Humans of Alfalfa House – Meet Roisin

We recently chatted with Roisin, one of our permanent volunteers here at the co-op. We love having Roisin here and appreciate all the help she gives us and the effort she puts in every week – thank you for always bringing your warmth and positive energy into the co-op Roisin 🙂

1.Please tell us a bit about you – what you do, what you’re passionate about etc

I did a degree in Agricultural Science, as I was very passionate about plants, Indigenous land management, entomology and local, small scale sustainable growing of food. During this time I developed a love for community orientated work and research, I hope to pursue a PhD in this area. I am currently in a transitory period of applications for work and a phd.

I am passionate about swimming in the sea, riding, spending time with friends and family, cooking and community initiatives; gardening more in tune with nature such as syntropic farming and indigenous farming; social justice; composting; the interrelation of plants, insects and plant pathogens, research, and reducing food millage. Other passions include listening to funky 70s music, disco, electronic instrumental music and Euro pop, writing, discovering new books to read, doing crosswords on the weekend, reading the paper, playing chess comedy nights, art galleries, old/ interesting buildings, having a boogie, and spending time and being there for my friends, family and having little dinner does, being silly, having a good yarn with people and going on adventures.

2. If you could choose 3 words to describe yourself, what would they be?

Radiant, silly bugger, joyous

3. How long have you been shopping with/volunteering with Alfalfa House

I started shopping here when I moved to Sydney nearly 6 years ago, I was volunteering at the USYD food cooperative while I was studying. I have been amongst it more for the last two years as in my honours year I started volunteering at Alfalfa house when I could, and I started again this year and have recently become a permanent volunteer!

4. Why do you choose to shop here/volunteer here?

Cooperatives are wonderful spaces of solidarity, self resilience, socialism, and creativity. It is a social space not just a place where you go in and out of fluorescent lights, perhaps strike up an awkward conversation and bing yourself back into the hussle and bussle of the outside world. This cooperative is a local hub for connection with often like minded members, sharing this commonality, excitement and passion for – community run projects, supporting the environment and social justice. This means your conversations are always interesting and with warm intentions and really lovely connections in your community can be developed. Food cooperatives promote the capacity to create change you wish to see in how you purchase your fruit and vegetables. Things could include reducing plastic, local products, less herbicides/ pesticides on the fruit and vegetables you eat- supporting these farmers and producers by paying a wholesale price, moving away from supporting big corporations that rip of farmers and the supply chain and are supporting mass production of food and monocultures that are degrading the soil,

Volunteering is a way to support the running of the cooperative, immerse yourself in the community and spend more time in the nice earthy space that the cooperative is, provide more structure and time to just give back to a space you love, as well meaning the grocery shop is reduced in cost which is very helpful!

5. What’s your favourite item in store?

There are so many wonderful groceries and products! I do love the black sapote whilst it is very rich and not my day to day go to. It’s my favourite item because it comes at a time of year when things are darker, colder, and shorter, and is a great treat to share also perhaps because I am a chocolate fiend. It is something I had never seen in other grocery stores in nsw which is cool!