The Harvester Hut

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

My idea is to create a public space / stall that is based on the honesty boxes farmers use in country towns. The name I have given this idea is the Harvester Hut.The idea of it is to be placed in a city setting away from farms and encourage people to buy / support locally grown & fresh produce from farmers. It is also there for the community to share & swap there own produce using this space & encouraging them to grow there own. The Food Democracy issues that I am trying to address with this idea are - Lack of support for local farmers, corporations controlling what is purchased and sold, creating a more sustainable environment for the future & encouraging healthy eating. The harvester Hut would solve this issues directly but would help raise awareness within the community.

What kind of communication approach do you use?

At this stage my idea is a concept and I have interrupted this visually through creating a scale model, proposal and placing it in possible environments.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

I feel that the main benefits of The Harvester Hut would be to support local farmers, raise awareness about the big corporations taking control of what they purchase and sell, the environmental effects (eg. GM foods, factory farming etc) and encourage healthier eating.
The harvester Hut wouldn't solve the major issues of food democracy directly but would help raise awareness within the community.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

I learnt a lot from researching this issue of Food Democracy. I had a general idea about the major issues but from creating this project I have gained a greater insight into not only the big issues but how they are effecting my community around me. It has given me a greater respect for the farmers & producers in my community who are doing it tough. The whole project has definitely made me re-think about how I shop, eat and live generally when it comes to food.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

I think my work is good communication because it is raising awareness about important issues that are effecting my local community without using shock tactics or visual but rather through interaction and experience.
People interacting with & using my concept hopefully initiate interest in what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

The intention of The Harvester Hut project is to raise awareness amongst my local community (as it is a regional city). The concept is a community run space that is funded by local government & council grants etc.
The placement of the project would be within a central location within the city once the project has sufficient funding and local council approval.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

No... not as yet!