ABC Open: (f)route in Cabanandra

Another nice story from Samara McIlroy - a Cabanandran who returned from Tassie to be an artist in residence for the (f)route CARTography project early this year.

Thanks to the ABC Open project for their fab support of the (f)route movement.

https://open.abc.net.au/posts/-f-route-spotlights-cabanandra-72bp9lw

it's official. (f)route loves east gippsland

yay - an article about (f)route in Gippsland Country Life mag - Summer Ed.

(f)route PRESS editor, Jessee John - an official East Gippsland Ambassador. yay for Jessee.

yep, (f)route <3 East Gippsland . 
and now it's official.

(ps - we're hoping this article in Gippsland Country Life explains a bit more about what (f)route really is!).  (... it's an EG community based,  arts driven social enterprise for starters :-) ).

(f)route @ seafarers festival

A (f)route gathering - Jeanette Seignior [EO, EGRBTA], Helen Sheil [Centre for Rural Communities], Jochen Kruse [Artist], Deirdre Jack [Artist, President Great Alpine Gallery], Tom Jack [Swifts Creek], Catherine Larkins [Artist, TAFE Visual Arts educator ]

(f)route @ Tallon Glass Nungurner

It's a spectacle. (A glass spectacle in fact)
Hope to have a real (f)route breakfast out there in Jan/Feb 2013. But Norm and Sam are blowing regularly in Nungurner. 

Oh here it is:
105 Nungerner Jetty Rd, Nungurner
The studio is open every weekend, or weekdays by appointment 03 5156 3379
https://www.facebook.com/TallonGlass?ref=ts&fref=ts

(f)route @ the Great Alpine Gallery

Another great report from ABC Open.

(f)route + Organics Association = (f)route CART soon

Organic Agriculture Association Inc (OAA) - Heather, Audrey and Stephen

One of the best bits about (f)route has been making connections with all the people in East Gippsland who are on the same page. fruit+art+sustainability+culture+heritage+community=makes us all feel better. (f)routey.

A little while ago (f)route was funded by the Shire to support the making of a dozen COMMUNITY (f)route carts. (these are separate to our Arts Vic application for ART CARTs - still pending). a bit less arty, and a little more practical most likely. but ALL about connecting.

First cab off the rank - the Organic Agriculture Association Inc (OAA) in Bairnsdale.

This is SOOO exciting for us. the OAA were at our very first (f)route 'strategic planning day' - 2 years ago!! [who'dve thought it would take quite so long] Nonetheless.. we are well and truly on the way..

Their CART will be the centrepiece of their new community garden at the Steiner/Makerspace/OAA precinct. yay.

Stephen, Audrey and Heather are the passionate Organics people who drive a fabulous movement. and have done for ever. We hope this is project will be yet another connector of (f)route-like minds. http://www.organicagriculture.asn.au/

225 survey responses!

An amazing response to our (f)route CRUNCH survey - with 225 responses in 2 days.
And not just quantity!
The answers and extra comments were really helpful in the process of designing our Social Enterprise - it's all about great places, great walks/cycles, extreme relaxation, and fruit. (well good food anyway).
And - Glamping. (but more camping than glam). (but ENOUGH glam).
With a website that supports the growing (f)route community and lets travellers create a  (f)route (f)riendly itinerary.
With well mapped fruit & art . Oh and (f)routeville in March.
Sorted.

The VERY important (f)route SURVEY.

What do you want when YOU travel? (f)route is now building a social enterprise based on the belief that people will love what (f)route can offer in East Gippsland.

We'd love you to complete our survey to help our business planning process.  Click here to take survey

(f)route CRUNCH BRUNCH @ Nungurner

A grand day at Tallon Glass Nungurner watching Norm and Sam blow beautiful glass, a (f)route cake brunch, a walk with blue tongue lizard & tortoise spotting, crab watching by the jetty, over to Oneofftwo Studio to pick up our (f)route jewellery. (oh and we picked up our (f)route apple and pear from Norm too!) (pix to follow).

Special thanks to Eva for washing all the dishes before we got back to them.

(f)route, ABC OPEN & a summer road trip ahead

ABC OPEN begins a (f)route series with us!

"The (f)route project is essentially and ever growing community arts project, which combines ideas of art, agriculture, sustainability and tourism. The project encompasses a range of fruit related activities including regular outdoor community breakfast gatherings in different locations, commissioned art pieces, fruit harvesting, jam making, fruit bottling, market and festival activities, tourist mapping and cartography of fruit growers in the region." ...

Our CRUNCH mentor comes to Nowa Nowa

It was great to have our CRUNCH mentor Shankar (from Accenture) come visit us in Nowa Nowa today.  He and Neil Smith, Andrea Lane and Gary Yelen had a good chat about what the (f)route enterprise is.

