Join us for the annual Feeding Ourselves gathering! We will celebrate the soil beneath our feet, the food it provides for our communities and the agroecological farmers and growers who work the land.
Feeding Ourselves 2017 will feature a soil symposium – including an introduction to a fascinating new citizen science project called GROW Observatory – with dedicated sessions on community gardens, sustainable farm diversification, community supported agriculture and the land workers alliance. We’ll highlight inspiring examples of regenerative (agri)-culture activism – from farm hack to food policy councils.
Speakers and contributors include Naomi van der Velden (British Permaculture Association), Kate Carmody (Organic Hemp Farmer Kerry) and David Beecher (Citizen Soil Scientist) plus much more.
This two-day gathering also features the Little Food Fair, Art Exhibit, the Spicebox of Earth and SpeakEATsy.
If you are a grower, see food as a commons, interested in Permaculture or land-based livelihoods, this event is for you.
When: Saturday, April 8th & Sunday 9th, 2017
Where: WeCreate Centre & Cloughjordan Community Farm
Cloughjordan Ecovillage, Tipperary, Ireland
Click through for more details
Speakers and contributors include Naomi van der Velden (British Permaculture Association), Pavlos Georgiadis (Ethno Botanist, Greece, GROW), Pat Malone (Cloughjordan Community Farm), Ben Whelan, (Cultivate & WeCreate FabLab), Bruce Darrell (RED Gardens), Joe Fitzmaurice (Riot Rye), Dee Sewell (Community Gardens Ireland), Fergal Anderson (Leaf & Root), Fergal Smith (Moy Hill Organic CSA, Clare) Roisin Nic Coil (CSA Ireland), Kevin Dudley (Cloughjordan CSA), Kate Carmody (Organic Hemp Farmer Kerry) Mimi Crawford (Crawford’s Farm), Eimhin Short (Growery), David Beecher (Citizen Soil Scientist), Clive Bright (Rare Ruminare) – plus you and many more. The sessions will be engaging and participative, skilfully facilitated by Davie Philip (Cultivate) and Oliver Moore (Arc2020).
This two-day gathering also features –
The Little Food Fair – An outdoor food market with produce and information from local producers: Wildfire Pizza, The Night Orchard, Riot Rye, Cloughjordan Community farm, Middle Country Cafe Co-op, Crawford’s Farm, the Chilli Farm, Harmony Gardens (NextGen Cloughjordan).
SpeakEATsy – The now infamous event where food, poetry, music and compelling conversation come together in a convivial setting.
Art Exhibit – The Spicebox of Earth – An exhibition on soil and the ecology of place by mob grazer and all-round food hero Clive Bright. Clive’s focus of work has drifted from a nostalgic grappling for a sense of place and history to grappling with the present. Searching for an understanding and perspective of where we truly fit in the ecology of our place. Understanding the role of even the tiniest organism within the web of living things around us. Observing the knock-on effect of it being there or not has on the whole system. The cycles of energy, the niches of life, the microcosms within microcosms and the lessons that can be learned by studying the relative patterns throughout.
Schedule
Saturday
09.30 – Registration
10.00 – Celebrating Progress from the Field
Inspiration, updates, and progress from growers, communities, and organizations active in the field of agroecology and community.
11.30 – Break
11.45 – Soil, Satellites & Citizen Science
Introduction to the GROW Citizen’s Observatory, a new pan-European initiative to enable the emergence of a mass movement of participatory citizens generating, sharing and utilising data and knowledge on growing and the land, leading to more sustainable land use practices, smart soil and land governance and policy, and a unique data repository for science.
Pavlos Georgiadis (GROW, olive farmer Greece), Naomi van der Velden (GROW, PAB), Ben Whelan (GROW Cultivate) Facilitated by Oliver Moore
13.00 – Little Food Fair
An open-air food market with local food and drinks stalls, seeds, information, and craic.
