Back to All Events

FARM CHATS // WATER & DROUGHT

  • Pocket City Farms 31A Mallett Street Camperdown, NSW, 2050 Australia (map)

2018 has brought forth an exciting collection of monthly talk series held on the farm. These nights have included and involved local and young regenerative farmers, innovative people working in food, food waste and sustainability in fun/friendly discussions and panels. Our goal is to create a community of mindful humans through connectivity and shared experience. We believe that real-life interaction, conversations and local Australian stories will allow us to do so. 

There's alot circulating in the media right now about the current drought - and along with that comes all sorts of opinions around how to best aide farmers, what is best practice in land management, and what to do in the interim before the next big rain event. And, from an urban perspective, what can we actually do to be well informed even after Sydney's water supply rises above critical levels? Warragambah Dam is currently at 60% and even if it fills up soon, it doesn't change much for those outside of this catchment. Hear from a panel of farmers and those involved with supporting good ongoing land management, and bring your questions so we can move forward supporting farmers and the systems that nourish the soil and ourselves.

Cost: $20

Provided: First Young Henry's beer on arrival + snacks

Bring: Coins for beer donations that will go towards resources for our education program.

THE PANEL

DARREN DOHERTY of Regrarians. Darren has spent his career focussing on profitable and regenerative retrofit of broad acre landscapes. A 5th generation Bendigo region farmer, developer, author & trainer Darren has been involved in the design & development of well over 3000, mostly broadacre projects across 6 continents in more than 50 countries, ranging from 1 million hectare cattle stations in Australia’s Kimberly region to 110,000 acre Estancia’s in Patagonia, as well as family farms and has a range of of private, corporate, government and non profit clients. Darren is the originator of the Regrarians Platform® process which outlines a strategic & logical process to the development of regenerative agricultural systems, and is the program extensively outlined in the Regrarians Handbook which is now being released chapter by chapter as an eBook.

DAVID WATSON from Millpost Merino. David is a Southern Tablelands superfine woolgrower who has, with his family, been implementing a permaculture plan at "Millpost" since 1979. Shelterbelts, fodder, forage, and timber trees, orchards and gardens have all been established together with gravity fed water harvesting systems. Home food production is a priority. Recent developments include holistic management, selling superfine merino yarn, and a book telling the Millpost story.

FRASER BAYLEY from Old Mill Road.
Fraser and Kirsti have managed their family farm, a mixed farm enterprise on the South Coast for the past 16 years. The farm’s main income stream is from vegetables grown and sold within their community. Being first generation farmers, Fraser and Kirsti have started from scratch to attempt to develop a perpetually productive system minimally affected by factors-political, economic or resource based that are external to their control. There’s nothing they can do about the weather. 

LAURA DALRYMPLE from Feather & Bone Providore
Laura Dalrymple is co-director and co-owner of Feather and Bone, a retailer and wholesaler of ethically-raised meat and poultry based in Sydney. For over 10 years Laura and her partner, Grant Hilliard, have written and talked extensively on the politics of meat. After 20 years working in graphic design and brand communications, Laura joined Grant at Feather and Bone to help build a business designed to support regenerative farmers and encourage consumers to become change agents for a better food future. Feather and Bone emphasises the importance of transparency in the whole cycle of meat production and consumption and the business exclusively sources whole animals direct from farms that they have visited personally. The decision to eat meat requires being able to look the animal in the eye.

IN CONVERSATION WITH...

ERIKA WATSON is one half of Epicurean Harvest in Hartley, NSW, at their property Bula Mirri. Erika has a background in Horticultural Science and Fine Arts, and dabbles in ceramics in the rare down times that come with running a farm business. As well as managing 2 acres of vegetables for provision to fine restaurants in Sydney,  Erika and partner Hayden run a small herd of Belted Galloways under Holistic Management principles. They are integrally involved in the piloting of a new Ecological Outcome Verification Program for farms and are known to get very bubbly & excited when observing changes in the insect life in patches of cattle deposits across their property.


OUR SPONSORS

YOUNG HENRYS is an eclectic group of passionate brewers, distillers, musicians and artists, united for the love of good beer and fine gin. www.younghenrys.com

Earlier Event: November 3
CROP SWAP // NOVEMBER
Later Event: November 24
THE ART OF SHIBORI + INDIGO DYEING