Capture some macadamia inspired photos from Sample Food Festival 2018 (presented this year by Gold Coast Airport) for your chance to win $1,000 cash and enjoy a weekend out ‘sampling’ some great local produce at one of the Northern Rivers most popular festivals.

From the Le Cordon Bleu Australia workshops to the sold out Sample Festival Lunch by Shannon Bennett & the Vue de Monde Team and Fab Ladies Wine Soiree…and of course the main festival itself at the Bangalow Showgrounds. The opportunities for great images are endless.

Entry is simple, just capture some amazing macadamia inspired photos and share them on your public social media account with the hashtag #AusMacadamias for your chance to win! Entries open: 6.00am Thursday 30 August 2018 Entries close: 11.59pm Sunday 2 September 2018.

You can also join Australian Macadamias for the third annual #AusMacadamias Instameet: 10am Saturday 1st September 2018 in the Centre Ring at Sample Food Festival, Bangalow Showgrounds.

The Australian Macadamias Instameet is a free meeting for any person attending Sample Food Festival 2018 who has a public Instagram account. Meet guest chef Shannon Bennett plus other local and visiting Instagrammers and sample some delicious fresh macadamias amongst new friends. The Instameet will run for approximately one hour and you can pre-register to attend the Instameet and secure a macadamia goodie bag.

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Writes Sam: “The Byron Shire is a delicious food bowl brimming with an abundance of fresh, locally grown produce and talented cooks aplenty. While the front gate of the region are the Farmers’ Markets, the front door is the bounty of good places to meet, drink and eat.  Do try something unusual while you’re here and be mindful of public holiday and Sunday surcharges when planning your dining adventures.”

She suggests that if you’re on a budget, grab a troupe of cooked prawns and a bed of oysters from Freckle at the Byron Bay Seafood Market and head to the beach. Scroll down to acheter du cialis en ligne the bottom of her site for a checklist of popular and often very busy places to visit.

She’s also posted a few of her favourites and like us is a fan of all of the new Vietnamese style street food arriving, we can’t wait for DUK –  a Chinese BBQ soon to open in Bay Lane.  Stay tuned to the latest eateries by subscribing to Samantha’s occasional newsletter here for updates.

Go here for more info: foodhealthwealth.com

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Twenty-six of the region’s best restaurants and caterers will produce $5 and $10 tasting plates inspired by their signature dishes – a fraction of the cost of dining in their well known establishments.

Award-winning Sean Connolly (The Balcony Bar, Byron Bay), will have a signature plate on offer while TV’s Paul West (Foxtel Food Channel’s River Cottage Australia) and original Ready Steady Cook chef Matt Golinski will battle it out in the Olsson Salt Celebrity cook off.

Being held in the picturesque village of Bangalow, 10 kilometres from Byron Bay, the Festival will also play host to more than 100 lifestyle exhibitors including local growers, artisans and boutique distilleries.

Punters ‘sampling’ delights at last year’s festival.

Renowned brewery Stone & Wood will offer a range of beers with Cape Byron’s Brookies Gin and the Tweed Valley’s Ink Gin joining the line up.

Festival founder Remy Tancred said the Festival is designed to celebrate the region’s vast array of top quality farmers, producers, chefs and artisans. “There will be cheese-makers, macadamia farmers, spice artisans, Asian street food specialists, fruit growers and dozens more delicious opportunities to try our region’s amazing fresh produce,” said Remy. “We have live music, baby animals for the little ones, cooking demonstrations, gifts and home wares as well as the chance to try to best food from our amazing region.”

Le Cordon Bleu’s Blue Ribbon and logo would be known to almost anyone with an interest in food and beverages.  Now in its fifth year, the Le Cordon Bleu Master of Gastronomic Tourism is the only post-graduate degree of its kind available in Australia. Talking to festival goers about the Masters of Gastronomic Tourism is the key motivation for Le Cordon Bleu’s involvement in Sample 2017.

