I have noticed that there is such a huge disconnect between the consumer and producer - city people sometimes don't understand where the milk/food comes from. Logically, we all know that milk comes from cows, fruit and vegetables from the earth, meat comes from animals etc. but at 7.45 on a Tuesday morning, that thought doesn't come so easily when you are ordering a latte and ham and cheese croissant.
I grew up on a banana farm myself, and have lived in cities (Brisbane, London, Sydney) and now find myself now in rural Victoria. I work in the dairy industry and of course I write about food so this issue is particularly close to my heart.
With that in mind, blogger "Talking Fairleigh" (another South-East Queenslander! yay!) has put the challenge out to every cafe in Australia to carry rural newspapers in their business so that their patrons can start to understand that where their food/drink comes from is not just an abstract concept but a living, breathing close by place - and part of the same community - whether they are visible or not. Check out her article here:
As she says: "the benefits to rural Australians of having more urban people with a greater understanding of where their food and fibre comes from, of the people and communities who produce it, and the conditions under which they produce it, could be extraordinary!"
If you're a cafe owner, I challenge you to stock a rural periodical. If you are a cafe patron, you should challenge your local coffee shop. Tell them, twitter, FB or email them the link and lets get this happening!
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