This topic came up in another thread about free school meals:

https://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1744704749

The only legal barriers to donating food are the same as those for selling. The food must be fit for human consumption. This would be enough to put people off getting involved casually. Some food charities only deal with businesses, perhaps to reduce the risk of getting sued for providing bad food. Or maybe just because they are easier to deal with and have larger quantities of food more regularly.

There are plenty that will accept food from anyone, including any surplus you grow in your backyard. For example:

www.foodbank.org.au

You can contact them directly for more information, or click on the "find food" button to find local agents in your area that you can contact directly to donate.

Schools don't seem to be on the list much, probably because they don't see it as their core business (for now), aren't looking for extra work to do, or are afraid of getting sued.

freediver wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 4:50pm:

The only legal barriers to donating food are the same as those for selling.

and the risk you take as the donor if someone gets food poisoning from food you donated.

freediver wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 4:50pm:

This topic came up in another thread about free school meals: https://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1744704749 The only legal barriers to donating food are the same as those for selling. The food must be fit for human consumption. This would be enough to put people off getting involved casually. Some food charities only deal with businesses, perhaps to reduce the risk of getting sued for providing bad food. Or maybe just because they are easier to deal with and have larger quantities of food more regularly. There are plenty that will accept food from anyone, including any surplus you grow in your backyard. For example: www.foodbank.org.au You can contact them directly for more information, or click on the "find food" button to find local agents in your area that you can contact directly to donate. Schools don't seem to be on the list much, probably because they don't see it as their core business (for now), aren't looking for extra work to do, or are afraid of getting sued.

So what have been school tuckshops or canteens being doing for decades?

They provide food - but at a small cost - a lot of that is home made by the women that voluntarily work in them.

When I was at High School in Innisfail in FNQ in the late 60's early 70's one of the biggest sellers was a bread roll stuffed with a savoury mince made by the women in the tuckshop. It had a traditional Italian spag bog sauce flavour - delicious.   

Quote:

including any surplus you grow in your backyard

I believe that farmers have to have soil tests done to make sure
that there are not poisons in their soil such as Lead.

You never know if home grown food is grown in poisoned ground.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 6:20pm:

Quote: including any surplus you grow in your backyard I believe that farmers have to have soil tests done to make sure that there are not poisons in their soil such as Lead. You never know if home grown food is grown in poisoned ground.

Can you give a link Bobby?

freediver wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 6:47pm:

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 6:20pm: Quote: including any surplus you grow in your backyard I believe that farmers have to have soil tests done to make sure that there are not poisons in their soil such as Lead. You never know if home grown food is grown in poisoned ground. Can you give a link Bobby?

I can't find anything saying that its illegal to grow food in contaminated soil.


A farmer told me the above.
I did find this:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2008B00713/latest/text

https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/sustainability/victoria-unearthed/about-contamination/testing-for-contamination

and this:
https://www.toxtest.com.au/soil-testing-australia.html



Google AI said this:

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Yes, farmers often have soil tests done to check for contaminants like lead, among other things, to ensure safe farming practices and protect human health. These tests help determine if contaminants are present at levels that could pose risks to the crops, livestock, or human health. Soil testing is a crucial part of responsible farming and environmental protection.
Why soil testing is important for farmers:
Identifying Contaminants:
Soil tests can detect a range of contaminants, including heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, as well as pesticides and other chemicals.

Sounds to me like farmers are not required to have their soil tested.

All soil contains toxins like lead. It's a matter of how much, and whether it will end up in the food that is produced. It's not an easy thing to figure out.

freediver wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 9:20pm:

Sounds to me like farmers are not required to have their soil tested. All soil contains toxins like lead. It's a matter of how much, and whether it will end up in the food that is produced. It's not an easy thing to figure out.

Yes and some plants concentrate poisons and others reject them.

Still - home grown food in untested soil could contain poisons.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 9:26pm:

freediver wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 9:20pm: Sounds to me like farmers are not required to have their soil tested. All soil contains toxins like lead. It's a matter of how much, and whether it will end up in the food that is produced. It's not an easy thing to figure out. Yes and some plants concentrate poisons and others reject them. Still - home grown food in untested soil could contain poisons.

