Hello and welcome to our newsletter!
We’ve got a lot in store for the coming months, as well as a lot to catch up on!
We’d like to begin by acknowledging the D’harawal Season we have just entered, the Parra’dowee Season. We hope you’ve all been enjoying this delightful Spring season with the blooming flowers and abundance of fruits it offers.
What a full past two months we have had, with the highlight being our very own Connecting Over Fair Food + Crop Swap event! Together, the local Fair Food community celebrated Global Climate Change Week, shared local produce, heard from some fantastic speakers about the different ways they are involved in the food system, and re-connected with many of the Fair Food initiatives we have here in the Illawarra.
Looking forward, the month of November happens to be Urban Agriculture Month, an annual celebration coordinated by Sustain: The Australian Food Network. There will be events across the country that celebrate and raise awareness of Australia’s urban agricultural movement, including the Urban Agriculture Forum in Sydney.
The Illawarra is bustling with events that relate to all things urban agriculture! Keep an eye on our What’s On Calendar to get involved.
Read on for:
- A recap on our Connecting Over Fair Food event.
- Our Fair Food Champion, Mitchito.
- Our awesome lineup of events.
- How to submit your own event.
Advocate, educate and grow your own!
Fair Food Champion – Michito Henderson
Meet our latest Fair Food Champion, Michito Henderson. At just 11 years old, Michito has already developed a passion for sustainability and growing food through Tarrawanna Public School’s Illawarra Living Classroom Program.
Connecting Over Fair Food
On the 18th of October, more than 110 dedicated food educators, advocates, producers, gardeners, and passionate food enthusiasts converged for our annual “Connecting Over Fair Food” event at the Shellharbour Civic Centre. Together, they explored how to build a food system that is more sustainable, fairer and resilient here in the Illawarra, especially in the context of climate change and the rising cost of living.
Food Equity Symposium
The Food Equity Symposium,organised by Aboriginal Affairs NSW was a fantastic opportunity to hear from those who are working hard to tackle food security. This event was all about learning the new approaches towards addressing the critical issue of food security in our society.
How (and why!) to host a Crop Swap
Crop Swaps are taking the Illawarra by storm! With so many popping up across the region – you can get involved too. Learn how to host your own Crop Swap in you local community.
You’re invited to our next Quarterly Community Catchup on the 28th of November – come along and get involved!
Got an event you’re eager to share? Jump on our website and submit your own through our What’s On Calendar.
Our Growing Your Own Food guide aims to connect the community with ways that they can assist or be supported in creating a fairer, more secure food system for everyone!
You don’t need a backyard to grow your own food. Learn how to make the most of your space to grow small amounts of veggies and herbs.
Rooftops, vacant blocks, public spaces are just a few potential spaces you can use if you don’t have access to a garden to grown your own food!
Become a member of you local community garden. It’s a great way to meet people, learn skills and share produce.
Discover the opportunities to support growing food in the Illawarra through advocacy, education, and conversation.
Want more? Head to the Growing Your Own Food section of our Fair Food Field Guide!
Our Fair Food Events Calendar is filled with exciting opportunities to participate and connect with others. Here are some upcoming events:
Tour & Tea – Extended Remix
Sat 4th of November from 10am – 12pm at Popes Rd, Woonona
Tour Popes Produce HQ with the grower, Sarah for an introduction on what is required to start growing your own food at home. Sarah will share her knowledge on growing produce at home and why it’s so valuable to jump in! Click here for more
Crop Swap – Unanderra
Sat 4th of November from 10am – 12pm at Unanderra Community CentreTrading on the success of the Port Kembla Crop Swap, this swap event will take place on the first Saturday of the month. Bring your surplus produce, seeds, seedlings, pickles, preserves, eggs, honey and baked goods to swap with like-minded growers, gardeners and self-sufficiency enthusiasts. Click here for more
Seed and Sapling Swap
Sat 4th of November & 2nd December from 10am – 12pm at Corrimal Library visit the library with some of your seeds or saplings, and swap with other members of the community to propagate your gardens. Chat with other enthusiastic gardeners for tips and tricks on growing a thriving garden space. Click here for more
Crop Swap – Bulli
Sat 4th of November from 2pm – 3pm at Millers Local BakehouseHosted by FOODTALKS Illawarra, come down for an afternoon of swapping. Bring your seeds, plants, produce, cuttings, jams and preserves to swap with other home-growers in the community!
Click here for more
Illawarra Edible Garden Trail
11th – 12th of November from 10am – 3pm, between Helensburgh and Woonona
This will be a fun weekend meandering through edible gardens between Helensburgh and Woonona. It’s all about connecting budding gardeners with well-rooted growers, and sharing all the growing tricks and tips for different environments. Click here for more
Urban Agriculture Forum + CGA National Gathering
17th – 19th of November from 8:30am at 166-180 George St, Redfern
Explore the growing urban agriculture movement in Australia and beyond, and the positive changes it is creating for community health, wellbeing and sense of belonging. This 3 day event consists of presentations, workshops and tours to community gardens, urban farms on the peri-urban fringe and other edible landscapes. Click here for more
Crop Swap – Port Kembla
Sat 18th of November from 10am – 11am at Port Kembla Community Centre
Why crop swap? Share, exchange and learn! Bring along your homegrown herbs, fruit, veggies and eggs, seeds, seedlings and edible plants, preserved or prepared foods, like pickles and jams, and growing materials, like pots and worm castings. Click here for more
Nina Cantina’s Cringila Foodie Tour
25th of November from 10am – 12:30pm at Five Island Hotel
Come along to eat Cringila’s world famous Burek from Pece’s Burek shop and trying some delicious Lebanese pizza from Munoochi pizza as well as some other local delicacies including coffee. Click here for more
Nina Cantina’s Big Fat Greek BBQ
26th of Novemberfrom10:30am – 1:30pm at Port Kembla Community Centre Hall
Who wants to learn how to make delicious Greek inspired BBQ dishes with all the trimmings? A traditional Greek-Cypriot BBQ will be set up and you will learn how to make delicious Pork Souvlaki and slow cooked lamb Souvla. You will also make some lovely vego inspired Souvlakia, some yummy side salads and dips as well. Click here for more
Do you have an event coming up?
We’ll help you spread the word! Head to our interactive events calendar and submit your own by clicking the button below.
Podcast
Is Australia reallythe lucky country? The who, what, why and how to address food insecurity.
Dr. Sue Kleve is a public health nutrition researcher and senior lecturer with the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food at Monash University. Sue has over 20 years’ experience working across community and public health nutrition settings in Australia. In this episode Sue provides insights into why more and more Australia. Click here to listen ?
Reads
Eating Democracy: The True Cost of The Food We Eat – AFSA
This book tells the story of eaters doing things differently, navigating their paths to grow, provision and cook in ways that are fair to soil, water, plants, animals, and people. These eaters are helping to build a new food system based on culture, community, and personal, public, and ecosystem health without blowing the household or the planetary budget. Click here to get your copy
Proudly hosted and governed by Healthy Cities Illawarra since 2005 We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of D’harawal Country where our organisation is located. We pay our deepest respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. While FFI takes every reasonable effort to ensure that the information contained within this newsletter is correct at the time of issue, we recommend that the individual takes care to confirm details, as events especially are subject to last minute changes, and run at the organiser’s discretion. |
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