Food Swap

I was thinking about my mango tree, and the possibility that it could produce much more than I could ever eat. I was thinking how great it would be to be able to swap excess food for things that I was lacking. A "food swap", of sorts. A group of people get together, they each bring produce, preserves, plants, crafts, etc., and then they swap. Is there such a thing? Surely there must be?

I did a Google search and did turn up an article about some people in England who did this. A group of 160 people met, all of them bearing foodstuffs of some sort, to trade and barter. Fruit and vegetables, tartlets, beer, chutney, sausage-- all sorts of foodstuffs. No money is permitted at a swap-- it is purely bartering.

A woman is quoted in the article as saying, "“We are trying to find alternative ways of people getting food in a way that fosters a sense of community. Our box scheme is a pick-up scheme, not a delivery one, so people can meet and talk."

Now they've got the right idea! My mouth is watering just thinking about a gathering where everyone has brought homegrown produce and goodies like homemade bread, pickles and preserves. Yum!

I'm all for this idea. If I can become a successful gardener, I'll next be working on my skills of persuasion, and seeing what I can do to convince others of the merits of a food swap. Do I hear a second?