From farm to fork, a cycle of success
By eliminating food waste, plastic packaging and stabilising prices, the project benefits NPOs, soup kitchens, farmers, consumers and the environment.
THE Farmer Exchange is getting ready to launch a new market offering fresh produce to the community. By eliminating food waste, plastic packaging and stabilising prices, the project benefits NPOs, soup kitchens, farmers, consumers and the environment. Durban North resident and project founder, Lindsay Hopkins, is setting up a recycling system as part of the initiative and she is appealing to the community for a 12 ft container to store produce for the market as well as an industrial digester to convert methane gas from the compost heap into reusable energy for cooking.
Hopkins founded the Farmer Exchange after building up a network of local farmers through her work with the C-19 People’s Coalition, an organisation founded in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hopkins has been sourcing bulk produce for food hampers to assist those in financial crisis. What has resulted is an organised chain of produce distribution with knock on benefits from farm to fork.
“When a farmer brings down a load of produce, we quickly sift through to see what can go into the soup pot at the local soup kitchens and what has to go toward animal feed. The second bump up from there is the NGOs, where maybe the fruit doesn’t look pretty, but it still tastes nice. Then the next step up is the community who isn’t concerned with buying retail standard produce. We also have restaurateurs and chefs supporting the initiative,” said Hopkins.
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Through the initiate, Hopkins facilitates farmers by stabilising the price of the produce to assist farmers who are losing out in the retail process.”There are farmers that will sell us second and third grade produce, which usually goes into the compost heap or to feed animals. First grade produce is what shops want, because it fits their standard. Retailers only accept extra large cucumbers, for example, but as a consumer, I don’t mind if a cucumber has a bend in it and I don’t necessarily want an extra large cucumber if I’m living alone,” said Hopkins.
“We want the produce as it comes. Remember the old days, when you could buy a huge cauliflower? Now, there is farmer in Winterton who is losing 40 per cent of her cauliflower produce because it has to be packed a certain way and cut to a certain size for retail. Her off cuts are coming to us to be sold in our market,” she continued.
Gaylene Carlisle, operation manager for the project added: “The produce is quality controlled by the retail stores. The farmer has to comply, if they don’t, the produce goes onto the compost heap. It’s unnecessary waste, when we can eat that produce.”
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The initiative also eliminates plastic waste as the produce is sold without packaging.
“The fact that the produce is coming straight from the farmer, means there doesn’t have to be that extra packaging. We will set up a recycling section here as well,” said Hopkins.
The Farmer Exchange supports responsible farming, that is pesticide and GMO free. While the market is separate from the Golden Hours Market held on Sundays, produce will be on sale on a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning at the Golden Hours Market premises on Uitsig Road in Durban North. For more information email Hopkins via wasteactiontribe@gmail.com.
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