Upcoming Food and Farming Events - Join us this Harvest Season

Harvest season is upon us - it’s time to start enjoying the fruits of our labour! It’s also a good time to think about saving seed and showing gratitude to the farmers and producers who have been working hard over the summer months to feed us. With this in mind, we are very excited to announce a month of nationwide activities to promote sustainable food production and celebrate agriculture and farming!

We have a suite of workshops and talks coming up over the next month and we hope to see you at some of them! All workshops are free to attend. Our events will be in strict adherence with government guidelines on COVID-19 – please see our COVID-19 event precautions.

Workshops & Talks 

Seed Saving Workshop – Brown Envelope Seeds - Cork - September 12th at 2pm

We are delighted to partner with Madeline McKeever of Brown Envelope Seeds in West Cork for our first seed saving course of the month. The course will be an introduction to seed saving, including the biology of plant reproduction, self-pollination versus cross-pollination, in-breeding and out-breeding, annuals and biennials. There will be a practical demonstration of how to extract seeds from wet fruit and from dry seed pods and how to winnow using a fan. The course will also teach you how to store seeds and germination test them. Suitable raingear and footwear for uneven and potentially muddy conditions will be required. Register for this workshop here.

Online Seed Saving Workshop with Ourganic Gardens & The Gaia Foundation – September 17th at 7pm

      

This online workshop is perfect for community gardeners, home growers, urban gardeners and lockdown gardeners alike. Joanne Butler of Ourganic Gardens has been teaching people to grow their own food since 2013. Joanne will join us in welcoming Wayne Frankham, Ireland's Regional Coordinator of The Gaia Foundation Seed Sovereignty Programme to discuss and demonstrate the basic essentials for anyone to successfully save and reproduce the seeds of our common and heritage vegetables. Wayne will also provide simple tips for creating a community seed bank. This is an online event that will be delivered via Zoom. You can register for it here. 

Envisioning Food Sovereignty: Theatre exercises and embodiment practices to imagine a different world – Online Workshop – September 16th at 7pm

Sometimes our biggest block to moving towards a more just society is being unable to imagine the world that we want. In this workshop we will explore the idea of Food Sovereignty through play, games and movement. We will practice theatre exercises that invigorate our imagination, in order to strengthen and inspire the action we take towards Food Sovereignty. We will also clarify our values around the ethical use of land and resources. The workshop will be facilitated by Miriam Needham, a Lecoq-trained theatre practitioner and yoga teacher.

Apple Tasting Tours – Irish Seedsavers Association Co. Clare - September 18th & 19th NOW BOOKED OUT

Apple enthusiasts, mark your calendars for a special tour of the Irish Seedsavers orchards. These tours are ideal for anyone who is considering adding apple trees to their homes or community gardens and wants to sample different varieties. Meet with Irish Seedsavers staff, learn about their work and fill up on all the apples you can eat! Suitable raingear and footwear for uneven and potentially muddy conditions will be required. Register for the tour on the 18th September here and for the tour on the 19th September here. 

Connecting with Nature Farm Walk – Manna Organic Farm, Kerry – September 19th

Thomas and Claire manage a 25-acre mixed organic smallholding, Manna Organic Farm, in Co. Kerry. They believe that everyone should have access to safe, healthy, nutritious and delicious food. They are involved with Transition Kerry and Talamh Beo. Their farm is a great example of a diverse food production system that supports biodiversity, all on marginal land.

This 2.5 hour event includes a tour of the farm with Thomas and a look at some of the habitats and species it supports, as well as the livestock and crops. There will be time to discuss how the farm is managed in support of nature and to ask questions. The event is for farmers and those interested in food production and the food system. Suitable raingear and footwear for uneven and potentially muddy conditions will be required. You can register for this event here.

Adult & Children's Seed Saving Workshops with Seedsavers - Solstice Arts Centre, Co. Meath - September 26th

Seed saving is an age-old tradition that is growing in popularity amongst families and gardeners due to its many benefits. It saves money, prevents heirloom varieties from going extinct and develops resilient seed varieties. These 90-minute workshops will introduce participants to the lifecycle of the seed. You will learn about the importance of open pollinated seeds and get lots of seed saving tips! There will be one workshop for children and one for adults. This is an indoor event: COVID-19 policies will be strictly adhered to. Register for the children's event here and for the adult event here. 

Growing Together: Pathways to a Fair Food System for Ireland - Webinar– September 24th at 7pm

Growing Together logo

Our Growing Together agri-activists have been busy researching and interviewing farmers around the country. They have curated the latest research on pathways to a more sustainable food system for Ireland. This research, due to be released in September, will explore the environmental and social inequities of our food system. It will also outline the potential that the concept of food sovereignty has to make our food system more ecologically and socially just. Join the authors along with some innovative farmers and growers from around the country to launch this exciting piece of research. Register for the webinar here. 

Please note: Due to government restrictions there are limited spaces available. Waiting lists will be created and you will be notified if places become available.

COVID-19 Precautions

All events will be in strict adherence with government guidelines.Participants are asked not to attend if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, if they have travelled overseas in the 14 days prior to events or they have been in close contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19. Please see our COVID-19 policy for more information.

Agri-activism

Don’t forget, you can keep up to date on the Growing Together group's activities via their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter social media sites.

If you are interested in joining the group, sign up here and someone will be in touch with you in the coming weeks to invite you to the new members meeting.

We look forward to meeting you at some of our events throughout September.