Just Swap It – Bay Of Plenty – Backstory

I was doing deliveries for a local super market just before and during the first lockdown 2020 and naturally visited a lot of properties in the Whakatane district and saw many fruit trees and veggie patches just going to waste, first I thought it was because of the lockdown. Indeed it was part of it, however after things got a back to a sort of normal, I noticed this is not changing very much and started to ask around and people had the following responses:  The elderly simply could no longer do the manual work to pick the fruit or maintain the veggie patch and therefore just going to waste, other people responded that they simply do not have the time and others say that they do not know what to do with the surplus.

So, why not swap fruits and veg that is going to waste by using someone that is willing to do the work and you still get something for it and that person also get a share to swap again for something they need.

How it works:

We will upload daily new sponsors and workers to a database or we can design it so people can upload and delete (manage their own portfolio). You will contact the sponsor and picker directly to arrange a date and time to meet up at the property to discuss what they need picking ect. The picker will take what was agreed and then meet up with other pickers on the day of swapping, swap and then divide what they swapped equally between themselves and the sponsor.

This will work on a honesty system and there no value system, it is all up to the person who is swapping if they want to swap what you have for what they have, 1kg for 1kg. I will host the first couple of events on Sundays to see what response there is and then find a venue when it takes off. I will also provide free treats for everybody joining on the day to create some community spirit.

So then why:

So that we do not waste food and give people the opportunity to feed themselves and others to maintain their properties for free. join the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/justswapit