Savour the sovereignty of Tweed’s food scene

AS part of the second annual Savour the Tweed food festival and the Tweed Shire Council’s October Business Month, the Food Sovereignty event will explore the care and sustainability of the region’s produce in Pottsville on October 23.

Moderated by local food advocate Magdalena Roze, the panel features a wide variety of producers blazing a trail in ethical and regenerative practices.

Featuring First Nations voice for native food sovereignty, Kyle Slabb; wild-catch fisherman and chef Josh Lewis; ecosystem protection expert Rachael Sanderson; and The Bread Social’s Sam Saulwick, the panel includes ethical supplier of native, wild and farmed meats Georgie Goddard; organic, regenerative farmer Michele Stephens; and trailblazer and industry leader Pam Brook.

Savour the Tweed co-curator Christine Manfield said food sovereignty was a big umbrella topic.

“There’s a lot in it, but essentially the speakers will be addressing the whole spectrum of food security, caring for our land, caring for Country, and best practice going forward,” Manfield said.

“It’s shining a light on our small-scale farmers and producers for people to connect to the provenance of their food more directly; to have a greater awareness of where their food comes from.”

The panel will explore the provenance of food sources, building better food systems, land management and regenerative practices of farming, fishing, hunting and foraging, how sustainability shapes menus and food choices, and the growing trend towards non-invasive species.

“It’s such an important conversation, and it’s probably the first event when we were planning the program because the brain food – feeding the mind and our curiosity – was about tapping into these food sources and supporting these small businesses,” Manfield said.

“The people doing the hard yards, the organic farmers, the butchers, the fishermen; we’re putting them front and centre to tell their story, and people can identify directly with them.

“It’s about how we can work together productively to look after our land and share the resources, and what to grow.

“We’ve got such a rich food bowl here, one of the richest agricultural districts in the country, and it gives us so much, but we also have to treat it respectfully.”

For tickets, visit events.humanitix.com/food-sovereignty