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[[Image:Organic stall J.jpg|Image:Organic_stall_J.jpg]]  
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==== Timings and Location(s)<br>  ====
'''Foodlink''' is Auroville’s central collection and distribution point for Auroville’s farm produce, linking farms and farmers with the rest of the community. From here, fresh organic food is supplied to Auroville’s collective kitchens, restaurants, schools, food processors, and the Pour Tous outlets. Occasional surplus is sold to customers outside Auroville.


The receiving outlet is located at the service entrance of the [[Pour Tous Distribution Center|Pour Tous Distribution Centre]] / [[Solar Kitchen|Solar Kitchen]], and delivieries can be made there every morning before 10 am.  
==Objectives and Activities==
Collecting produce from Auroville farmers, packing and "branding" have been activities of Foodlink since the beginning.  Foodlink also coordinates research on distribution and pricing, growing patterns, and consumer patterns, branching out into coordination of materials on agriculture, seed saving, student/volunteers coordination, value-added research, etc.


The persons in charge&nbsp;are Guna and Isabelle, along with AVFG staff Sumathi and Lakshmi.  
Products connected with Foodlink are made available through a number of Auroville outlets. Rice and vegetables are provided for use in the meals preparation in Solar Kitchen, and for distribution among schools. Fruits and grains are preserved and packed at Auroville food-processing units and at some of the farms.


For further information email: [mailto:Foodlink@auroville.org.in Foodlink@auroville.org.in].or call 9486144072.<br>
===Foodlink Market===
Foodlink Market is a small retail outlet located on Foodlink’s premises, at the end of the Solar Kitchen complex. There Aurovilians and guests can buy Auroville’s fresh farm produce as well as some basic processed foods made in Auroville.  


==== <br>General Information and Background<br>  ====
Hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm. Payment is through P/T account or Aurocard.


AV Foodlink was set up in 1996-7, concurrent with the opening of the Solar Kitchen, through efforts of the coordinators of the Farm Group at that time (Jeff, Tomas &amp; Isha). The aim was to begin through Solar Kitchen meals preparation to stimulate a collective focus for utilizing produce grown on AV Farms, and the room was allocated (what is now the Solar Kitchen administrative office) for that purpose. Office, data and produce coordination was initiated there by Sumathi (who had been working and living at Aurogreen Farm with her husband and 2 children), Isha, and later Lakshmi. To begin a database on farms production a grant was secured, allocated by Stichting de Zaaier, and the progam designed and implemented over a period of 2 years.<br>
==History==


Collecting produce from AV farmers, packing and "branding" - This is what the activities have been since the beginning (but including researching distribution and pricing, growing patterns, consumer patterns - the early name was "AV Farms Collection &amp; Distribution Centre"), branching out into coordination of materials on agriculture, seed saving and acquisition (the original Seed bank project), student/volunteers coordination, value-added research, etc.<br>
Foodlink was set up in 1996, concurrent with the opening of the [[Solar Kitchen|Solar Kitchen]] building, through efforts of the coordinators of the [[Farm Group|Farm Group]] at that time (Jeff, Tomas &amp; Isha). The aim was to begin through Solar Kitchen meals preparation to stimulate a collective focus for utilizing produce grown on [[AV Farms|AV Farms]].  At this time Foodlink's name was "Auroville Farms Collection & Distribution Centre".  A room was allocated in what is now the Solar Kitchen administrative office for this purpose. Office, data and produce coordination was initiated there by Sumathi, Isha, and later Lakshmi. To begin a database on farms production a grant was secured, allocated by Stichting de Zaaier, and the progam designed and implemented over a period of 2 years.


The products are made available through a number of Auroville outlets and (in the future) also beyond AV. Rice and vegetables are provided for use in the meals preparation in the communal [[Solar Kitchen|Solar Kitchen]], and for distribution among schools. Fruits and grains are preserved and packed at two Auroville food-processing units and at some of the farms, which also produce a range of jams, pickles and chutneys themselves.  
Sumathi has continued over the years, assisted by Lakshmi and later by Guna and more recently Isabelle. John Lucksted, Farm Group coordinator up until 2008, also helped in the shifting of the collection and distribution interface when a way was found to integrate that into the New Pour Tous receiving area.


Sumathi has continued over the years, assisted by Lakshmi and later by Guna and more recently Isabelle. John Lucksted, Farm Group coordinator up until 2008, also helped in the shifting of the collection &amp; distribution interface when a way was found to integrate that into the New Pour Tous receiving area.<br>
==Articles==


As the receiving centre is now adjacent to the [[Pour Tous Distribution Center|Pour Tous Distribution Centre]] (PTDC), organic locally-grown produce is supplied directly for the availability of Aurovilian participants in the PTDC scheme.  
{{#ask:[[Entity::Foodlink]]
|?Year
|format=broadtable
|link=all
|sort=Year
|order=descending
|headers=show
|mainlabel=Articles about Foodlink
|searchlabel=... further results
|class=sortable wikitable smwtable
}}


The Foodlink price list (updated February 2010) for fruits, vegetables and milk products is available here:[[Image:FoodlinkPricesFeb2010.xls]]
==Future plans==


==== <br>Members and Affiliations<br>  ====
[[File:Foodlink-flowchart.png|thumb]]
A new location has been allocated for Foodlink near Certitude that will accommodate its administrative functions, market, and potential as a vibrant community hub.


