The Food Connect story

The 1965 Dodge ute lovingly named 'Bertha' is the only remaining sentimental connection from Robert's dairy farming days. It has been part of the CSA story around Australia as it has been used to set up many CSAs from Tasmania all the way up the East coast of Australia. Bertha has been used to do most hauling activities particularly during the three moves Food Connect has made between warehouses. These days Bertha is mainly confined to small trips, VIP shuttle duties and to set up stalls around Brisbane but still loves to find a grassy paddock to meander through.

After losing his dairy farm in 1998 and spending several years setting up traditional CSAs around Australia (including his own on rented land near Hobart) our founder, Robert Pekin, envisaged a large community shared agriculture enterprise that could develop a local and regional food system for South East Queensland.

There was no seeding capital to start and grow such a venture, so Robert took to the road enlisting farmers and potential subscribers. Food Connect started in 2004 with its now widely recognised City Cousin system that provides the drop off points for the food grown by our farmers.

The early days of Food Connect were, well, somewhat chaotic!  This sort of thing happens when you have no start up capital. The energy and sheer persistence provided by Robert and many other people has allowed Food Connect to grow to the point where we are now distributing around a thousand boxes a week. We employ 32 staff from a range of backgrounds, including people with disabilities, all committed to implementing a better food system for farmers, subscribers and the environment.

Food Connect is in the process of being replicated in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Bellingen, Coffs Coast and Wollongong.