The Gap LOCO

Mal Supports The Gap LOCO

The Gap LOCO is one of a handful of worker cooperatives in Queensland. It has for the last 10 years supplied The Gap and surrounding areas with fresh certified organic fruit and vegies and other certified organic groceries. As well as offering home delivery it also has a pop up shop on Mondays between 9am and 3pm at 15 High St Ashgrove. The LOCO has built up a small but committed band of regular customers which they refer to as supporters. We recently caught up with one of them to find out more about why they like to shop at the Gap LOCO.

Mal says he is committed to shopping there because it is local people working together as a co-operative, and because everything is certified organic. Mal said “I know how important it is to have bees, birds and butterflies to keep the planet going. Regular, non-organic or chemical farming is leading to the decline in bee numbers and impacting on birds and insects. If we lose the bees, birds and insects then we won’t survive either.” While on a pension, Mal is happy to pay a bit more for certified organic produce because he knows it is looking after the environment and also the long term future of his family and friends. Mal also likes the friendly staff at the Gap LOCO. “They know and remember me which is very nice and they are always so helpful and generous. They often give me a good deal on seconds or what some think is a bit marked or ugly.”

Mal has always been attracted to the idea of cooperatives as he values the ideal of equality where everyone is respected and valued. He believes we all would be a lot happier if we could work together in co-operative ways and avoid the need for bosses. Selfmanagement is so important to try to prevent people trying to control one another. In 1980, with the help of a few other likeminded people, Mal started the Red Hill Paddington worker cooperatives which made wooden furniture and toys from recycled timber, handmade soap, paper, honey and which did odd jobs for local people. Mal was a well know figure in the area pushing his barrow around the steep hills selling all the co-op’s locally made produce. Mal (and others) also started the Edible Landscapes nursery.

Mal is keen to form a little group of Ashgrove residents who might want to work on some projects to try to address climate change. He is interested in community gardens, off-grid solar panels, methane digesters and bee rescuing. If you would like to get in touch with Mal you can do so via the LOCO email thegaploco@gmail.com.

For Mal, finding The Gap LOCO has been a refreshing reconnection to worker co-operatives and he is so pleased that the worker coop movement is still alive. The Gap LOCO is also very proud to have Mal, a worker co-op legend, as one of their supporters.

Supplying great tasting, fresh, Certified Organic Produce to The Gap & Neighbouring Suburbs for 10 years.

For a current price list and details about ordering – email thegaploco@gmail.com or visit thegaploco.com

We are a community owned, local, worker run, registered worker co-operative. Deliveries are on Mondays and we also run a pop up Deliveries are on Mondays and we also run a pop up shop between 10am and 5pm on Mondays at 15 High shop between 10am and 3pm on Mondays at 15 High St St Ashgrove (in the Oakleigh Scouts car park) Ashgrove (in the Oakleigh Scouts car park)

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