Earlier this year as I was assessing the egg buying options at my local supermarket, I was perplexed and frustrated. Organic. Free-range. Certified Humane. Vegetarian-fed. Barn-laid. RSPCA Approved. So many confusing labels. I had no idea what they meant. And I didn’t trust their claims anyway.
After buying what I thought might be the most ethical eggs, I came home and dug around on the internet for some options. That’s when I found Tom’s Paddock, a local supplier of eggs from ethically-raised, nomadic chooks. I could buy direct from the farm and Tom would deliver if I ordered a minimum of 12 dozen at a time. Now, I love eggs but not that much!
Soon an idea got a hold of me. What if I started an egg-buying group in my community? Within no time, I’d recruited 24 egg-loving neighbours and set up a little system to manage it all. At last count, we’ve ordered 278 dozen eggs over the last three months from Tom! The chooks are happy, the eggs are delicious, and it feels great to be supporting an ethical local farmer in these tough times.
From this small idea, a bigger idea has emerged. What if our egg-buying group could evolve into a food co-operative?
Food insecurity, inequity, waste, emissions and unsustainable production are very real issues today. What if our little community could cooperate to create our own sustainable food system? Perhaps we could grow food together and buy bulk-foods and fresh produce to share? Or maybe we could swap our surplus produce, cooked meals and recipes and even dine together one day? So much food for thought, right?
I have no clue yet where this idea will take us, but everyone in our egg-buying group is on board and ready to co-create something magical.
If you have a little idea that might be good for you, good for others and good for the planet, don’t hesitate. You don’t have to change the whole world with it, just your corner of it. Start small. Gather some supporters. Give it a crack (pun intended). You just never know where it might take you. It may lead to a big idea – or it may stay small and sweet. Nothing ventured. Nothing gained.
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As always, if I can be of service reach out. I’m here. I care.
With love
PS If you missed my recent podcast Conversations on The Coronation. Listen here
About me: I’m a Purpose Educator and author of The Purpose Project. I help leaders attract and retain the best people by harnessing the power of deep purpose and storytelling. I do this through The Purpose Project for Companies, a customised consultative process for co-creating a new purpose statement and The Purpose Project Course, a 7-step online course to help employees bring their own why to work.