The ‘MGT’ is designed so that students can explore the ‘gastronomic tourism experience’ from business studies and academic perspectives, add their own creative input and create graduate opportunities for work or further study.

With the exception of our MGT Residential, now an annual three-day series of gastronomic adventures hosted by Le Cordon Bleu and current students (often working professionals), the degree is delivered entirely online. Graduates of the program typically work in food and wine business, media and tourism. Le Cordon Bleu Australia’s Senior Brand Manager Sophie Davies will be a member of our expert panel for our networking event ‘Ahead Of The Curve’.

The first event in the 2017 SampleFoodFest program, Ahead Of The Curve combines food, business and networking.  An expert panel including Sophie Davies of Le Cordon Bleu Australia will be hosted by MC Kerry O’Brien will meet at the Bangalow Hotel, Wednesday 30th August.  The panel will discuss their own unique entrepreneurial paths and what’s working in food and business right now.  To book tickets to this unique event go to: Ahead of the Curve

Local chefs Kartrina Kanetani (Town), Bret Cameron (Harvest), Monique Guterres (Hungry Like The Wolf) will join visiting chefs Matt Golinski, Luca Ciano, Ben Williamson and Clayton Donovan to complete the 2017 line up.

WHEN : Saturday September 2, 8am – 4pm

WHERE: Bangalow Showground

TICKETS AT THE GATE: $5 per adult, children free

www.samplefoodevents.com

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James Toohey’s wife Rose-Anne described the undulating country they’d gone to inspect, running creek and with Scotch thistles on it to her husband and he knew, beyond doubt, it would make a good farm.
They selected the country and named it Padua Park, cleared it for farming and now110 years later their great-grandson Terry Toohey continues to enjoy its benefits.
James was 37 when he purchased the land and the thistles were a deciding factor. “There’s an old-time saying that Scotch thistles only grow in good country, so they selected this area and developed it,” Terry says. “He was totally blind but managed to keep farming. How they did it with what they had in those days was a mighty feat.”
The farm, 10 kilometres west of Casino has expanded over the years to 160 hectares where Terry and his wife Annabelle and their children Hannah 18, Lily,15 and Jacob 12, milk 300 Holstein cows.
Padua Park has some notable history; it was the first farm in the region with a tractor and the farm-house was once partially destroyed by a mini tornado. Fourth generation Terry says he “wouldn’t swap it for the world”. Terry spent more than a decade as a stock and station agent but was keen to return to the land. “I wanted to work for myself and give my family the same opportunity to experience the rural life that I had,” he says.

Terry Toohey’s children Hannah, Lilly and Jacob – the fifth generation on the land.

Terry became involved in farming representation about 12 years ago. He was on the Australian Dairy Farmers board and its animal health and welfare group. He chaired a cross commodity board for the National Farmers Federation, joined the Cattle Council of Australia, was on ministerial-appointed agriculture boards, and is Dairy Connect’s Farmers’ Group Representative.
“Dairy Connect came about because dairy farmers wanted united representation just for their interests,” he says. “We’re now the only organisation in Australia with a paddock-to-plate board including processor representatives and the grocery/retail sector.” Now in his late 40s, Terry places a strong emphasis on planning for the future using technology and innovation.

Terry Toohey at home on his farm Padua Park: Photo Jacklyn Wagner

“We’ve got to think outside the square and develop policies for the younger generation,” he says.   He wants to maintain a collective bargaining group with his processor Parmalat, and is pushing for the value of milk to be maintained on the domestic market. Terry sees a bright future for the industry in northern New South Wales, particularly as people move to the region for lifestyle reasons. “New South Wales is one of the most profitable dairy industries in Australia.” He supports the concept of Legendairy to raise the profile and reputation of the dairy industry and thinks people are responding. “Consumers voted against $1 milk and instead purchased private label milk because they can see the benefits for the farmers,” he says. “People appreciate farmers and didn’t go for the cheapest product.”

