Those looking for a way to entertain the whole family on Sunday 15 April 2018 need look no further than the free ACT Permaculture Festival, which will run from 10 am – 4 pm and will be held at Canberra City Farm in Fyshwick. With stalls, music, food, talks, workshops, kids activities, farm tours and more, there will be something for everyone.
“There’s no other event in the Capital Region like this one, where Canberrans can learn directly from a range of experienced sustainable-living and permaculture groups,” Minister Rattenbury said.
Fans of Costa Georgiadis will have a fantastic opportunity to meet the man himself. Kids will love his garden gnome activity, gardening enthusiasts will get the chance to ask their burning garden questions when he gives a tour of the demonstration gardens, and everyone can be enlightened during his talk on connectivity, which is the theme of this year’s festival.
“The Canberra region’s climate presents unique challenges for those wanting to grow their own food and live more sustainably so I’m excited to be a part of this event and introduce more locals to the joys and benefits of growing and eating your own and locally produced food, and living more sustainably,” said Costa.
Attendees will be delighted by the music of Western Australian band ‘Formidable Vegetable Sound System’. Possibly the only band in the world promoting permaculture principles, frugal hedonism and the joys of climate change adaptation through dance music, they are the world’s most unique experiment in ‘ecological electroswing’.
The Sydney Morning Herald said they’re “so infectious that the most ardent climate sceptic would have trouble staying still”. With high-energy live shows consisting of glitchy bass-beets, swingin-ukulele chops, violin shredding and hyperactive horn playing, the Formidable Vegetable Sound System will help everyone have a groovy day at the Festival.
Those wanting to learn how to become more productive and resilient to uncertain futures won’t want to miss the exciting Canberra launch of permaculture co-originator, David Holmgren’s new book RetroSuburbia; the downshifter’s guide to a resilient future. Launched by Charles Massy (author of Call of the Reed Warbler) and with music from Formidable Vegetable Sound System, this is an event not to be missed.
When hunger strikes on the 15th, festival attendees will have a delicious selection of locally produced food to choose from including pizzas cooked in Canberra City Farm’s wood-fired cob pizza oven and pesticide-, GM- and hormone-free fresh Asian food from Good Life Food. There will even be an opportunity to sample food cooked on one of Slow Food Canberra’s solar ovens.
Workshops, talks and demonstrations will cater for every Festival attendee’s tastes. Those who don’t know anything about permaculture will leave Fresh Landscape Design’s talk with a great overview of the principles of permaculture and how they apply to residential landscape design. Anyone wanting to raise animals without eating them will learn about the diverse non-food uses for animals from Tabitha of Tabandy Farm who was a mentor on the TV series, River Cottage Australia. Those sick of paying big bucks for skin lotions and potions will enjoy learning how to make their own skincare products using common kitchen ingredients in a demonstration from The Purity Store. Anyone looking for a sustainable alternative to plastic food wrap will be delighted to find out how to make a reusable beeswax wrap. And those wanting to develop a more sustainable wardrobe while still being fashionable will love Style by Nina’s ‘re-styling the clothes in your wardrobe’ talk. These informative activities and many more await everyone who attends the 2018 ACT Permaculture Festival.
Of course, a festival would be nothing without market stalls and in that department, the ACT Permaculture Festival definitely won’t disappoint. Attendees will be able to pick up some worm castings and composting worms from Global Worming, purchase or swap open-pollinated seeds at the Canberra Seed Savers stall, and pick out some support seedlings and food forest edibles for dinner from Lyneham Commons. Other stalls will help visitors fix bikes, mend clothes, tinker with electronics, permablitz tired gardens, and so much more.
Kids of all ages will also be catered for at the Festival. They’ll enjoy pretending to be bees pollinating apple trees and earn a delicious organically grown apple for their efforts. They’ll also have the opportunity to get some good quality ‘dirt time’ in as they play in the sandpit and mud kitchen. Loved ones will no doubt enjoy a few mud pies while their little ones explore the natural play area.
With Easter having been and gone, there will be no better way to get back into a healthy frame of mind than with the ACT Permaculture Festival, and the event will be a great way to start the school holidays.
The 2018 ACT Permaculture Festival will be opened by ACT Greens Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury, and is proudly supported by the ACT Government, Canberra City Farm and Southern Harvest. More information about the Festival can be found at https://southernharvest.org.au/permaculture-festival/ or on social media: