The Local Edible Exchange is not new. It is based upon an honesty system. You bring something. You take something. We expand on this concept by allowing for pre-purchased exchanges, as explained in our Backyard Growers section.
What is the Local Exchange process?
Grow-Harvest-Exchange
It does not need to be an edible exchange. It can be like an exchange for anything produced locally. The key is that the local community participates, supports and uses it.
What is a Local Edible Exchange?
A Place To "Trade"
The Local Edible Exchange concept is not new and is based on initiatives that are already working since 2008 or longer, like the local edible exchanges in different areas around Brisbane. It is a great way to connect with your local community.
REKO is another method, where the place and time are the same every week, with the difference that all goods are pre-purchased from the farm, we talk about this on our Backyard Growers Network.
Then there is the Edible Exchange, this is purely bartering, no money exchanges hands. You bring something and you take something. It is based upon what is there, not based upon pre-arranged trades. Exchange is NOT TRADE, exchange is based upon deposit and collection happening at different time frames. (this is important ;-))
How is this different then classifieds?
REKO is similar to classifieds. Edible EXCHANGES are not. With an edible exchange, you take what is there and leave what you have left over, per the honesty system. It is NOT a TRADE. You use your connections to make it work.
The Trade Shack is about creating connections in the virtual world so you can meet in the REAL WORLD. Many initiatives use social media like Fakebook, Telegram and others. We build our platform to avoid Big Tech and keep your data private. Keeping it LOCAL, meet your neighbours, local farmers and backyard growers. You can use the forum to discuss ideas and how to do things, whereas, with a normal classifieds site, it is about selling only. The Trade Shack is the whole ecosystem around self-sufficiency for Local Communities.
We acknowledge that there are several different approaches to selling products and Trade Shack is just another way. Our unique flavour, if you like, is creating localities by focusing only on local produce. In particular, the ones produced by Backyard growers or farmers. We believe this is where the future of local community farming is going, small blocks of land with high yields and variety.
The Trade Shack tries to complement the existing local type exchanges that are already working like the REKO initiatives and the Edible Exchange initiatives. (See FAQ or our training courses for more details, or visit the Forum to discuss more)
Where are Edible Exchanges?
Have a look
Trade shack
Edible Exchanges
Online Edible Exchange access is controlled by the Exchange Community. Only subscribers can see the location, and only Exchange Community members can post and see the Exchange inventory.
If you are a member of the local Edible Exchange, you can:
- View, search, add, and edit what you exchange.*
- You can participate in the exchange discussion.
- You can see its address and exact location.
This is set per Edible Exchange. For example, if you are a member of the Samford Edible Exchange and not a member of the Eatons Hills Exchange, then you cannot see the inventory in the Eatons Hills Exchange.
To view the map showing the Edible Exchanges, you need to sign up.
* Note: if the community wants to use the Trade Shack to manage their edible exchange please contact the webmaster on the about page.