Foodlink was created by the [[AV Farm Group|AV Farm Group]], which is the communication platform for the farmers of Auroville. The [[AV Farm Group|AVFG]] secretariat gathers production and pricing statistics monthly. Through the efforts of the ISP (Integral Sustainability Platform) in 2009-10, a "Food Sector" was created to review the needs and ideals of all who work in food-related activities. From this a new group was formed: the ASAP (means? mailto: asapauroville@gmail.com), which works with Foodlink to expand its activities and outreach.<br>
*[[File:ASAP Appendix 7 - Proposal for Long Term Development of Foodlink on the New Certitude Land.pdf]]


Another of Foodlink's collaborations are the Green Center and the Auroville Saturday Market.
Dorle of Office4 has created the initial designs:


==== <br>Aims and Objectives  ====
[[File:Office4 Foodlink South-east view.jpg]]


A recent report on the [[AV Farm Group|AVFG]] (2004) shows that distribution and central management of farming in Auroville will need funding and support, so that the individual effort of the farmers may bear fruit, as parts of surplus harvests are lost, due to lack of a common storage and marketing outlets.<br>
*[[File:Foodlink brief flowchart.pdf|Flowchart and details]]
*[[File:Office4 Foodlink site layout.pdf | Preliminary site layout]]
*[[File:Office4 Foodlink GF floor plan.pdf]]
*[[File:Office4 Foodlink FF floor plan.pdf]]
*[[File:Office4 Foodlink South-east view.pdf]]
*[[File:Office4 Foodlink South-west view.pdf]]
*[[File:Office4 Foodlink North-west view.pdf]]
 
==Contact==
*Phone: 948-614-4072
*Email: [mailto:Foodlink@auroville.org.in Foodlink@auroville.org.in]
 
<br>
 
[[Category:Auroville services]]

Latest revision as of 07:53, 19 January 2019

Foodlink 062.JPG
Foodlink.0310.JPG

Foodlink is Auroville’s central collection and distribution point for Auroville’s farm produce, linking farms and farmers with the rest of the community. From here, fresh organic food is supplied to Auroville’s collective kitchens, restaurants, schools, food processors, and the Pour Tous outlets. Occasional surplus is sold to customers outside Auroville.

Objectives and Activities

Collecting produce from Auroville farmers, packing and "branding" have been activities of Foodlink since the beginning. Foodlink also coordinates research on distribution and pricing, growing patterns, and consumer patterns, branching out into coordination of materials on agriculture, seed saving, student/volunteers coordination, value-added research, etc.

Products connected with Foodlink are made available through a number of Auroville outlets. Rice and vegetables are provided for use in the meals preparation in Solar Kitchen, and for distribution among schools. Fruits and grains are preserved and packed at Auroville food-processing units and at some of the farms.

Foodlink Market

Foodlink Market is a small retail outlet located on Foodlink’s premises, at the end of the Solar Kitchen complex. There Aurovilians and guests can buy Auroville’s fresh farm produce as well as some basic processed foods made in Auroville.

Hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm. Payment is through P/T account or Aurocard.

History

Foodlink was set up in 1996, concurrent with the opening of the Solar Kitchen building, through efforts of the coordinators of the Farm Group at that time (Jeff, Tomas & Isha). The aim was to begin through Solar Kitchen meals preparation to stimulate a collective focus for utilizing produce grown on AV Farms. At this time Foodlink's name was "Auroville Farms Collection & Distribution Centre". A room was allocated in what is now the Solar Kitchen administrative office for this purpose. Office, data and produce coordination was initiated there by Sumathi, Isha, and later Lakshmi. To begin a database on farms production a grant was secured, allocated by Stichting de Zaaier, and the progam designed and implemented over a period of 2 years.

Sumathi has continued over the years, assisted by Lakshmi and later by Guna and more recently Isabelle. John Lucksted, Farm Group coordinator up until 2008, also helped in the shifting of the collection and distribution interface when a way was found to integrate that into the New Pour Tous receiving area.

Articles

{{#ask:Entity::Foodlink |?Year |format=broadtable |link=all |sort=Year |order=descending |headers=show |mainlabel=Articles about Foodlink |searchlabel=... further results |class=sortable wikitable smwtable }}

Future plans

Foodlink-flowchart.png

A new location has been allocated for Foodlink near Certitude that will accommodate its administrative functions, market, and potential as a vibrant community hub.

Dorle of Office4 has created the initial designs:

Office4 Foodlink South-east view.jpg

Contact


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