Last month, Food Connect (“fresh produce from local farmers at a fair price”) was taken on by another social enterprise called Ooooby (Out of our own back yards). Ooooby had decided to discontinue the “city cousin” program that sees fruit and veggies delivered for pickup to local collection points. However, after feedback from subscribers and city cousins, they have reversed their initial decision. The city cousin program will continue with one small difference – pickup is now on a Tuesday rather than a Wednesday. (There is also the option of free home delivery – please see the Ooooby website for details.)
Ooooby is a social business that pays everyone fairly and all profits are invested into seeding local food production start-ups. The first Ooooby prototype was established on a small island in the Auckland harbour and has since developed into a thriving local food enterprise in both Auckland and Sydney with a team of people who are committed to building a better and fairer food system.
Ordering is easy. Each Thursday subscribers receive an email with a list of the contents of their next box plus a longer list of fresh produce to choose from to top up or swap out.
Marrickville resident Nathan is a strong supporter of fair food. “Something I really like is that as well as fruit and veggies you can also get eggs, bread, honey and tons of other stuff,” Nathan said.
Ooooby operates by ensuring that 50 per cent of each box goes back to the farmers. This is much more than a supermarket, and is part of Ooooby’s continuing mission to pay farmers a fair price and make local food a viable option. In addition, this means that any price increase is reflected by an equal increase in produce value in the box.
Tim of Redfern, a Food Connect subscriber over a couple of years, appreciates the city cousin program. He said: “Ooooby will not deliver to secure buildings like the apartment block where I live. Without a city cousin, I couldn’t continue with Ooooby.”
Miriam Pepper, city cousin at Waterloo for three-and-a-half years, pointed out that up to 50 per cent of subscribers in the local area depend on the city cousin program. “The program is not only about picking up boxes,” she added, “it’s about building relationships around sustainable food. City cousins also continue in Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Newtown, Camperdown and Chippendale” (for contact details see the Ooooby website).
Julian Lee, co-founder of Food Connect, sent the following email message to subscribers: “It is with some sadness that I bid you farewell. The last four years have been quite an adventure. I have met many wonderful people, eaten some amazing food and been proud of how we have all come together as a community to support our local farmers. It is also with anticipation that I look to a bright future with Ooooby, building an even stronger local food economy. I want to thank each of you who have participated and shown your support, from simply taking an interest and talking to your friends about ‘fair food’, through to devoting your energies to supporting our local farmers and community.”
Pete Russell, the founder of Ooooby, is Sydney born and bred, and learned a lot about the globalised industrial food system while running a food importing business in Marrickville. Pete saw firsthand how, by partnering with a multinational food corporation, his business was able to undercut local suppliers and dominate the market within a matter of two years.
While it was a great way to make lots of money, Pete noticed that the side effects of the global food game had a devastating impact on the health of local communities and ecosystems.
