Sun 27 Oct – hold the date – Gawler Environment Centre is proud to present the Sustainable Living Festival again in 2019!
The Festival will feature exciting guest presenters, including foodie Simon Bryant from Dirty Depot and the Cook and the Chef, Almost zero eco-blogger Niki Wallace, beekeeper extraordinaire Mademoiselle Bee, plus a range of workshops, kids activities and live entertainment.
As we get closer to the event we will be releasing further details so please watch this space!
Simon Bryant – Sustainable Cooking Demonstration – 12.30pm in the Speakers Zone!
Simon will share his thoughts on what makes a sustainable dish, looking at issues such as water use, alternative proteins and use of native foods. He will then demonstrate some meal options with sustainable produce, and invite attendees to jump up and roll their own delicious rice paper rolls, with ingredients such as bower spinach, native mint and desert lime. Yum!!
He will have some of his books for sale and signing including Vegies and Vegetables and Grains and Other Good Stuff, and will also have some of his own-grown dirt(y) brand lentils for sale.
We are very excited to welcome Simon back to Sustainable Living Festival in 2019. Get there early for a seat!
Some bio highlights:
A 25 year career starting in Thai and Indian fast service restaurants, a stint as a butcher, event caterer, brasserie line chef, and Chef de Partie in Cheong Liew’s much applauded, The Grange Restaurant. Hilton Adelaide’s Executive Chef for 7 years from 2003 with various international posts showcasing South Australian produce in Russia, USA, Japan, China, Malaysia and Singapore.
Co-host of 152 episodes of ABC Television’s “The Cook and the Chef” broadcast nationally from 2006 to 2009, with South Australian food icon Maggie Beer.
Author of “Vegies” (2012) and “Vegetables, Grains & Other Good Stuff” (2015); cookbooks published by Lantern Penguin, with 200 seasonal vegetarian recipes.
Festival Director for Tasting Australia 2018 and 2019 – Australia’s preeminent Food and Wine festival. Creative Director 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Director and Providore of dirt(y); single origin, traceable, non GM, Australian grown wholefoods. A keen and semi-competent organic home vegie gardener.
A passionate advocate of using menus to throw light on the minefield of ethical issues surrounding food. Whether it be fair prices for producers delivering more thoughtfully produced food; using best practice ingredients with minimal environmental impact; the responsible and culturally appropriate use of Australian native foods; or the ethical treatment of animals in the food chain.
Above all, a hands-on cook of simple, pared-down, produce-driven, honest cooking that tastes better than just a bunch of words on a menu…
Join Terry Langham from the Friends of Waite Arboretum at 1.30pm in the Workshop Tent for a demonstration re all things bee hotel! Learn all about native bees, the different types of bee hotels, and the materials, tools and techniques for making them.
‘Australian native bees need food, they will love you forever by: 1. Growing flowers, 2. Growing more flowers 3. Creating flower smorgasbords and flower restaurants and 4. Creating a native bee hotel’.
Sustainable Living Festival Performer profile: Meryl Schiller. Meryl has been playing on and off gigs around Australia at pubs, family dos and campfires for the last 17 odd years, mostly covers with occasional originals thrown in. Meryl’s influences are The Waifs, Regina Spektor, First Aid Kit, Yuna, Fiona Apple and Brooke Fraser and she tends to play acoustic folky rootsy bluesy tunes. Meryl loves to play the 7th, 8th and 9th songs from albums so you might know the artist, but perhaps not the song! Check her out at 12.30pm.
Stroll over to the Rotunda from 11.30am to hear some sweet tunes from local song bird Cloudy Davey. A genuinely diverse diva of rich talent, Cloudy Davey’s refreshingly individual sound is a wonderful mix of musical temperaments that draws from both traditional and contemporary roots.
Join Vanessa Hoo (Mademoiselle Bee) in the Workshop Tent at 11.30am to glean some top tips for bee-keeping and bee-care.
Vanessa Hoo is a 2nd generation beekeeper, Horticultural Therapist, Mother, Environmental Philanthropist. Vanessa is a fervid advocate for bees. She rescues our pollinators, by offering a diverse range of services around South Australia. From mentoring, to education sessions, to live bee removal, and adoption/sponsorship programs, and public talks.
Vanessa’s Vision is;
“I see myself developing a better future for the bee population, as well as scientifically improving our knowledge in the world of Bees. Creating a better environment and greener Australia“
Wanna find out how two people and two dogs created only one jar of rubbish in one year? Niki Wallace from sustainability consultancy Almost Zero will share her top tips for a low waste lifestyle in the Speaker’s Tent at 11am.
Niki Wallace is a designer and researcher whose work focuses on design for transitions. She founded Almost Zero in 2017 in response to questions from family and friends about how to reduce their waste and improve their carbon footprints. Niki is an experienced lecturer, coach and facilitator whose expertise in sustainability and zero waste lifestyles spanning homes, workplaces and schools, helps others to transition towards more sustainable futures.