So how does a journalist become a tech entrepreneur?

Long story. And if you’re looking for career tips, this is not the post for you.

I’m an accidental app creator, but if you read on, it will all make sense.

I’ve been a freelance journalist forever. I write a lot about social justice, and over time, particularly the past several years, I’ve watched and reported from the sidelines as Australia has faced one crisis after another. This is not a political post – but in many ways the evidence speaks for itself, particularly in our regional and rural communities. Successive governments and big corporations have, one after the other, failed the people.

Added to that, we’re now facing a time of unprecedented global disruption, and costs are rising across the board. It's just a personal observation…But when the supermarkets start putting security tags on the meat, you know that things 'ain't what they used to be.

Enough said.

Let’s fast forward to 2022 – burnout had been slowly creeping up on me. My life was chaotic, I felt constantly stressed, constantly stretched and I was not coping. Then in 2023, the wonderful and amazing Dr Tracey Foster launched her WHAV women’s health programme.

I joined in, and worked to transform every aspect of my life. I lost 9kg. My energy levels rose, I felt happier than I had been in quite some time ….. And yes, there was a combination of factors in this equation, but the one thing I knew that I had intently focused on changing (with the WHAV Method running in the background) was eating much, much, much more fresh food.

Don’t get me wrong – we’re a pretty ‘healthy’ family. But single working mothers find all the shortcuts when things get hectic. No judgement. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Of course, I’m the primary household cook, so as I got stuck into WHAV and committed to change, meals I prepared for myself, the teenagers also ate, or a version thereof.

…And the calm that settled across our household without the additional sugar and the preservatives was nothing short of freaking miraculous!

I’ve been buying from roadside stalls for a long time, with a sort of scattered approach, but it became my weekly ritual – a bit of time out – music on, me hitting those Whitney Housten high notes, while taking a drive to fill up my fridge. In my head, planning the things I would make.

Now, here’s the amazing thing my kids discovered – food that’s really fresh and ‘in season’ is actually soooo flavoursome you don’t need ‘additives’.

We’re not a completely ‘tomato-sauce-free-household’. We still eat cake. But our palettes have changed, and we use waaaay less – mayo, sugar, dressings, sauces …. All the things that are, frankly, just loaded up empty calories.

Anyway – somewhere along the way I was hit with a wave of inspiration to put all these roadside stalls on a map. Which then became an app. To encourage people to try shopping this way.

It’s a bit cheaper. It’s an adventure! And it feels good to give my money directly to the grower.

And, if we get these roadside stalls all in one place, easy to find, then more people have easier access to fresh, local, in season produce, across the whole nation!

My dream, ultimately, is that everyone who is interested in gardening will be growing edible stuff and selling the surplus roadside. In the suburbs or the countryside. Then we’ll never run out of food, and there’ll be enough left over to feed those people who cannot actually afford to eat.

Health is everything. You take it for granted, until it’s failing. I did.

Let me tell you, you cannot do anything of substance with zero energy and motivation. And food is medicine – whether it's something delicious that instantly lifts your mood (like a big juicy mango) … or the benefits over time of eating ‘from the rainbow’ – a wide variety of all the good stuff.

Of course I don’t have a medical degree, or any kind of nutritional qualifications. I’m just a testament to the fact that fresh really is best. And eating in season, as I’ve discovered with a bit of research, is actually good for preparing your body … for the seasons.

There’s a reason all the lovely summer fruits are around in the hot months, to stop us from dehydrating! Root veggies in winter (garlic, onion and ginger being a few) – are excellent for warding off colds and flu.

Well how about that …. Food for thought, eh?

At the Garden Gate is not here to take on the big retailers, and I love small business and the markets. This is just an app – a digital marketing platform that provides a way to connect producers and growers via technology to the community, giving people a different way to shop.

By the way, I’ve discovered some excellent things that aren’t food sold by the roadside – there’s a lot of creativity and innovation around, just waiting to be discovered.

And, ultimately, if we work together to support and preserve these iconic Aussie roadside stalls, then we’ll always have a choice.  And that’s definitely a good thing.

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