Setting up a food swap

Would you like to set up a Transition Darebin Food Swap in your neighbourhood?

The following guidelines set out the basics. For further information or to let us know you’d like to go ahead, email transitiondarebin@gmail.com.

Setting up a Transition Darebin Food Swap

Why?

• To build community capacity (one of the goals of the Transition movement).

• To encourage people to share garden produce and food-growing skills with others in your local area.

• To extend the geographical range of Transition Darebin food swaps — others are in Reservoir, Preston South/Thornbury and Fairfield.

Who?

• To be viable the group needs a core of at least 3 people, of whom 2 would be available each month. 

• The swap is open to anyone in the local area who would like to share garden produce — e.g. fruit & veg, seeds, seedlings, preserves — or just ideas.

When?    

• Transition Darebin swaps to date have been monthly, on a Saturday morning, for 1 hour.

• 11am-12noon is recommended, based on past experience.

• Take into account the dates of other Transition Darebin food swaps — it's good to spread them across the month if possible.

Where? 

• An outdoor, sheltered site which has passing foot traffic is ideal.

• Some considerations (you’d be super lucky if you had a site that met all of these):

  • shelter — from sun, rain, wind

  • passing foot traffic

  • storage for food swap kit (see below)

  • pleasant surrounds — an inviting place to sit or stand and chat

  • a table to put stuff on. 

• A site where you can easily get the landholder's approval if needed.

Gather a ‘food-swap kit’:   

• Seeds

• Seed box

• Baskets for display

• Table (depending on venue, may be available on-site)

• Transition Darebin information poster with QR code for mailing list

• Transition Darebin banner or sandwich board for display.

Publicity:

• Transition Darebin can provide a poster template, which can be modified and printed for local noticeboards.

• Transition Darebin promotes food swaps regularly through social media channels and the Transition Darebin mailing list.