Including eggs.

greggerypeccary wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 9:27pm:

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 9:26pm: freediver wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 9:20pm: Sounds to me like farmers are not required to have their soil tested. All soil contains toxins like lead. It's a matter of how much, and whether it will end up in the food that is produced. It's not an easy thing to figure out. Yes and some plants concentrate poisons and others reject them. Still - home grown food in untested soil could contain poisons. Including eggs.

yes - and:

https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-egg-safety

Fresh eggs, even those with clean, uncracked shells,
may contain bacteria called Salmonella that can cause foodborne illness,
often called “food poisoning.”

I grow a lot of food at home and have looked into it a few times. From what I can gather, unless you are actually eating the dirt that might be on whatever you grow, or there is some serious contamination history, you should be fairly safe.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 9:37pm:

greggerypeccary wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 9:27pm: Bobby. wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 9:26pm: freediver wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 9:20pm: Sounds to me like farmers are not required to have their soil tested. All soil contains toxins like lead. It's a matter of how much, and whether it will end up in the food that is produced. It's not an easy thing to figure out. Yes and some plants concentrate poisons and others reject them. Still - home grown food in untested soil could contain poisons. Including eggs. yes - and: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-egg-safety Fresh eggs, even those with clean, uncracked shells, may contain bacteria called Salmonella that can cause foodborne illness, often called “food poisoning.”

Backyard hens' eggs contain 40 times more lead on average than shop eggs, research finds

freediver wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 9:43pm:

I grow a lot of food at home and have looked into it a few times. From what I can gather, unless you are actually eating the dirt that might be on whatever you grow, or there is some serious contamination history, you should be fairly safe.

I think you'd only need a soil test if your place was built on a former industrial site.

greggerypeccary wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 9:43pm:

Backyard hens' eggs contain 40 times more lead on average than shop eggs, research finds

That's scary.
Too much Lead in our soils.

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22^nd, 2025 at 6:20pm:

Quote: including any surplus you grow in your backyard I believe that farmers have to have soil tests done to make sure that there are not poisons in their soil such as Lead. You never know if home grown food is grown in poisoned ground.

no, they test their soil so they can see what their nutrient levels are at.  They get a greater yield by keeping everything at the plants requirement.

John Smith wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 9:01am:

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 6:20pm: Quote: including any surplus you grow in your backyard I believe that farmers have to have soil tests done to make sure that there are not poisons in their soil such as Lead. You never know if home grown food is grown in poisoned ground. no, they test their soil so they can see what their nutrient levels are at. They get a greater yield by keeping everything at the plants requirement.

I dunno what the truth is anymore.

I did speak to a farmer and he had his soil tested for poisons and for nutrients.
I thought that testing for poisons was compulsory by law -
but I can find no evidence for that.

So chickens might be a problem. Presumably because they actually eat a significant amount of dirt and absorb the lead. But what about fruit trees, leafy greens and things like pumpkins in the back yard?

Has anyone ever been poisoned by any of this?

John Smith wrote on Apr 23^rd, 2025 at 9:01am:

Bobby. wrote on Apr 22nd, 2025 at 6:20pm: Quote: including any surplus you grow in your backyard I believe that farmers have to have soil tests done to make sure that there are not poisons in their soil such as Lead. You never know if home grown food is grown in poisoned ground. no, they test their soil so they can see what their nutrient levels are at.  They get a greater yield by keeping everything at the plants requirement.

Back in the 80's and 90's landowners would use sprays that contaminated the soil. My family bought a rural property that adjoined our farm but it had been tested by the AG DEPT and you were not allowed to run cattle on it due to the sprays the previous owner used which made the land pretty much useless. The land was given the all clear by the AG DEPT in 2006. If any stock in processing are found to carry chemicals the AG DEPT will test the soils from where the cattle are grazing.

It's all about applying good "soil, plant & animal husbandry".