Local Environment Heroes

Julie (left) and Fiona (right) pumped for a New Season of the podcast. Photo: Zoe McMahon

Fiona and Julie are back with Season 3 of Local Environmental Heroes. This series is all about food - who is growing and cooking it, who is teaching about food and who is helping to distribute it and make the system fairer for all.

In this opening episode, Fiona and Julie discuss all of the amazing guests they have interviewed for this series and reflect on what they have learnt - namely that everyone and everything is just so connected! 

As they talk about in this headline episode, the series won’t cover ALL the problems but it WILL shine a spotlight on some incredible humans that are working within their sphere of influence to contribute to a better, more equitable, food system for all Canberrans. Anyone who does this is a hero.

Julie (left) Lucy (centre) and Fiona (right) pumped after recording this episode on fair food

Lucy Ridge is a Canberra based food writer and qualified chef with a passion for food sovereignty and sustainability. She is currently finishing her first book which documents her year of internships all over Australia in the food industry.

Julie and Fiona have a fascinating chat with Lucy about food sovereignty and learn about how eating seasonally is connected with knowing the growers and improving people’s cooking skills. Lucy references The Food Co-op and Southern Harvest in this episode- they’re awesome!

Lucy: “I think people are really disconnected to where their food comes from. You know, people don't really understand seasonality. Um, they don't understand, um, you know, why things are cheaper at certain times of year and, and why things are better at certain times of year.”

“Food sovereignty asserts the rights of people to nourishing and culturally appropriate food. Produced and distributed in ecologically sound and ethical ways and their right to collectively determine their own food and agricultural systems…essentially food sovereignty is about asserting that people should be able to choose where their food comes from, how it's produced and how it gets to them. And all of those things should be done in ways that are good for the environment, that are good for the community and put the needs of people and the planet over profit.” 

Philippa Lawrence surrounded by thousands of plants grown by a dedicated team of volunteers ready for the school’s annual plant sale. Photo: Julie Boulton

Philippa is the Garden Specialist with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at Majura Primary School. She is a trained horticulturist and supports students to grow, eat and enjoy fresh food.

Fiona and Julie recorded this episode on site and were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of the garden and meet the chickens! This conversation was an amazing opportunity to hear (and see) firsthand how the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program supports young people to grow, value and enjoy fresh food (and to create their own compost). 

Philippa: “I love the process of getting a seed or choosing a seed. Planting it, watching it grow, planting it in the garden, taking care of it and then harvesting it. And I wanted to really impart that process on students so that they realise that it's not like some impossible thing to do.”

Philippa and Fiona in the Kitchen Garden at Majura Primary School. Photo: Julie Boulton

Julie (left) and Fiona (right) pumped for a New Season of the podcast. Photo: Zoe McMahon

Fiona and Julie are back with Season 3 of Local Environmental Heroes. This series is all about food - who is growing and cooking it, who is teaching about food and who is helping to distribute it and make the system fairer for all.

In this opening episode, Fiona and Julie discuss all of the amazing guests they have interviewed for this series and reflect on what they have learnt - namely that everyone and everything is just so connected! 

As they talk about in this headline episode, the series won’t cover ALL the problems but it WILL shine a spotlight on some incredible humans that are working within their sphere of influence to contribute to a better, more equitable, food system for all Canberrans. Anyone who does this is a hero.

Julie (left) Lucy (centre) and Fiona (right) pumped after recording this episode on fair food

Lucy Ridge is a Canberra based food writer and qualified chef with a passion for food sovereignty and sustainability. She is currently finishing her first book which documents her year of internships all over Australia in the food industry.

Julie and Fiona have a fascinating chat with Lucy about food sovereignty and learn about how eating seasonally is connected with knowing the growers and improving people’s cooking skills. Lucy references The Food Co-op and Southern Harvest in this episode- they’re awesome!

Lucy: “I think people are really disconnected to where their food comes from. You know, people don't really understand seasonality. Um, they don't understand, um, you know, why things are cheaper at certain times of year and, and why things are better at certain times of year.”

