A seat at EAT’s table

A seat at EAT’s table On Friday night I went to the “EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems.” launch, one of 35 world-wide. It’s fascinating reading; a three year, multi-disciplinary, game-changing study outlining strategies on how to provide 10 billion of us with a healthy diet that reduces greenhouse emissions, saves half the planet […]
The bill’s arrived / Regenerative Agriculture Day

The bill’s arrived…. As the big cold front came over Western Victoria last week I called Joe Sgro, Fair Food’s largest vegetable grower, to see if the rain had reached his market garden in Colac yet. It’d starting spitting and Joe was hoping for a good drenching after all the heat. January has been brutally dry […]
Ahead of his time, again / Meet “Previously Ordered”

Ahead of his time, again. Four years ago this past week Joe Garita, our market garden mentor, passed away (that’s Joe above with his John Deere tractor). Beginning in 1945 with his father and then later with Jean, his wife, Joe farmed his two and a half acre market garden on the Merri Creek feeding his […]
Fresh pistachios – a rare treat indeed

Fresh pistachios – a rare treat indeed Shane O’Dea remembers that when they first started growing pistachios people said Wahring was too far South and the trees wouldn’t bear. But Jenny, Shane’s sister, did her research and discovered during the 1970’s the CSIRO trialled pistachios about 80kms from the O’Dea’s farm, confirming they were viable […]
Meat

Last week I was talking to Amy Paul from Ruby Hills about her organic lamb deliveries into Melbourne and also saw Ben Falloon, from Taranaki Farm, successfully crowd-funding $111,507 for an micro-abattoir to process his pastured chickens on-farm. It got me thinking about organic and regenerative meat. Lots of people I know eat organic fruit and veg but eat […]
A delicate balance / Milk in glass

A delicate balance Every year around this time Jenny Indian emails from Stanley with an update on her and partner, Steve’s, chestnuts and quinces. This year I’m sharing Jenny’s message because it so honestly and humbly reveals what farmers are going through with the drought and a never-ending fire season. It also gives an insight into the constant […]