFG website or the Co-op email [email protected]
Sonia Burke
Benalla Food Cooperative Coordinator
June 26 2025
The committee has been very busy. The warmer weather saw an increase in oat bugs, resulting in some stock losses. Efforts to address the issue included a very well attended working bee, the introduction/replacement of bait traps and the storing of most products in plastic containers in the fridge. A chest freezer is now on the shopping list in preparation for the next warm season in the hope that we can quarantine some products when they first arrive.
Callum Morrison, The Public Health Coordinator, provided a Food Safety Assessment report after a visit during one of our open sessions. He raised a few items that needed addressing, including the labelling of clean and used scoop tubs and a small hole in the wall of the building. The committee promptly addressed these concerns.
Post-pandemic publicity for the co-op included a stall at the BRCC’s Creating Community Connections Expo, an interview on ABC local radio, an opening during the Benalla Heritage week and an article in the Ensign announcing the appointment of a new Coordinator.
We currently stock 127 products, many of which are chemical free and sourced from within Victoria. Our product list had a few changes with the introduction of Australian dried figs. Teabags are no longer available and we are now stocking 3 types of loose organic tea. Some of our regular and much-loved products such as dried apricots, choc hazelnuts, olive oil and more recently, plain and SR flour have been difficult to source for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, we now have a supply of olive oil and choc hazelnuts in stock. We are hoping the other products will be in stock again soon.
The Co-op continues to open earlier on Monday afternoons during winter due to shorter daylight hours and colder weather. This commenced in May.
Thank you to Claire Mathlin-Cook for her time in the co-ordinator role. She did a great job keeping on top of the many demands of the role.
Thank you to Wendy Baker for the overall accounting matters (see Wendy’s financial year report). Thank you Christine for continuing to coordinate the roster, and Peter for ongoing management of the day-to-day accounts as well as the biannual stock take. The Holmes have been a huge support to me in my new role as coordinator, having relied heavily on their knowledge and experience.
Thank you to Rhona for the regular email update news and for the fabulous job she did being interviewed on radio. Her promotion of the co-op directly resulted in the signing up of some new members.
Thank you to Graeme Greed for ongoing equipment and building maintenance.
Thank you Maren and her support crew (Julienne and Marlies) for ordering and packaging the spices and herbs.
Thank you to Karen for her dedication as a committee member, which she resigned from late last year. She will continue supporting the co-op in her role as a computer operator.
Thank you to my husband Damien who has regularly collected products and helped unload and stack into the cupboards.
Thank you to Beverly Lee and Peter Maddock for maintaining our social media and BSFG website presence.
And finally, a special thank you to our dear friend and committee member Julie McPherson, who lost her battle with cancer in May this year. Her friendship along with her dedication and passion for the co-op over the many years she was involved, will be deeply missed.
Co-op Committee: Sonia (new coordinator), Christine (rosters), Peter (finance), Rhona (weekly up-dates), Judy (BSFG secretary), Tanya and Rosalie
Duty managers: Graeme, Sonia, Tanya, Rosalie, Christine, Rhona, Joy, Robyn, Eleanor, Claire, Jenny Muller (new) and Theresa Carney (new)
iPad Operators: Peter, Karen, Glenys, Simon, Stacy, Deanne, Jenny, Julienne, Maren, Marlies, Sally and Robert, Graeme
Enquires/feedback welcome via the BSFG website or the Co-op email [email protected]
Sonia Burke
Benalla Food Cooperative Coordinator
June 26 2025