“We’ve got to think outside the square and develop policies for the younger generation,” he says.   He wants to maintain a collective bargaining group with his processor Parmalat, and is pushing for the value of milk to be maintained on the domestic market. Terry sees a bright future for the industry in northern New South Wales, particularly as people move to the region for lifestyle reasons. “New South Wales is one of the most profitable dairy industries in Australia.” He supports the concept of Legendairy to raise the profile and reputation of the dairy industry and thinks people are responding. “Consumers voted against $1 milk and instead purchased private label milk because they can see the benefits for the farmers,” he says. “People appreciate farmers and didn’t go for the cheapest product.”

“We’ve got to think outside the square and develop policies for the younger generation,” he says.   He wants to maintain a collective bargaining group with his processor Parmalat, and is pushing for the value of milk to be maintained on the domestic market. Terry sees a bright future for the industry in northern New South Wales, particularly as people move to the region for lifestyle reasons. “New South Wales is one of the most profitable dairy industries in Australia.” He supports the concept of Legendairy to raise the profile and reputation of the dairy industry and thinks people are responding. “Consumers voted against $1 milk and instead purchased private label milk because they can see the benefits for the farmers,” he says. “People appreciate farmers and didn’t go for the cheapest product.”

Terry also hopes to get agriculture back on the school curriculum and is involved with Dairy Australia’s Cows Create Careers program in Casino’s public school.

For more Legendairy stories, head to www.legendairy.com.au

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Sustainability consultant chef and food expert Alison Drover is giving a special free workshop put on by North East Waste to celebrate Mother’s Day on Wednesday May 10 in Pottsville.  Join the Love Food Hate Waste crew and give Mother Earth a kiss…

Alison will show participants inspiring and nutritious:

• • Creative salads, soups and preserves
  • Family meal and entertaining ideas that don’t cost the earth and are delicious.
  • Simple ways to reduce your food waste and ensure you are eating better
  • Clever storage ideas to maximise the freshness of your food

Alison Drover – creating simple but delicious food

We https://www.achaten-suisse.com/ often waste food because we have lost our connection to who grew it and how much effort was taken to produce it. Alison will share her ideas for how you can shop, cook creatively so that you can eat better and waste less.

Free childcare is available to children above 3 as long as you book on the form below (places are limited). Call Linda Tohver from North East Waste on 0427770198 for further information. Or to book a ticket go to: eventbrite.com.au/e/love-food-hate-waste-mothers-day-cooking

Location

Date and Time

Wed. 10 May 2017

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEST

St Ambrose Catholic Primary School

1 Charles Street

(library and canteen kitchen)

Pottsville, NSW 2489

View Map

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EVERY morning Greg Cromwell drives from the Goonengerry property he farms with his wife Alison and three daughters to load up their ute with fresh produce thrown out by the two local Woolworths supermarkets. The mound of fruit and veg is destined for the several dozen heritage pigs the Cromwells breed and raise, along with cattle, kelpies, chooks and native stingless bees.

On the day I’m there to visit the English Large Blacks know what’s coming and squeal with excitement. It’s a feast and they launch in to the aromatic mess, nosing out and crunching the sweet melons and mangoes first, chomping away in a porcine feeding frenzy.

Their gourmet lunches make the Large Blacks even larger (some need to be put onto light rations) while the diversity in their diet means they’re healthy and content. Already a calm breed, they’re even easier to manage with their happy Northern Rivers lifestyle – a plus for any farmer. The same applies to  cromwellfarms mob of cattle – about 40 Dexters, a breed chosen mainly for their placid nature.

Happy pigs chow down on Woolies ‘waste’ – making for tasty bacon.

While three-hour trip is barely worth what is saved in feed costs, it routinely includes other collections: at Byron Bay’s industrial estate Greg (or sometimes Alison) picks up sacks of spinach stalks from Byron Bay Pizza Co, coffee “chaff” from Marvell St Coffee Roasters, and mulch-worthy sawdust from furniture maker Jeremy Lee’s workshop.

