THE slow food movement took off in Italy and then other parts of Europe in the 1980s and 1990s.
It encourages consumers to source their produce locally and not from supermarkets.
The Discovery Food Trail is also taking off, right here in the Gladstone region.
An initiative of the Discovery Coast Community Health Service in Agnes Water, the Discovery Food Trail is about showing people the wonderful and often organic produce grown in their own backyard.
The idea was hatched last month and the second Discovery Food Trail tour visited eight local producers in and around Agnes Water yesterday.
The health service's dietician Marina Chang and program support officer Annette Cox escorted a busload of locals and visitors to a number of sites to see farming practices, beautiful produce and sample some of the delights while talking and learning from producers.
"It came about initially to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables," Mrs Chang said.
"But we also wanted to show what is available locally and how you can get very good quality produce, and fresh, right here.
"You can also pick up a few tips on how to grow your own fruit and vegetables."
And it's not just fruit and vegies that can be sourced in the southern parts of the Gladstone region, with the tour taking in herb gardens, honey producers, seafood businesses as well as olives, olive oil, all types of citrus and even a tipple of locally-produced liqueurs.
The tours are scheduled twice a month, taking in different districts each time; with the next Discovery Food Trail set down for Thursday, July 19, leaving from the Miriam Vale Community Centre.
Yesterday's second stop was at Ron's Vegies on Anderson Way, Agnes Water where Ron Ostrofski has been growing and selling quality fruit and vegetables, plus honey and a range of other goodies for years.
"I've got about six acres here and farm about four," Ron said.
"I often can't keep up with demand, people know where to come and we sell just about everything."
And now Ron loads up his truck and takes his fresh produce out to the mining communities, which are starved of quality fruit and vegies and sets up his stalls at places like the Bluff, Blackwater and Emerald - and sells the lot. Local restaurants in Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are using as much of the local produce they can get now, too, and the health service is seizing on the idea.
"We are planning cooking classes using local produce and encouraging people to try some new ideas using what is readily available and often more nutritious and cheaper," Mrs Chang said.
And the local eateries are already on board with healthier menu ideas and the use of the fresh local product.
It may not be a slow bus on the Discovery Food Trail but the idea of good quality, fresh local produce is certainly zooming along.
Phone the health service on 4902 1100 for more information.
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