This morning while I was replying to emails and getting ready to make another round of phone calls on behalf of SustainaBundy, Wendy, one of our members (though not yet a user of the website), called me and said that ABC Local was doing a story right now, about Coles and Woolies refusing to stock Australian avocados and selling New Zealand avos instead. "Nobody's really calling the talkback, you should call and tell them about SustainaBundy!" I quickly turned on the radio and fought with the antenna to try to get a decent signal. I heard a few callers talk about how the supermarkets work, the demand for perfect produce regardless of season... but nothing about the original topic, other than what Wendy told me. What the heck, I called anyway, and while on hold I scribbled some notes of things worth mentioning. I hope I'm on the right track and it makes sense!! All the while Dean was frantically trying to figure out how he could record the bit! When the presenter, David Dowsett, picked up the phone and asked my thoughts, I pointed out that we shouldn't just be eating Australian, we should be eating as locally as possible for the benefit of the environment and the local economy - and that we've started a local group called SustainaBundy to promote just that. David asked how the response has been. I talked about how the farmers and chefs have both said they'd like to work directly with each other, instead of produce being trucked to Brisbane and back. I said that the dollar cost of a piece of produce isn't the only cost to consider, that we have to think of the environmental and other aspects as well. At least, I think that's about what I said. Even though I did years in radio in my "former life," for some reason I was horribly nervous and could hear my voice quavering as my thoughts fought with each other to get out of my mouth. David asked me to wait on hold a moment so they could get more information from me. Interesting, they didn't ask anyone else to do that, I must've done something right...

The station manager Ross Peddlesden popped on the line immediately and asked for my name and phone number, and said he wanted to learn a bit more about the group and possibly do a story about SustainaBundy! I made sure to give him the web address and he said he'd be in touch. Then, pandemonium.

Dean said I sounded great, it came across really well. While I was on the phone with the ABC, one of the people I tried to contact yesterday called our other line and Dean took a message. As soon as I hung up with the radio, I immediately called Wendy back and thanked her profusely - it turns out she taped it! Yay! Oh wait, we don't have a cassette deck... must ask Ross if we can get an mp3 of the bit! Anyway, she said it sounded great too and she had lots of ideas for getting the ABC involved with SustainaBundy! Definitely worth talking about with them, if and when they call!

I then called back the contact from yesterday and poured out the SustainaBundy story, at top speed since I was still bouncing off the walls about the ABC. Probably not the best time to call, but what the heck. I think I overwhelmed him, but it's a conversation he won't soon forget I'm sure! Coincidentally while talking with him, the other line rang again, it was shine_on scheduling to come over for lunch tomorrow! (Anyone else care to join us? 11:30am!)

Then the phone rang AGAIN. Dean took the call, from a local banana farmer who heard me on the ABC and called the station to get our phone number. They talked about the difficulties farmers have doing business and he agreed to have a look at our website. Wow, talk about instant response!

Whew!!

On top of all of this, tonight I'm giving a presentation on permaculture at the Organic Gardeners group meeting, so I'd best prepare for that! When it rains it pours! (6.5mm here last night...) More as it happens.