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Philosophy Statement

1.    Context

The Otway Harvest Trail was established in 2009 in order to attract people to visit and stay in the Otway Hinterland by promoting the produce of the area, which as a consequence of the unique natural endowments of the Otway Hinterland, has inimitable character and quality

This initiative has coincided with the commencement of a decade which is widely being considered a transition period as we move to counter the excesses of globalised economies and the impacts of climate change by adopting sustainable farming, business and living practices.

There is renewed interest and attention to the production and consumption of fresh, seasonal, locally grown produce, and use of farm branded ingredients.  Allied to this is a growing awareness of importance of regionality and its expression in the character, distinctiveness and quality of produce from the area.

The Otway Harvest Trail is ideally placed to contribute to and influence this area of emerging interest.  The Otway Hinterland is blessed with abundant rainfall, rich soils, warm summers and mild winters.  A patchwork of farming land nestles against a backdrop of pristine, lush rainforest.  The area is dotted with a network of small village communities, each a vivid reflection of the history, rural character and natural splendour of their locality.  A range of specialist boutique producers have established businesses within the area in recent years, attracted by the relaxed lifestyle, natural beauty, and endless opportunities on offer.  There are a variety of high quality accommodation options available to suit the needs and interests of visitors to the region.

A diversity of complementary industries have developed in the Otway Hinterland including a strong presence of artists and artist studios, and a range of thriving cottage industries which further enrich the visitor experience.

By carefully managing and marketing the attributes of the Otway Harvest Trail we can deliver long-term benefits to its members, the local community, visitors to the area and the local economy.

2.    Values

To this end the Otway Harvest Trail will offer visitors a memorable experience centred upon the quality of our produce. The quality attributes we emphasise are:

• Authenticity - all produce labelled as OHT can only be grown and sourced from within the OHT defined area.
• Immediacy – our produce is locally grown and made, often by the person who is selling it.
• Freshness – we achieve a minimal time and distance between harvest and consumption.
• Seasonality – the seasonal availability of produce strengthens our connection to the rhythms of nature.
• Distinctiveness – there are some things that can only be found on the OHT.
• Character – the ways in which the tastes and flavours of our produce distinguish it from the produce of other areas.

It is these brand values that form the essence and reputation of the trail.

3.    Behaviours

A series of behaviour standards have been developed to link the underlying values and philosophy of the Otway Harvest Trail with the behaviours of its members.  They are:

• Customer service - members will apply the highest standards in customer service and provide high quality goods and services – consistently.
• Product knowledge - members will incorporate learning experiences for the visitor by providing local information about product origin and production.
• Provenance – to the extent practicable there will be a direct geographic association between where a product is grown and produced and where it is sold.
• Promotion – members will cross promote the experiences offered by other members and actively participate in promotional activities conducted under the auspices of the OHT as part of its annual calendar of events.
• Community - Members will seek to utilise local labour for the production, harvest, distribution and sale of their produce wherever possible.

4.    Membership

Membership conditions for the Otway Harvest Trail have been established in order to reflect the philosophy and ensure the credibility and long term viability of the Trail.  Members are required to adhere to the values, behaviours and membership conditions outlined in this document.

Any member alleged to have breached the values, behaviours or membership conditions will be referred to an external Panel comprised of representatives of the relevant local Tourism Authorities.  The external Panel will be authorised to investigate the alleged breaches and to make recommendations to the OHT executive regarding the appropriate course of action.

4.1.    Applications for membership:

Applications for membership must satisfy the following criteria:

4.1.1.        Relevance

The products and experiences offered by the applicant must be consistent with the purpose, values and philosophy of the OHT.

4.1.2.        Geographic

The business / retail outlets of OHT members must be situated within the geographical boundaries of the Otway Hinterland as defined from time to time.

4.1.3.        Tourism membership

Members must be full members of their relevant tourism body, and agree to abide by the Code of Conduct of the relevant authority.

4.2    Renewal of membership

In addition to the continuance of the above, renewing members also need to satisfy the following criteria:

4.2.1.        Financial

The financial year of the OHT Inc runs from July to June each year.  Members must have paid in full the annual membership fee by 31 August each year.
New members who join during the financial year pay a pro-rata membership.

4.2.2.        Credibility

Members must adhere to their advertised hours of operation

4.2.3.        Behavioural

The actions of a member cannot have been found to have contravened the Code of Conduct of the relevant tourism authority.

A membership will not be renewed if the member has been found to behave in a way that is detrimental to the purposes of the Otway Harvest Trail or is inconsistent with the values, philosophy or behaviours outlined in this document.

5.    Particular groups criteria

5.1    Local Fresh Produce – (Includes fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat, eggs, honey)

Businesses selling ‘local ‘fresh produce are expected that a minimum of 80% of the product has been produced within the members properties or sourced within the region and labelled accordingly.

5.2    Processed foods made from local produce – (includes jams, jellies, sauces, chutneys and other preserves)

Businesses selling processed food are expected that for a minimum of 80% of all production the produce descriptor for the labelled product (eg raspberry jam) must be sourced from members properties or within the region and labelled accordingly, and where the labelled descriptor (eg mango chutney) is sourced from outside the region, the provenance of the product is known and labelled accordingly.

5.3    Local Value added products – (Includes items such as wool, leather, art work, timber products, bread, cakes, chocolate)

The majority (≥ 50%) of the materials are locally sourced
Preference for recycled or sustainably sourced local materials to be utilised for timber/furniture products

5.4    Restaurants and café’s

Restaurants and café’s must demonstrate a practical commitment to the use of local produce in their menu and wine lists. This will be evidenced by:

• A statement of this commitment on menus and promotional material.
• The capacity to provide a minimum of five current invoices from local food producers
• Wine lists must include a minimum of 30% of regional wines, 10% of which must be sourced within the OHT region.

5.5    Accommodation

Accommodation providers must be located within the geographical confines of the Otway Hinterland.
Accommodation venues are to be hosted and restricted to the scale of boutique accommodation.
Accommodation must be maintained at the accepted industry standard of quality.
Providers must be able to demonstrate an affinity to the OHT experience.

5.6    Wineries

A minimum of 85% of the wine produced must be sourced from member’s properties or other vineyards within the region.

6.    Restrictions

Only current financial members are permitted to utilize the OHT brand and participate in OHT promotional activities.

Only current financial members will have access to OHT and partner research and data bases.

Member categories

1. Full member – producers (as defined), restaurants and café’s who have an established commercial outlet within the OHT area.
2. Associate member – producers (as defined) whose produce is sold by a third party within the OHT area.
3. Accommodation provider (as defined).
4. Roadside stall – producers who sell their produce from self serve roadside stalls.
5. Provisional member – producers who intend to establish an eligible business in the area or who are unable to meet the existing membership criteria, but may qualify after some modification to their business / purchasing practices.
6. Tour guide – guiding companies that promote the region and deliver domestic and international visitors to local producers and attractions.
7. OHT partner – provides formal recognition to businesses situated outside the OHT area who use and promote OHT produce extensively.