FARM RAISER X CARING FARM CO-OP

food relief vouchers

Farm Raiser & caring farms co-op’s GOOD Food Voucher Program aims to make locally grown, healthy produce more accessible to everyone in our community.

Traditional food relief often falls short and people experiencing food insecurity can face shame, limited choice, and a lack of culturally relevant options. Our voucher program allows individuals to choose fresh, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food in a way that promotes dignity, reduces stigma, and supports local growers.

Food voucher programs are increasingly recognised as best practice because they uphold dignity, agency, and choice (Foodprint Melbourne, 2024). Traditional emergency food relief often relies on surplus food donations and provides limited or no choice, which can lead to nutritional gaps, cultural inappropriateness, and feelings of shame among recipients. Voucher schemes empower people to select their own food based on their dietary, cultural, and household needs, restoring autonomy and reducing the stigma associated with food relief. Models such as community-based markets, social supermarkets, and voucher programs enable people to access healthy, affordable food in more inclusive and respectful ways.

Voucher programs also strengthen local food systems and community resilience by supporting local producers and circulating resources within the community. By enabling people to purchase food directly from our farm shop, the voucher program bridges the gap between food relief and sustainable food systems. It supports local production through the relationships that Farm Raiser has with other small scale growers all around Narrm.

REDEEMING YOUR VOUCHER

Vouchers can be redeemed at…

Farm Raiser’s Grocery Store
 📍 15 Perkins Ave, Bellfield 3081
🕓 Friday 9am–2pm | Saturday 9am–2pm

What you can buy
Your voucher can be used to purchase anything available in the Farm Raiser grocery store, including:

  • 🥕 Fresh, organically grown vegetables grown by Farm Raiser and other local farms

  • 🍎 Local seasonal fruit

  • 🥚 Local free-range eggs

  • 🥛 Milk, cheese, and bread from local producers

  • 🫙 Preserves and other pantry staples

Delivered seasonal veggie box (limited availability) from Caring Farms Co-op

Order by Sunday for delivery on Wednesday

PROGRAM PARTNERS

  • CARING FARMS CO-OP

    Caring Farms Co-op (fka. the Veggie Empire) grow fruit, vegetables and herbs at Beales Road Farm in Greensborough. They sell both seedlings and vegetables to the public. They also provide vegetables and herbs to the food relief program at Greenhills Neighbourhood House.

    The farm team, who collectively own the organisation, comprises NDIS-funded team members Josh, Scott and Rylan, plus supporting horticulturalists and other volunteers. At its core, the organisation exists to provide vocational opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities in a safe, inclusive and empowering environment.

    The farm includes a propagation nursery where the team grow seedlings for planting out on the farm and for sale to other farms.

  • OPEN FOOD NETWORK

    Open Food Network aims to make regenerative food more accessible through open and shared digital infrastructure for food supply networks. Open Food Network provides an online marketplace software for farmers, food producers, and community hubs that removes the barrier to entry in the marketplace found in commercial software.

    This software is now used by more than 2500 enterprises in over 15 different countries.

    Farm Raiser will be using Open Food Network’s software to distribute and manage our vouchers.

FUNDING PARTNERS

DISTRIBUTING PARTNERS