Besides, the Woolies “waste” produce would otherwise become landfill, Greg says. This way, about 100 tonne a year of it, plus 10 more or so from each of the Shire’s major music festivals, gets “turned into bacon”.  And of course the varied diet makes them, in turn, even tastier.

Driving it all is the burly Canadian’s restless entrepreneurial spirit – fomenting ideas, building relationships, creating efficiencies and synergies – combined with the couple’s passion for family farming and a deep-seated love of the land.

It’s in their blood. Though Greg grew up in Toronto, any leisure time was spent in the country, on farms or hunting and fishing with his grandfather. His mother’s people began farming in Ontario in the 1850s and she still lives in the farmhouse built by her great grandfather. Alison’s dad was a farmer and becoming one was always something of a dream for her.

Though Greg denies being “a greenie”, one major goal is to leave the planet a better place, fulfilling an obligation to be the optimum stewards of the acreage the Cromwells know they are privileged to own.  The cattle are on constant paddock rotation and have been chemical-free for a year, with the goal being to go fully organic.

The couple met in Toronto in the early 90s and in 2000 they left the city to farm in remote country before coming to Australia, where Alison was raised (also in Toronto – although this Toronto was a suburb of Lake Macquarie). They rented, bought a small holding and a few animals, then acquired the old Sheaffe’s farm with a view to bringing it back into production.

It’s been a success. As breeders they supply piglets to individual buyers, or to The Farm at Ewingsdale, where they are something of a tourist attraction – though their ultimate destination is in dishes created by the 3 Blue Ducks restaurant there. Or, following the attentions of abattoirs at Booyong and Casino, and the Clunes butcher, they become in-demand delicacies on the menu at Harvest in Newrybar, the Bangalow Bowlo’s Stockpot Kitchen (250 serves in one night), Byron’s 100 Mile Table or Black Sombrero in Lismore. Cromwell beef, chicken and fresh produce are also in big demand amongst the region’s respected eateries.

Black Dexter cattle with Greg Cromwell. Part of the family’s diverse range of businesses.

But while the farming is varied, it’s small scale, and only viable because of parallel business activities. The Sheaffes Road property is also HQ for several companies, all having their genesis in Greg’s start-up savvy.

His first real job was selling Telex machines and he gained an “intimate knowledge” of IBM’s early 029 card punching machine, then a comprehensive knowledge of beer during 10 years with the Upper Canada Brewing Co, helping to take the company public (and doing himself out of a job). Marketing beer and helping grow the fledgling Steam Whistle Brewing with two other “fired guys”, he became something of a high-flier, on the board of the Toronto Arts Council and the city’s Fringe Festival. Meeting Leonard Cohen was a highlight. But it wasn’t all plain sailing and he admits to having had business failures and a few real estate calamities. “They all helped to build resilience,” he says. Over the years the entrepreneurial eye has become finely honed, meaning he often seems to be in the right place at the right time.

The Cromwell Family are all involved in making the business work. Standing from left: Greg’s sister, Karyn Cromwell Scarpa, Greg Cromwell and his wife Alison; seated, Bella, Aubrey, Greg’s mother Eleanor and Morley. Photo: Richard Johnson

While honeymooning with Alison in Tasmania, he came across Blundstone workboots for the first time and began making inquiries. Within a couple of years, they had exclusive rights to distribute Blundstones in Canada, and to retail RM Williams boots there as well. The Canadians love them and now the Cromwell’s three Australian Boot Company stores sell hundreds of thousand of pairs there. “It’s a big deal, and has allowed us to have some freedom to undertake new ventures here,” Greg says.

They also import and distribute a range of stylish coffee-making products, most notably the ROK Unplugged Espresso kit that allows aficionados to grind their own beans and make, sans electricity, a personalised cup of coffee, silently and with a warm glow of satisfaction.

