Arabic version: أمهات غايرا يحوّلن مخزناً صغيراً إلى مركز غذائي مجتمعي

According to ABC News, Tash Cunningham and Eowyn Lacey turned a maternity leave passion project in Guyra, northern NSW, into the Bus Shelter Pantry, a roadside outlet stocked with produce, baked goods, jams and other locally made items. The mothers began by selling excess farm and garden produce, starting with two cartons of eggs, five zucchinis, cherry tomatoes and muffins.

The project was built around self-sustainability. Cunningham said the pair wanted to be self-sufficient and saw maternity leave as a chance to try running farm stalls. Ingredients used for the pantry are self-sustainable, allowing the operation to cover its small running costs. What began as a small produce stall has developed into a micro bakery, with shelves and fridges now regularly filled.

The pantry draws dozens of visitors, including people who leave the highway to stop by, Cunningham said. Lacey described it as “pretty much a full-time business”, saying she cooks after her daughter goes to bed and has sometimes gone in at 11pm to refill the fridges. Homemade sweets have become popular, while the women say customers value the familiar feel of older recipes.

The venture has also encouraged other people in the Guyra area to contribute their own products. Local suppliers include bee keepers near Tingha, while crafts and jams made by community members are sold at the pantry. Cunningham and Lacey believe locally grown and supplied food can support food security, and they want to encourage more sustainable food practices.

As their maternity leave nears its end, the mothers are considering how the pantry could continue, including a hope to add solar power. They say its longer-term value lies in passing practical skills to their children, such as growing vegetables, baking bread and caring for plants. Even if the pantry eventually closes, the bus shelter will remain for children using it on school trips.