It seems like it's shaping up as a community driven Travel Bureau :-) . Where a) local businesses and b) tourists are both our 'customers' - paying for the service we provide in creating, marketing and selling (f)route 'packages'  - slow art, travel, local experiences, accommodation, (f)route  breakfasts, supported walks/cyle tours, workshops, local produce ... etc.

hmmm... a (f)route brand ... that helps develop local product ... then markets the experiences that fit the (f)route ethos.

... and continues to seek funding and partners to develop the (f)route experience/product.

Something like that anyway.

SUSTAINABLE GIPPSLAND LEADERSHIP

Well. we had a fantastic 2 days at the 'Leadership for a Sustainable Gippsland' Pilot Program (on Raymond Island) . 

My take away fact? They built the power station (at Latrobe Valley) WITHOUT LIGHT SWITCHES ... so they just burn around the clock. cos no-one cares how much it costs.

The other thing I loved?  http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

[This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.
For more information on Sir Ken's work visit: http://www.sirkenrobinson.com ]

Deb (F)oskey talks (f)route

The CRUNCH [group shot]

So (f)route is on it's way to becoming an arts-led SOCIAL ENTERPRISE.

Well ... we spent our first CRUNCH session figuring out how to articulate the (f)route social purpose - and the social need that we are addressing. This is key to what comes next. This is what we said:

(f)route is an East Gippsland enterprise based on its natural assets - wild fruit,  slow art,  its people - and walking & cycling from one to another. 

(f)route aims to create an East Gippsland 'destination'  - an alternative tourist trail that can connect  East Gippsland with new markets - particularly  younger, ethically aware urban travellers looking for an authentic  rural experience. 

(f)route's social purpose is to stimulate sustainable economic development opportunities in small communities across East Gippsland - primarily through 'local produce' (ie. fruit)  related tourism experiences.

Those opportunities need to  embrace the key elements of the  (f)route ethos: caring for  locals and  local knowledge; the importance of culture and creativity; community health and environmental sustainability.

 (f)route's social need has been flagged by shrinking job opportunities;  a continuing trend of declining average incomes; an ageing demographic of overworked and overwhelmed farmers and disappearing youth. Fewer hands, rotting fruit – and  in our minds, an unnecessary cycle of rural decline.

And while (f)route's  primary purpose is to improve the liveliehood of East Gippslanders - it is an idea deeply rooted in a more global concern for food security and the desire to live locally and ethically. 

(f)route's beneficiaries are the residents of East Gippsland who choose to connect with the (f)route movement.

(f)route goes to the CRUNCH

YES! - we made the final cut.
We are part of the CRUNCH programme.


We begin this week.
This is our shot at creating an ARTS-LED  SOCIAL-ENTERPRISE designed to stir some economic development in small & remote East Gippsland communities.

We have so many great fruit /locavore/slow food/touristy/ providor/micro-enterprise ideas.
We needed the CRUNCH to make us focus. plan. think big. plan more.

And, to never lose sight of the social benefits that we know small communities need - Economic hope, resources, optimism, relevant training (with purpose), happy visitors, income streams, more art, more hands, more help - all based on a viable business model - with benefits shared among everyone who helps to make it work.

We now have 6 months of mentored business planning ahead of us to make it work.

Wish us luck ay?

And all offers of help will be gratefully accepted.
This is so ambitious... and yet so tantalizingly possible!

(f)route & EGAG & Samo

(f)route breakfast @ EGAG

(f)route recruitin'

(f)route breakfast with Samo @ the Mitchell River

Next (f)route breakfast ... a nice riverside brekkie just below the East Gippsland Art Gallery on Wednesday the 12th of September. 9am.

Come and enjoy the company of EGAG's artist in residence Samo .. who's come all the way from Slovenia (his work is great..and this is SUCH a special treat)..

We hope you'll come and make him feel welcome with us. 

We chat, and eat french toast - (f)route-style .. and admire the view... and ... all of that.. 

[$5/self serve style]

Photoshoot for The Crunch

A very happy Orange Fair @ Bruthen

Ryan & Jackson manning the stall

Mary - a new (f)route recruit! - off to map the Bruthen fruit

my meccano cart. awaiting its meccano (f)route sign

I don't know what this means

(f)route conversations in August

(f)rench toast & fruit with orange syrup & marscapone
this saturday at bruthen orange fair.
first come, first served.

(f)route conversations looming in August.

On Friday (24th) we're talking (f)routeville and (f)route CARTs at The Stables in Bairnsdale from 9.30 +

On Saturday (25th) it's time for the Bruthen Orange Fair. We're doing breakfast/brunch somewhere ... niche.
:-)

On Wednesday (29th) - a CORE meeting at 2pm @ The Stables.
This is our last conversation PRE-Crunch - so if you are interested in helping us establish a (f)route-based Social Enterprise in East Gippsland - this one's for you.

(mid-winter = crap turn-up usually. so come and keep me company?)

(f)route graffiti

'Rachael from Sale' loved the accidental (f)route graffiti that appeared in our (f)route (f)ilm.
So she made her own.

