We recently asked Corner Block Studio in Brisbane for a story on their business and they promptly told us instead about Food Connect, who are in the throws of reinventing their business into a bigger, but still local, sustainable food hub in the Brisbane suburb of Salisbury. With the help of an organic social campaign and the fabulous Costa Georgiadis, Food Connect Shed have raised $2 million in equity crowd funding through Pledge Me. The Food Connect team, led by Founder Robert Pekin and Emma-Kate Rose has raised the funds through the immediate and broader community to set up a sustainable food hub - to house business like the established Food Connect, and new tenants like OzHarvest and many more new smaller businesses.
If you ever doubted the power of committed locals, these stats will change your mind. Just over 565 people raised $2,115,859 to hit the minimum target of $2,000,000 in late November 2018. Further funds are likely to be raised, but the initial round is closed.Food Connect started in 2004, collecting seasonal food from farmers in a 150k radius and delivering boxes to city folk through a drop off network.
The model has expanded (but not the food distance) and developed to arrive at the purchase of the warehouse they have been using for some time. The intention is the development of this shared space shed (well underway & tenanted) to further their commitment to fair food systems and local food.
In line with their fair food ethos, Robert & Emma-Rose decided to equity crowd fund Food Connect Shed, focusing on the local community and women. (It is well documented, but still something that surprises many people - that when women benefit financially from something, whole communities benefit as they invest up to 3 times more of their income in community than men.) It turns out that over 75% of investors in the campaign were women. Food Connect is intent on assisting both farmers and consumers to disconnect from the supermarket food systems. Emma-Rose says:
"WE NOW HAVE AUSTRALIA'S FIRST COMMUNITY-OWNED LOCAL FOOD HUB, THE FOOD CONNECT SHED, PROVIDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROVIDE A STABLE MARKET FOR OUR FARMERS, COMPLETELY DIVORCED FROM MARKET FORCES, AND TO CREATE A HOME TO MANY ETHICAL FOOD ENTREPRENEURS." Corner Block Studio sums up consumer appreciation, "We're pretty pumped about this - I did walk down there to collect our Food Connect fruit and veg boxes yesterday, like most weeks, so we are awfully biased...but there are some great stories behind Food Connect and the newer tenants that have already moved into the new Food Hub since then."