By Marcus Uhe
If you’re in need of some fresh home-grown produce and enjoy supporting the local community, be sure to swing by Julieann’s Petite Pantry in Pearcedale.
The pantry stocks a bounty of home grown fruits and vegetables from her abundance of trees and vines, including pears, apples, peaches, passionfruits, nectarines, oranges, figs, tamarillos and cherry tomatoes, along with packaged foods and sanitary products, and welcomes contributions from locals.
Julieann, who asked to not have her surname published, has been a participant in local swap-meets for years and was inspired by other similar projects in her network of swappers.
“We always have excess of everything,” Julieann said. “When I’ve had excess I’ve put some out the front of my place.
“Ladies from swap meet started their own pantries and I thought I might as well give it a go. There’s going to be people who need fresh produce and groceries.
“It’s whatever people can bring and swap; maybe it’s just a packet of pasta and sauce.
“It can be for anyone in the community, it doesn’t have to be for needy families.”
Located at the front fence of Julieann’s farm, the cupboard is discreetly shaded by trees in an effort to ensure that no one feels ashamed or embarrassed about being seen accessing the produce on offer.
What started with just one initial cupboard has expanded to include a shelving unit due the overflow of products, and an old clothing rack to hang herb plants, meticulously labelled to ensure everyone knows what they’re selecting, with pots donated by those accessing the pantry as a way to give back.
The farm that Julieann has called home for the last eight years could act as a greengrocer on its own, such is the scope of the produce on offer.
And what doesn’t get collected becomes used as compost and fertiliser, or is fed to the goats, sheep and chickens that share the property, in order to minimise wastage.
She grew up in Melbourne’s suburbs but was told that she should be living on a farm by people “since I was a kid.”
“I like being able to go into the yard, pick something and eat it. That’s how it is.”
The pantry itself is sporting a fresh design, courtesy of Pearcedale artist Janice Mills, inscribed with the motto “take what you need, leave what you can.”
“What I love most is sharing.
“In a world where a lot of the focus is on money and we’re frequently consumed by the need for money, we make this a cash-free event.
“I’ve had contacts from people thanking me for starting the pantry, who have said ‘I’ve got a friend who pays for the supermarket with afterpay who uses the pantry’.
“I just want other people to be able to enjoy that freshness, and to spread the message of kindness and sharing without expecting anything back.
“It only takes one person to start something small like this to make a difference to their community.“
The pantry is free for everyone in the community to access and contribute to from the outskirts of Julieann’s 10-acre property on East Rd, Pearcedale.
