I was reading an email on the weekend from a woman named Grace Brennan who started an Instagram page called Buy From The Bush (#BFTB) in an effort to do something practical to help people living in the country and struggling to survive the drought. So much has happened in the three years since its inception but this little page survived and became a movement that mobilised so many Aussies to support our farmers and rural communities in a practical way and today, it’s stronger than ever.
In the city, we knew of the struggles but didn’t know how to help. This was our answer!
Instead of buying our Christmas gifts from department stores, we were buying from #buyfromthebush. Companies were commissioning rural artists to design Christmas cards, gifts for their clients and artwork for their offices. People were shopping in droves! Rural retailers were busy packing orders and FaceTiming customers to show them around the store. Country men, women and children were getting creative making and selling quality products.
It was phenomenal to hear the talk amongst the city community who seemed to be quickly becoming addicted to #bftb. We were making conscious decisions about where to spend our money and thinking about not just what we were buying and the joy it would bring us, but we were thinking about the impact it would have on the person we were buying it from.
This page created a great shift in thinking for many of us and Grace Brennan should be applauded for showing us how we could be of real help and also for creating a platform for those needing help to receive it with dignity and even excitement.
Grace finished her email by saying “Through Buy From The Bush I have witnessed the best of humanity. Kindness, collaboration, thoughtfulness, pragmatism, generosity and resilience. All around me, there are seeds of lasting change. Seeds planted by your ongoing support for our community of small businesses. Beyond drought relief, you are changing the bush for the better.”
There are so many lessons we can learn from Grace and Buy From The Bush. I think it showcases the best of both entrepreneurial spirit and the power that people have when given the opportunity and platform to create change.
Image from BFTB Facebook page