They have their own coffee blend too, under the Top Shed label and are in the process of planting 100 coffee trees. With a large roasting machine already purchased, they are looking for a site to do their own processing through a new venture, The Coffee Agency. Beer-making is also in the pipeline, with a sort of “bake, roast and brew centre” envisaged for the property. A line of organic maple syrup is another possibility. (Enter the code Verandah 10 on the website to receive a 10% discount on the Espresso Unplugged coffee maker and grinder espressounplugged).

But none of this would be possible without the family showing a remarkable teamwork. Everyone pitches in, and with a grasshopper-minded dad whose personal motto is ‘fire, ready, aim,’ they need to be ready to hop to at a moment’s notice.  “Alison and the girls make it all happen,” Greg says. “Without their capabilities and enthusiasm, this wouldn’t be possible.” Alison is the principal carer of the five horses on the property, including the latest acquisition, Bobbin. The three-year-old female brumby is a rescue horse from the Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Association, yet to be ridden but settling in nicely.

The three teenage girls all fill significant roles in both the business and the hands-on side of the running of the property, including organising the farm’s beef and pork pop-up days, which attract up to 120 hungry guests.

“They set it all up, do all the selling, take visitors on tour, keep an eye on their children,” Greg says. “They’ve been empowered by their experience here.”

Morley, 16, has shown a talent for marketing, mastering Gumtree to advertise all the livestock, including the litters of kelpie puppies. She sold her first heifer when she was 10 and she has developed an expert eye for pricing, and for the formation and structure of cattle. Next she wants to upgrade the farm’s chicken breeding to include an incubator and a brooder box.

Eldest daughter Aubrey is off to UQ next year to study sports medicine, so someone will have to take over her duties keeping the animals’ records – births, deaths and “marriages”, tag numbers, treatments and so on. And the youngest, Bella, 14, feeds the dogs and helps train the horses.

Alison and Greg with the family’s horses.

The family’s team ethos has been founded in sport, which, says Greg, “is very much a part of our DNA. The farming’s a team sport. We’ve grown up being team sport players, and we’re a great team on the farm.” He discovered rugby in high school and has played it ever since, becoming a veteran at Bangalow, where he aims to reach the 200-match mark next season. Alison played netball competitively and is president of the Mullumbimby Netball Association. The girls all play the netball and basketball, representing Trinity Catholic College in Lismore and playing in other local leagues. But Aubrey’s flying the nest has been a wake-up call, prompting a plan to “zen” activities. “We realised we only have five years before all the girls are gone,” Greg says, so the plan for 2017 is to focus on family – “what the girls need us for” – rather than explore fresh avenues.

“We’ll concentrate on growing the core production lines,” says Morley, which is good news for the region’s foodies. The girls have spent most of their lives on farms and are not squeamish or sentimental about the animals’ fate. Morley says it would be worse if the cattle and pigs had not had a good life. “That would be sad but here there’s lots of space for them; they’re naturally fed, and handled constantly,” she says. Even the pigs are periodically allowed to roam freely in pasture.

Becoming farmers has been a “very, very steep learning curve”, says Alison. “We made every mistake in the book in the early days,” she says, including losing all their cattle in the bush – rescued by neighbouring “real farmers”, who have offered unfailing support.

Their friendly encouragement, the environment and Northern Co-operative Meat Company meatworks’ willingness to accept stock from small holders make the Northern Rivers an ideal place for the farming entrepreneur, Greg says.

But he knows his other business interests put him in a fortunate position – and acknowledges how tough it can be for many small farmers. The boot business is so successful the couple don’t have to work so hard, but they say it’s important for children to see their parents working – “it means they don’t take stuff for granted”.

And while none of the girls has plans to become a farmer, the earthy realism of life on the land has stood them in good stead for the world beyond Goonengerry’s green hills. They are all ambitious, confident, outgoing – and grateful for their good life.

As Aubrey says: “It means we know where our food comes from: knowing that, and the time and energy that has gone into it, makes it taste better.”

