Transition Towns and the Community Harvest Project

Being part of the Transition Town Network is all about not having to reinvent the wheel.

It's are about supporting all the good things that are already happening, finding the gaps where things aren't happening and then hopefully filling those gaps.

Transition Towns all have 'food' sub groups - coming from a permaculture basis, food is foremost in a lot of Transition Town activities, but of course, it's not all we do.

There are also problems to be solved in transport, water, energy, waste and much more.

But food is a great connector - there is nothing like a shared meal with friends (old and new) and food is something we do have control over - we can choose to grow our own, buy local, buy organic, start local food projects and we can choose how we spend our food consumer dollar.

So when I found the Victorian Community Harvest Project website it caught my attention.

Here were groups of people already working on local food solutions - teaching and helping people grow their own, linking people and food within local areas with maps education and events, and helping people prepare for climate and energy uncertainty in the future - just like Transition Towns do.

So I contacted them to see if Transition Town Eudlo and Transition Sunshine Coast could use the term 'Community Harvest' for our food groups - those two words are also powerful as they cover so much - wild harvests, farmers markets, community gardens, celebrations, cooking, and the sharing of excess.

The other added bonus is what when we act locally, but link globally (and nationally) we add weight to all our actions.

Rather than working in isolation, you can join a national network and send a clear message to decision makers that we are all talking to each other, planning to move forward in the same direction and sharing ideas and successful models with each other. This is why I go on so much about Transition Towns becoming official.

If you are with a Transition Town group, take a look at the Community Harvest model and see if it suits you - if it does, contact them and add your name and support to the relocalisation of our food production, supply and distribution.

Cheers,
Sonya Wallace
Transition Sunshine Coast
Transition Town Eudlo

Transition Town trainer, facilitator and consultant