We invited all local producers selling fresh or freshly-made food and drinks across the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula region to join us in a discussion about food surplus.

This project aimed to:

• Learn from local producers about the experiences and challenges of food surplus
• Explore new distribution/sales avenues for food surplus
• Provide benefits for producers and our community by increasing the availability and affordability of fresh local food

Through this project, we discovered the effectiveness of existing food surplus management strategies, and some of the main causes of local food surplus.

A suite of recommendations to explore has now been put forward, such as:

• investigating the role and feasibility of local food hubs
• utilising apps and platforms designed to share surplus
• creating ‘harvesting support programs’
• strengthening connections and continue to build a food surplus network
• sharing and promoting existing successful management strategies

We will continue to share the findings, actions, and ideas throughout 2025. A report will also be made available, and you can request a copy here: thecommunityplate@gmail.com

Most of all, thank you to all the local producers and manufacturers who gave their time to undertake the survey!