Photos: Digby Hildreth & Richard Johnson

Go to the Cromwell Farms website for more information: cromwellfarms

A Beef and Pork Pop-Up Day is planned at the farm on December 19 from 9am-12pm. To recieve a 10% discount, mention Verandah Magazine. (Enter the code Verandah 10 on the website to receive a 10% discount on the Espresso Unplugged coffee maker and grinder espressounplugged).

CROMWELL FARMS GROUP

Australia-Sheaffes Road

191 Sheaffes Rd, Goonengerry, NSW, 2482
PO Box 724 Mullumbimby, NSW, 2482

+61 2 6684 9400 (Farm House)
+61 2 6684 9457  (Top Shed)
+61 4477 55440 (Greg)

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“I was brought up with an exceptionally broad food culture that took in the cooking of Morocco and the eastern mediterranean, France, Spain, Italy and more,” says Nadine. “When I became a vegetarian,  it wasn’t a great leap to turn my hand to the kitchen.  (I’m now a born again meat eater but that’s another story). After having taught all over the UK and Europe, Sydney and Melbourne, I’ve been teaching in the shire for about 14 years, usually from home. I teach all sorts of classes – Asian, Italian, French, Christmas gift classes, preserves, gluten and grain free and Contemporary Middle Eastern – you will never see a falafel or a bowl of houmous in my house, that’s for sure.”

Nadine keeps the classes small. “I only take around eight to ten people,” she says. “I like my food to have high impact, so that it looks stunning without being too complicated. I enjoy flavours that are subtle, elusive yet multi-dimensional and intriguing. Rose buds and flower waters add romance and delicacy to otherwise punchy, more earthy notes. Apart from learning all sorts of new tricks and unusual, refined flavours, I find that people love to work as a team and to make new connections. I’m always touched by the warmth and humour of a group  – it can get quite raucous in there.  After the class we all sit down at a long table and have a well deserved feast – I work people quite hard! But you go away with a tool box that will help you add magic to your kitchen, as well as a booklet of impressive recipes that will become family favourites.”

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What might a team of educators, designers and entrepreneurs might have in common? “The passion to live in a regenerative way and inspire others to do the same,” says  Eurico Vianna, the educational director at Holos, and a third generation farmer passionate about regenerative living who is currently finishing a doctorate in Community Development (Sociology) at Griffith University (QLD).  “Four of us have put our skills in permaculture, holistic management, design and entrepreneurship together to create Holos; a learning platform which we hope will inspire and empower those interested in making a shift from a failing society based on consumption and scarcity, to one based on autonomy, abundance and resilience,” he says.

Holos offers a wide range of courses tailored to empower people to pursue their personal projects through regenerative design and a hands on approach using nature as a template. Their upcoming courses will teach people how to design abundant and regenerative food production systems; how to use alternative energy sources; how to use chooks to convert waste into highly nutritious and truly organic eggs, and how to use native bees to boost your veggie garden’s crops – and much more. “We’re also setting up both an online and a physical platform of interaction,” says Eurico. “Both our website and the school will serve as a knowledge and labour resource base to support our students’ and community’s projects.”

As well as Eurico’s expertise in permaculture, the small band of

four bring some impressive credentials to the new business.  Tiago Pires graduated in Industrial Design with a special interest in the fields of eco-design, ergonomics and usability; Fernanda Icasuriaga is an entrepreneur specialised in branding management and the financial director of Holos and Alan Minzon, the marketing coordinator at Holos, has consulted to Universities and Start-ups in Brazil and Africa, gathering skills to reach people interested in change and innovation.

To book your place in the school’s opening talk, send an email to [email protected].

UPCOMING COURSES

Introduction to Permaculture with Eurico Vianna

Eurico Vianna in his veggie garden.

Event Details

Date: October 7, 2016 5:30 pm – 9, 2016 4:00 pm

This introductory course will get you started in Permaculture design. You will learn about Permaculture’s ethics and key designing concepts. This course will upskill you to start designing and implementing food production, water harvesting and energy producing systems.