14.15 – Feeding Ourselves Open Sessions(Also open to people coming to the Food Fare)
Session 1 – Mixed-Veg Polycultures and Forest Gardens
Naomi van der Velden from the British Permaculture Association outlines the benefits of plant communities.
Session 2 – Can Growing Hemp Help Save Small Farms?
Pavlos Georgiadis (Cannabio Co-op Greece) and Kate Carmody (Beale in North Kerry) discuss the benefits of growing hemp and the progress in Ireland and Europe.
Session 3 – Farm Hack – Developing appropriate, open source tools for agroecology
Ben Whelan, (Cultivate & WeCreate FabLab), Eimhin Short (Growery) and Pat Malone (Cloughjordan CSA) discuss the possibilities.
Session 4 – Mega Bites – Visual Tools for Sharing and Learning
Bruce Darrell, RED Gardens on the why, how and what next of YouTube videos for growers and Joe Fitzmaurice, Riot Rye, on peer learning through Instagram
15.30 – Break
15.45 – The Soil Symposium
The health of the soil is key to the health of our plants, our food, our communities and ourselves. In this public conversation, Irish and International experts discuss soil and its necessity for our well-being. Bringing People 4 Soil campaign, GROW OBSERVATORY, Organic farmers, Permaculturists and community gardeners together in a dynamic conversation on the importance of soil. Kevin Dudley (Cloughjordan CSA), Naomi van der Velden (GROW, PAB), Pavlos Georgiadis (Greece), David Beecher (Cork) Clive Bright (Rare Ruminair) facilitated by Davie Philip (Cultivate)
17.00 – Feedback and reflections from our surprise keynote listener.
17.30 – Close
18.00 – 19.00 – Land Workers Alliance Pow Wow on Cloughjordan Community Farm
Fergal Anderson (Leaf & Root) and Fergal Smith (Moy Farm) lead a conversation on the needs of a network of small farmers and land workers.
19.30 – till late SpeakEATsy
A convivial evening of food, art, music, poetry and dancing
Experience a tasty and thoughtful meander into the world where music and poetry, farming and food, arts and nourishment weave together seamlessly. This unique event includes a meal, music, spoken word and a public conversation in a convivial community setting.
Sunday
10.30 – Farm Walk / Ecovillage Tour
A detailed tour of the Cloughjordan Ecovillage and Community Farm, including the orchards, research gardens, the community apiary. See the progress on the community amphitheater and many of the sustainability features of the ecovillage and Cloughjordan Community Farm.
10.30 – Launch of the Land Workers Alliance
Establishing new organization representing the interests and defends the livelihoods of people producing food, fuel, and fiber using sustainable and agroecological methods of production. Agriculture is too important to be left to the interests of agri-businesses. Farming is not about making a profit at any cost – it is about supporting the communities and sustaining the ecosystems of where it takes place. Food and agriculture systems are collective responsibilities and we must all engage with these issues to ensure the land and landscape can nurture future generations.
12.30 – Food Fair
An open-air food market with local food and drinks stalls, seeds, information, and craic.
14.00 – Feeding Ourselves Open Sessions
Session 1 – Farm Diversification
A hosted exploration into diversification including Thomas O’Connor (Mana Organics) and Mimi Crawford (Crawford’s Farm)
Session 2 – Do food policy councils mainstream food sovereignty?
Influencing local food policy to develop a healthy, sustainable, & resilient food system. Cork Food Policy Council and the sustainable food lab – turning the disused public land into community groweries.
Session 3 – Changing Food Perceptions Through Community Gardening
Dee Sewell (Community Gardens Ireland) leads an introduction to community gardens in Ireland.
Session 4 – Open source software for CSAs – OpenOlitor
15.00 – Break and CSA film screenings
15.30 – Celebrating Community Supported Agriculture
A dynamic session led by the Irish CSA Network on why we need CSAs, how best to maintain them, how we can support getting get more established as well as improving communication and synergy between them.
17.00 – Close
Click here to buy a ticket.
