Our Community Stall

For our well being the MAD Skool of Arts realises the importance of fresh organically grown food. With participants coming to the Skool to improve their health we needed to provide a good source of seasonal local food and organic free range eggs, live real milk, breads, honey and so forth. Golden Bay is rich in all of these.

Building on the Rototai projects while living there with Lethea  in 2009 I decided to open up a organic homegrown fruit and vegetable stall with friend Dan and his wife Naia. I had 76 various fruit tree maturing at the home and 36 across the road along the Art Walk Plus many beds of veggies and berries for a starters.Within a few months managed to have nearly forty suppliers across the Bay.

 This old garage, covered in ivy, right along side the road was left idol for years and seemed an ideal stall already built.The owner Theo was generous allowing us to use it rent free. Much appreciated. It is 30 metre from the Mural.

 

Dan and I took a few weeks preparing the shed . We needed to redo the floor, here I put my mosaic skills to play giving it some character. Felt support and inspiration from my Grandfather, Stanko, an Croatian (Yugoslave) immigrant who from bare land developed the Letica store, a vineyard, winery, orchard and veggies then a 4 Square Store for his local community. Well its in the blood, born into it.

Although Dan and I were setting up a Model perhaps for the world. At the time of society 2009-2012 there were many obstacles to step over during the initial period. The local council bureaucracy of $1800 resource consent and the $378 annual fee  along with all the petty rules and regulations (some welcomed). We had to provide a car park for at least four vehicles.

Plant and equipment  like any business, I had NO capital Dan and Naia very little.It was a big ask that we devoted ourselves to.

Dan's focus was on managing the Stall and being a website designer created a great site where people could order directly online and we offered a home delivery service - $20 single box, $30 couples and $40 for Family boxes. I mainly would source out all the food stocks, which built up to more than forty regular suppliers. Painted up my ute (truck) as shown for the deliveries.

During the peak summer tourist season we opened 7 days a week.So you can see we were very consumed into the Stall. All that visited the Stall were more than happy. It wasn't long before we needed to employ staff. We would have a rostered staff of eight on three hours shifts. Having  recognised locals helped give it the Our Community Stall image we intended from the outset.

As well as the Stall we would hold a stall at the local Saturday market in town that proved very popular.

The 2010 we were invited to have Our Community Stall at the  Luminate Festival held on top of Takaka Hill at Cannan each year.   The suppliers did well and those there,however, many brought in food from the supermarkets not knowing we were going to be there. Pre- advertising  next time.   Blue berries were a Big hit in season we would sell the two freshly picked buckets by midday each day.

to be continued...................................