Alternative Energy Sources with Dr Doone Wyborn

Energy specialist Dr Doone Wyborn.

Event Details

Date: November 5, 2016 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Learn about Peak Oil, the economic uncertainty it brings and how to use EROEI (energy return on energy invested) to guide your designs and actions towards resilience. Learn about the advantages of on and off grid PV, battery types and storages and join us for a hands on workshops on how to use solar energy for electric fencing, water pumping, 12 volt LED lights and keeping car batteries charged.

Dr Doone Wyborn is a Renewable Energy specialist with over 25 years of research and practical experience. He worked on the potential of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) geothermal energy from 1992 to retirement in 2013 and is recognised as the leading Australian authority on this subject.

Doone currently lives off grid and is developing a rural land share community on 830 acres of land in the Scenic Rim. The community will operate on permaculture principles aimed at minimising input from external sources for food, shelter, energy, water and waste management.

Fundamentals of Native Bee Keeping with Steve Maginnity

Bee-keeper Steve Maginnity.

Event Details

Date:

cialis pas cher

November 19, 2016 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

It is estimated that in North America around 30% of the food humans consume is produced from bee pollinated plant life. The value of pollination by bees is estimated around $16 billion in the US alone. We would be unable to enjoy most of our favorite fruits, vegetables, or nuts without these pollinators.

Learn the fundamentals of native stingless beekeeping, how to use your hives to boost your veggie garden and orchard production, and how to harvest their medicinal honey.

Steve Maginnity has a degree in Agricultural Science and a Graduate Diploma in Education.  He has been sharing his passion for stingless native bees in schools and communities all around Australia since 2008. Steve also sell hives and offer a pollination service through his business – The Australian Native Bee Company.

Fundamentals of Backyard Chooks with Syd Welling

Syd Welling – the chook guru!

Event Details

Date: December 3, 2016 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Just as there is the right tool for each job, there is the right chook for your needs. Learn how to breed and raise the appropriate heirloom chickens for your specific needs and environment. You’ll love your chooks. They’ll turn your food scraps into truly organic nutritious eggs for you. They can also help you keep your veggie garden or orchard pest free. You can even use them as ‘tractors’ to get rid of grasses, scratch and fertilise specific spots to establish veggie patches or orchards.

Syd Welling is a permaculture designer with over 20 years of practical experience. Syd used permaculture to design and regenerate his parents farm from degraded pastures to a diverse and productive orchard in QLD. He has also designed his own farm, an abundant and resilient off grid permaculture property with over 18 years of established systems in Uki, NSW. In addition, Syd runs one of the most profitable and high quality solar energy companies in the Northern Rivers.

To book your place in our opening talk, please send an email to [email protected].

To keep yourself tuned to our courses and activities, like our FaceBook page: www.facebook.com/holosregenerativedesign

Holos: School of Regenerative Design – holosdesign.com.au

Contact – Eurico Vianna – [email protected] – 0430445540

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Sample.  It’s a

perfect word for the perfect festival.  Every year we get to eat so many delicious goodies that dieting is a must for several days afterwards.  Do we care?  Not a jot.  Take a look at all the great events on offer:

The Cellar Group Masterclass
Bookings are limited and only available on the day at
The Cellar Group Marquee – Site 39
Midday – Cloudy Bay
1pm – Chandon
2pm – Moet

Lismore Come To The Heart entertainment arena

10.15am  The Olssons Salt TAFE cooking challenge with
James Viles & Jody Vassalo

10:30am – Adriano Zumbo book signing

11am –  Mullumbimby High School students
12 – Heartworn Highway
1pm – Lucas Zorzo Trio
2pm– Jesse Morris Band
3pm – Darren Middleton

Kids fun! (opposite site 55)
9:30am & 11am – Macadamia Castle animal shows.
11:30am NBN Big Dog
Circus Arts Byron Bay
Balloon Magic
This Old Duck Kids Fun

The Northern Rivers Food Cooking Stage has a full program of cooking demonstrations from 8.15am right through until 3.30pm.

