Creating a Sustainable Sunshine Coast - Nambour to Mooloolah

[Attached is the Council's media release]

Are you a food producer in the Maroochy hinterland?

Do you want to promote your products more effectively?

Maroochy Council’s innovative Rural Enterprise Project has a solution aimed at helping food and beverage producers reach a much wider audience from 2007.

In a first for the region, Maroochy’s ’Enterprising Food‘ directory is a free listing of food and beverage producers in the Maroochy hinterland, and Business Maroochy is currently seeking submissions for listing.

The Maroochy Rural Enterprise Project aims to help local producers find more customers, while at the same time providing restaurants, cafes, shops and consumers with information about where to buy our great local produce.

Maroochy Council Mayor Joe Natoli said it is a great initiative for Council to lead.

“We want to put producers and consumers in touch with each other, as well as help generate more income for our hinterland,” Cr Natoli said.

“I encourage every producer in the Maroochy hinterland to include their details in Enterprising Food”.

Maroochy Division Six Councillor and Economic Development portfolio chair Greg Fahey said this is a chance not to be missed if you want more people to know about your products – whether you grow fruit or vegetables, or make jams or wine. Importantly, the Food Directory is FREE to the producers who are listed AND TO the end users. There are no hitches and no catches!

“Enterprising Food will give us all the chance to buy locally-produced food and drinks,” Cr Fahey said.

“This is a practical way in which we can all help our rural economy to thrive.”

Look out for submission forms in Maroochy’s libraries, Council offices, markets, fruit shops and from transport companies and industry groups. Contact Council on 5475 8501 or visit www.businessmaroochy.com for further details.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 9 February, ready for publication of Enterprising Food in April 2007.

Keep an eye and ear out for when the directory will be available. Spread the word and network, I'll let you know as soon as I know.