Every month, locals in and around Brookfield get to mingle, share and bring home items they need without using money. This sustainable and sharing attitude is the main concept of the Brookfield Food Swap.
Growing your own food in your backyard? You might be interested in swapping some of your fresh harvests for other people’s produce at the regular food swap event.
The swap happens from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every second Saturday of each month. Brisbane locals gather at the intersection of Adavale Street and Savages Road in Brookfield to swap homegrown produce and homemade products as well as garden and kitchen goodies.
The Beginning of a Sustainable Community
The food swap was founded by Georgie Townsend, a Brookfield resident with a background in Environmental Consulting. She was inspired by her experiences in South Africa where she saw daily examples of local sharing of produce, services, and goods in Port St Johns.
Returning to Australia, she had joined the committee of the Hills Organic Garden on Brisbane’s north and finally decided to bring the Food Swap idea into life.
No Money Involved
“The lovely thing about the swaps and gardening, in general, is that plants grow several things you can eat and also produce seeds – it’s that multiplying effect of generosity, that’s very much the ethos of the swap.”
Swaps are generally non-monetary exchange where people bring their own produce and exchange them with someone else’s products.
One of the great features of the food swaps is the presence of an honest system from like-minded people who values sustainability.
Though no hard rules are in place in the swaps, swappers are expected to be mindful of what is a fair exchange. For instance, eggs and honey have a higher value than seeds or a recipe while fruit for vegetables is an equal exchange.
Another exceptional aspect of the Brookfield Food Swap is the exchange of knowledge in conversations. From there, people learn to garden, share ideas, and try new things.
What to Swap
- Homegrown Produce – fruit, veggies, bunches to herbs (tied together), nuts, honey, eggs
- Homemade Products – jams, marmalades, preserves, pickles, dried fruit, sauces, cordials
- Garden Goodies – worm juice, chicken/horse/cow manure, used feed bags
- Kitchen Goodies – jars, baskets, reusable containers
Pro tip: Pack eggs into half dozen or dozen batches, tie bunches of herbs together, bag up nuts so they are easy to handle and bring a bag to carry your swapped items back home.
To learn more about the Brookfield Food Swap, visit their official website and Facebook page.
