Terra Madre
Ever since I first learned about the Slow Food movement and the amazing work they do in preserving our food heritage and supporting the ideals of Good, Clean and Fair produce, I have wanted to attend their flagship event Terra Madre, held every two years in Turin, Italy. Meaning ‘Mother Earth’ Terra Madre is a celebration of food and tastes from all over the globe as well as an opportunity to bring together world leaders in food sustainability, biodiversity and climate change to discuss our changing food landscape - all topics close to heart! As it turns out – this is to be my year, and I was delighted to be asked by the Slow Food Swan Valley and Eastern regions Convivium to attend as their delegate, representing our local food community here in the Swan Valley and Northern Valleys region and to gather information about the latest in food politics, innovation and developments worldwide.

This year’s event focusses on Regenerative Farming – a real interest of mine. I’ve been following the progression of regenerative farming techniques locally for several years, as well as being a part of implementing the ideas on our own farm in Mooliabeenee. I can't wait to hear what's happening in the rest of the world, and see how regenerative farming principles have been applied on other farms and what changes this has had already on sustainability in our food system.

Since the Slow Food network is a genuinely grass roots organization its purpose is to engage everyone involved with our food network –  from growers and chefs to academics and scientists and not forgetting the equally important 'co-producers' - those who eat the food! So I’m banking on the promise that there will be plenty of eating and sampling different foods as well as talking about them! Be sure to watch this space, as well as the Northern Valleys Locavore Store Facebook page to hear my live updates from the event. 

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about Slow Food communities, this video is a great one to watch. And if you want to know more, check out their website.