Whilst lockdown measures may have put the bite on food festivals and country daytrips, this hasn’t stopped the Scenic Rim farming community. A group of local producers, supported by the Scenic Rim Regional Council, have launched the Scenic Rim Farm Box; a new ‘farm to you’ home delivery business which will deliver the region’s best produce, products, wine and beer to your front door – making it easy to eat local every week.

Scenic Rim Farm Box is designed to fill the Scenic Rim Eat Local Week gap caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) Mayor Greg Christensen said the service would deliver farm fresh, seasonal, quality produce and products grown or made in the Scenic Rim. He said it delivered on Council's approved economic stimulus package announced at a Special Council Meeting held on 26 March 2020, to help minimise the impact of COVID-19 on the Scenic Rim's economy. “Council has committed to work with the region's agricultural sector to develop a 'Scenic Rim Providore' sales, logistics and delivery solution to open up growth opportunities,” he said.

“Scenic Rim Farm Box will connect consumers and visitors with the people and produce of the Scenic Rim from the safety and comfort of their own homes. While sadly we cannot have Scenic Rim Eat Local Week in its usual format this year, we can have a virtual Eat Local Week instead, via Scenic Rim Farm Box. Scenic Rim Farm Box delivers a solution that heroes and celebrates our producers, our produce, our chefs and ambassadors and our community.”

Scenic Rim Farm Box will deliver the best of the Scenic Rim to households in Brisbane and beyond. The first boxes are expected to be delivered in early May, filled to the brim with fresh, seasonal goods straight from Scenic Rim producers.  Customers can immediately sign up and be the first to know when the Scenic Rim Farm Box online shop goes live by visiting www.scenicrimfarmbox.com.au 

Long-term Eat Local Week sponsors and supporters, Kalfresh Vegetables, have collaborated with Scenic Rim Regional Council to establish the Farm Box concept, which has been a long-held goal of Scenic Rim Eat Local Week. “When we heard that Eat Local Week could not proceed in 2020, we started thinking about the ways we could still connect city-based consumers with the Scenic Rim’s seasonal produce,” said Kalfresh CEO Richard Gorman.

“As well as being a farming business, we are a packing and logistics business, so we have offered our systems and team to the new Scenic Rim Farm Box enterprise. The concept was ‘If the city can’t come to the Scenic Rim, let’s take the Scenic Rim to them’. We have established a new entity and have committed to help get the concept off the ground, quickly. This is a fantastic opportunity for Scenic Rim farmers and producers to put their seasonal products in front of city consumers during a challenging time. A number of local produce businesses already have existing systems and infrastructure which we hope to utilise to benefit the region.