Seed To Plate is the process and gateway to Self-Sufficiency, using the Trade Shack to create holistic connections between postcode community members, learning and growing. Going beyond the conventional approach. From sowing to growing, all locally within your Postcode Community.

Seed to plate

Concept

Backyard Growing.

Not everybody can do backyard growing and save seeds. If you have a small garden or a balcony, you might not have the luxury to let produce grow to seed.

This is where the Seed-To-Plate concept plays an important role. The idea is simple:

Provide access to heirloom seeds, non-GMO produce and local food to everybody in the Postcode Community.

It is essential one of the cornerstones of the Trade Shack. Help you along the way find local produce or help to grow your own.

Why this way?

The Vision

(Postcode) Community NOT Commune.

Creating a network of the backyard and local commercial growers is the way forward. We have assisted several initiatives where groups of people would buy a large parcel of land together, to co-exist and become self-sufficient. It works for some, but it only works for some. Some groups raise funds to buy a farm or farm share together, having a dedicated farmer working the land and growing what the group desires. It is like shareholders in a farm.

The “problem” with group buying and shareholders is:

Dependent on the group decisions.
Initial money outlay that can or cannot be recouped.
Large is not always good
All “eggs” potentially in one basket.
The group dynamic and harmony dependentcy.

Our approach has neither of those potential problems.

By encouraging, assisting and helping people in the local community to grow their food, you can achieve the same from your own “lounge chair” in the “privacy” of your block of land. With a little bit of coordination, sharing and guidance, a local postcode community should be able to grow a large diversity of food, supplementing the existing supply. You could even remove the long supply chain.

It requires a bit of coordination to prevent everybody from growing the same if you want diversity, but you can only do with it. Just remember, there are only so many cucumbers a community can eat. If we can establish a free exchange, which is already happening using the local edible exchange, then some can grow cucumbers, others can grow spaghetti squash etc.

Is it only FOOD?

Let’s have a closer look.

It is all interconnected, starting at the seed level. Our lives over the years have become very disconnected from nature. With the disconnect, we also sacrificed togetherness and support from our fellow human beings and communities. The disconnect between us and the food we eat is the result of islands of intensive and chemical-dependent farming. Intentionally created for profit and reliance on big companies providing food on our tables.

It does not need to be that way.

Plants, particularly vegetables, can thrive using non-GMO seeds, fewer chemicals, and proper care. Great results are seen using Companion Planting. It is a full cycle of interconnectivity between herbs, companion plants, and vegetables that will enable you to grow enough food for your family. Without the need for chemicals, it is not easy but very very rewarding.

You need space and time, and it is hard work. Getting the family involved, strong connections are formed, and a sense of responsibility and accountability is built for generations to come. Strong family connections build strong supportive communities. People who care for their environment and one another will be better off in the long run.

Members of your Postcode Community know what best grows in your area due to their experiences. Using seeds from their produce means you have access to climatised seeds. They will be members who know about Companion Planting and what herbs grow in the area. We want to connect those who know how to grow in the local area with future growers or customers.

How does seed to plate work?

The Process

The Seed To Plate is the process that supports postcode communities, from planting seeds to growing to trading to eating. Backyard Growers are the centre of that. Focusing on fresh quality food grown locally, traded locally, and consumed locally.

Find what to grow

Grow what you eat. This can be vegetables, animals or poultry. What suits your land?

Step 01

Grow food

Grow the right food at the right time.

Step 02

Introduce yourself

Backyard or Commercial growers both are welcome at the Trade Shack to buy/sell and swap.

Optional

Sell your produce

Did you get left over produce? Sell it, and exchange it at the Local Edible Exchange.

Optional

Trade Shack pulls it all together in a single place.

We are not reinventing the wheel. We are not rewriting what is good. We are consolidating, collaborating and contributing to building strong communities. This all builds up to the seed-to-plate destination of the Trade Shack journey.

The Trade Shack hopes to be a one-stop shop from the source (seed, eggs and others) to application and consumption. Influencing, learning, supporting, encouraging, and engaging every step. This journey hopes to grow you into a more self-sufficient you and your community. It is a form of prepping, and we only write or post what is factually proven and done by a community member.

It does not stop with growing. It is not limited to food. It is about shortening the supply chain. If you produce something local using local materials, we love to see your products advertised on the Trade Shack.

Can't grow? Find a local grower.

Local Growers

Trade shack

Local Grown

List your business

Food producers ONLY

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What to expect?

As a Member

Seed to Plate is an initiative to help you to grow food and expands on the Trade Shack Grower section:

Seed Exchange, where you can get and find seeds that grow in your area.
Connect with local vegetables and animal growers.
Learn about companion growing. What grows together?
Learn how to prepare what you grow.
Learn how to preserve and save food and seed.
Share information, seeds, and experiences.
When to plant and what to plant.
How to use it in food.
Create and share recipes.
Buy, sell and barter.

Trade shack
holistic approach to

Self-Sufficiency

Backyard Growers
Produce for sale