Cottage Industries... a support group??

I guess before I started Rie's kitchen, I had never really thought about cottage industries in metropolitan Australia. They were something that occurred in rural and regional areas or overseas.

When in Japan a number of years ago, Myles and I did a walking tour of Kyoto visiting a number of cottage industries as diverse as tatami , fan, kimono, sweets and pottery manufacturers. It was a fantastic view into Japanese culture.

With the rising popularity of farmers markets through metropolitan Melbourne, I wonder if cottage industries are also on the rise.

On Saturday, Myles and I spent a wonderful evening with friends who we rarely get to see. I gave them a gift of some Rie's Kitchen product and was surprised to hear of their cottage industry "Green Sheep" http://www.greensheep.com.au/ who make a range of clothes and equipment for babies and toddlers - worth a look!

We got talking about marketing strategies, sales techniques etc, and it just made me think that small home grown industry like us needs a stronger voice who can offer guidance and support. many local councils have some "think tank" concepts but these are very dependent on where you live. If there is anything more out there I an unaware, but will start looking into it more.