For more information go to samplensw.com

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Veet Karen was fourteen when she announced to her mother she wanted to be a vegetarian. Veet had often felt uncomfortable after eating meat as a child. Then one day she was watching a British sitcom on television that featured a woman who had decided to stop eating meat.

“It was the first time in my life I realised I had a choice to not eat meat if I didn’t want to,” she says.

Her mother didn’t argue. However, that night when Veet sat down for dinner, the only option on the menu was ham and salad. She recalls salivating – she had never really been that keen on meat but ham was her ‘Achilles heel’. Veet told her mother the next day she wasn’t ready to stop eating ham.  It wasn’t until she was eighteen that she announced she was going to be fully vegetarian.

“The real clincher for me was cutting ham off the bone at Christmas time. I realised that I could actually be cutting the flesh off my own leg,” she says.  “It made me feel completely sick and that was when I declared to the world I was a vegetarian.”

Karen Veet  runs her own vegetarian cooking school.

Fast forward to 2016 and Veet now runs The Vegetarian Cooking School, while also offering the Vegan Chef and Lifestyle Training, as well as independent cooking classes and catering. Though it is not officially accredited with any institute or association (no official accreditation can be given in Australia unless you are prepared to handle meat) the chef’s training course has been a big success.

The training is taught by Veet along with specialist teachers while class sizes are kept small so participants can receive individual attention. Local produce is always the first choice and all modules have been created to ensure wholefoods, organic, biodynamic and ethical produce is used.

And the menu is far removed from your stereotypical vegetarian ‘stodge’ – think recipes like Thai green papaya salad with pecans and cashews.

“People are so receptive to learn and so excited by what the course has to offer. There are people who also join module one because they want to improve their health and the’re curious about how to stay healthy as a vegetarian,” Veet says. “Some of these students have continued on to do many of the other modules and a few of them are now eating mostly vegetarian food.”

Time for Tea – with vegetarian goodies on the menu.

And the demand for quality vegetarian food in Australia is on the increase. Roy Morgan Research shows that the number of Australians aged 14+ who agree with the statement, ‘The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian’ has grown from 1,608,000 in 2009 to 1,935,000 (or 10% of the population) as of June 2013.

Nick Williams, Healthcare Consultant for Roy Morgan Research, says, “Along with ethical reasons, health is one of the main motivations behind the decision to follow a primarily or totally vegetarian diet.  We’ve all heard about how reducing our red meat intake can improve our well-being, and our data does indicate that vegetarians are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems as well as being far less likely to be overweight or obese,” he adds.

And it would appear vegetarianism is no ‘new-age’ fad. The ancient Greek historian, Plutarch, could be considered as the first vegetarian that weighed-in on the ethics of eating animals. His book Morals features a chapter on consuming meat in which he writes, “Ι wonder what sensation the first man who put his lips on the blood of a dead animal felt. He put his mouth on the flesh of an animal that was killed…He called delicacies those parts the animal was using to roar, speak, move and see. How could his eyes stand the sight of the blood of slaughtered, skinned and quartered creatures?”

Vegetarian dishes can be rich, complex and delicious.

Ethics and nutritional benefits aside, changing to a meat free diet ultimately left Veet feeling like she has more energy to enjoy life. “When you’re not filling your body with meat you have a lot more energy and when you know how to balance your meals and look at your stress levels it’s easy for your body to absorb iron,” Veet says.

Becoming a vegan has been even better for Veet.  “I became vegan almost a year ago and I have even more energy than I already did as a vegetarian. There are lots of research papers now that suggest that the vegan and vegetarian diets are the healthiest around,” she adds.

For Veet starting a Vegetarian Cooking School in an area like the Byron Shire is simply an extension of her own beliefs – beliefs she is sure that many of us already share, and more of us will in the future.

For more information on The Vegetarian Cooking School visit: veetscuisine.com.au

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