So now we are cooking up an idea for contagious and spontaneous fruit art making.
On the table. On the beach. In the forest. Wherever.

We'll soon find out if anyone gets inspired to make their own!
I'm sure there's an exhibition in the making..

You can send images to me at andrealane@bigpond.com
Or post at https://www.facebook.com/froutey

omgosh. we did it. CRUNCH.

omgosh.
we did it! we got accepted into The Crunch.
whoo hoo.
(f)route is on its way to being a social enterprise.
(six months of business planning and mentoring ahead for us !).

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

Bruthen Orange Fair. 25 August 2012

Yay. Sam has been on the job, making our CART for the Bruthen Orange Fair. yep. from his collection of bike bits. We'll have to wait to see what happens next. Will it work? Will it be finished? 

Whatever happens, we'll be there with a (f)route breakfast and a (f)route CART and a box full of oranges.
https://www.facebook.com/events/244772422309608/

(f)route CRUNCH

We've been working on the (f)route 'business plan' to present to The Crunch, in the hope that they'll see the possibilities for a (f)route and arts-led social enterprise in East Gippsland (as we do!). These are the images and words that got our toe in the door. [the slim version].

Fingers crossed.

(It's a huge file, so you might want to do something else while it loads). Just posting it for posterity I guess.

Bruthen Orange Fair - 25 August

I think it's a french toast kinda (f)route breakfast coming up.

(f)route CART maximus

So we did not get funding for our artist (f)route carts......all the (f) based expletives of  (f)rustration have been uttered. But it seems the (f)route cart is not ready to lie down and die quite yet; some artists are made of sterner stuff and carrying on regardless, others are regrouping. It seems there is some money available to at least build one cart; so what cart?

We are thinking a little bigger than ‘cart’, possibly small caravan/cart and we are asking for help.

The fruit breakfasts have been a very successful and popular component of the (f)route project; we are thinking a towable cart/caravan to service and promote the (f)route breakfasts and associated projects.

So where do we start?

WE WANT IDEAS; or more to the point....input into a collaborative project.

The Brief; 

To design and build a small arty/smartly functional caravan that services and promotes the (f)route project.

What we are asking for at the moment;

You are all aware of the (f)route aims and aesthetic. We are looking for concepts for the caravan. We want it to stand out! We want it to be different and distinct. We want it to be fun. We want it to be the centrepiece for (f)route gatherings and gatherings of (f)route carts .

We want your first arty ideas! At the moment nothing is out of the question. We want the character, the persona (assuming a caravan can have a persona??) the graphics, the form, the wow.

The practicalities can come later.

If you are driven by function; consider breakfast preparation, general food service, coffee and tea, fruit processing (bottling, jam, juice, growing....?) display (art, fruit, fruit products, information....?) sound, light, movement, seating, shelter, and any others you want to add.

Does that give you the idea??

Concepts can be in any format; thumbnails, photos , models , whatever.

IMPORTANT!!!!......this is a collaborative project, somewhere along the line whatever ideas we get will hopefully mould into one exciting project.

We are looking for input for concepts, but it may well be a combination of ideas that come together for the final project. Practicality and cost may also effect the finished concept. If that is not your thing, this one is not for you.

Somewhere along the line we will probably need to workshop the ideas and get serious and appoint an artistic director; until then please,

Cut loose with your imaginations and get something to us!

Need to know more?

Email andrealane@bigpond.com

(f)route HQ gets a sign

 

a new (f)route logo

a new (f)route logo
by Jessee John
http://harvest-lane.tumblr.com/

CALL FOR (f)route graffiti photos

When Chaco Kato was installing her work at the Cassilis Cemetery I scribbled this (f)route on the grass using her ribbon.

It now features in the short (f)route film made by Fiona York here . (Currently being considered by the  ABC Open Project).

(f)route is currently pitching to become a SERIOUS social enterprise (for the good of art, food and regional communities) and we thought it would be a good idea to get (f)route graffiti photos posted from all over East Gippsland. 

So. if you'd make one - photograph it,  and send it to us - or post it on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/froutey - well.. that'd be great.

We are also pitching to a few magazines - Country Life, Frankie, etc - so would LOVE a collection of hi res images for our media library. We can't pay you for them yet - but we hope to one day. (When it's a Social Enterprise).

A couple of other (f)route signs that appeared during the project ...

SUMMER (f)route SEASON

We had  great (f)route meeting today to discuss what a SUMMER (f)route SEASON should look like.
(art + fruit + (f)route breakfasts for all).

We're calling for (f)route breakfast dates (from across East Gippsland)  so we can create a calendar for this summer.

(you know - date/location/contact  + any extra fruit based activity? cider making, limoncello, jam making, CART making)

Amelie found this very neat fruit calendar to help us plan our for our (f)eature (f)ruits.

Source: http://www.vnv.org.au/site/files/seasonalfoodcalendar.pdf

grapefruit to share

a (f)route present left at The Stables Gallery