“Food sovereignty asserts the rights of people to nourishing and culturally appropriate food. Produced and distributed in ecologically sound and ethical ways and their right to collectively determine their own food and agricultural systems…essentially food sovereignty is about asserting that people should be able to choose where their food comes from, how it's produced and how it gets to them. And all of those things should be done in ways that are good for the environment, that are good for the community and put the needs of people and the planet over profit.” 

Andy de Groot!

Andy De Groot is a chef and the founder of Queer Food, a sustainable catering company and food retailer run by Trans* and Queer* People. Andy has an incredibly strong belief in the power of community inclusion and he works to celebrate and honour queer histories and stories through food. 

Andy chats to Fiona and Julie about the power of using food to tell stories and foster community connection. He generously shares his insights on how he balances a commitment to sustainability with a need to regenerate himself. 

“I think that even if people reach out to one local producer and change one thing that they're buying with, it's like getting bulk milk from somewhere or going and getting your fresh produce box from a local supplier. This can add up to make a big difference in the long run.”

Amy Blaine. Photo: Julie Boulton

Amy Blaine is a co-founder and volunteer for the Ainslie Community Pantry. She’s passionate about meeting the needs of the local community through building social networks that share and distribute food, seeing food as an integral part of our social fabric.

In this episode, Fiona and Julie are blown away by Amy’s endless enthusiasm for the work she does. Listen to Amy talk about increased demand for the services of the street pantries and the incredible volunteers who are working with her to deliver a service that really shows how to build a community and care for each other. 

“Anyone can go along and drop food and drop off donations and anyone can go and access food. So it's a nonjudgmental space.”

“I'm motivated by going. ‘People shouldn't be hungry’. And if everyone's focused on, let's have no one being hungry. It would shift the mentality of food waste.”

Fiona, Julie and Amy with recording set up, Canberra Environment Centre Office, Gungaderra Homestead.

Fiona and Aaron outside Gungaderra Homestead. Photo: Julie Boulton

Aaron Chatfield is the owner operator of Dreamtime Connections a business he has built to share Indigenous Culture and native foods with the community especially schools. Aaron’s vision is for every school to have a bush tucker garden. 

Fiona and Julie chat to Aaron about the role of native plants within the local foodscape, and here all about his incredible education initiative in local school connecting students with native foods.

“Telling the kids that, yeah, these are native plants from around Canberra that have been used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. It's important that we don't just start going out Bush and start ripping them out and start using them for whatever. Instead, how about we look at creating gardens at school or at home where they can become an educational space where we can learn about these plants and then learn how to better protect them out in the Bush.” 

Aaron Chatfield

Josie Grenfell- cofounder Food2Soil

Josie’s primary role is co-CEO & co-founder of Food2Soil, an innovative circular economy business that makes biologically alive fertiliser from fermented commercial food and coffee waste, transforming waste destined for landfill into soil gold.  

Fiona chats to Josie about her journey as a dietician, her passion to reduce waste and how her life experiences have contributed to the formation of her business. They also talk soil health -how crucial nourishing soil is to producing healthy plants, and healthy people.

Sam, Sophie and Fiona at Gollion. Photo: Julie Boulton

Sam Vincent is a regenerative farmer and writer, living at Gollion, his family’s property in the Yass Valley, north of Canberra. His most recent (award winning) book, “My Father and other animals. How I Took on the Family Farm”, is a must read. 

Julie and Fiona managed to sneak in a quick visit to Sam’s farm for this recording. This meant they met the magical fig tree which you will hear Sam speak about so fondly in this episode. 

“One unexpected part of farming that I really love is when I arrive at restaurants with my produce when they're closed and just talking to them about what I've grown. When I open the door and I have these freshly picked figs and I'm talking to a chef or even someone in the kitchen who's just started working there and I can see the excitement, it makes me feel really good. I have actually hosted a lot of the chefs that I sell to here, they really want to see how I grow the food - and I really love that, that kind of connection.”

Sam and Fiona in the new orchard. Photo: Julie Boulton

In the Orchard. Photo: Julie Boulton

Sam with the Magical Black Genoa Fig Tree. Photo: Julie Boulton

Fiona and Sam with cup of tea in hand in the orchard. Photo: Julie Boulton