Farming ChampionsOn Saturday 4 November 2023 Farming Champions held the 11th annual Farmer On Your Plate event. This year, for the first time at Esplanade Reserve, in Fremantle. A huge thank you goes out to our sponsors, members, exhibitors, presenters, volunteers, dignitaries, musicians, farmers and the community who attended!!
Farming Champions Chair, Nicola Kelliher delivered her opening speech on this year’s topic, “When did food become easy?”
We have so many conveniences now when it comes to food. We have online delivery apps where food appears at your door in 20 minutes. Our supermarkets have an abundant supply and variety of produce from all over our state, country, the world, and it can be year-round. But it wasn’t always that way.
I wanted to look back and find the time when food availability was hard. I asked my Nan, who is now 95, and grew up in the East End of London during the Second World War. She said that people routinely grew their own food in their back gardens or allotments and that food and clothing materials were rationed – the same as here in Australia. When I asked how she coped, she said “Oh, we managed”. When I asked how she managed, she said “We all had nothing, we were all the same. We were all poor, but we were happy”.
For context, from the list of weekly rations in the UK, people were restricted to just 1 egg – per person per week. How would we manage with that now? My Nan had chickens in her back garden for this reason, and this was how they managed their own supply of eggs – and meat.
I asked my mother-in-law. She’s 90 now and was a pioneer for women, leaving New Zealand and travelling the world, driving herself across America, before she became a farmer’s wife in Wandering. I asked her how she managed, being an international bride and living with the isolation. She said it required a lot of planning and that “she didn’t really work very hard”. All she did was cook 2 hot meals a day, make clothes for the children, and preserve fruit and vegetables. If the chickens were not laying eggs, then she would make an eggless sponge. If the chickens were being good, then it was pancakes for dessert! If we compare that today, we can pop into the shops and buy the eggs without the need to adjust. It’s easy.
So if the availability of food now is so simple, how do we value that food? Times have changed a lot in the past 5 years. It is not uncommon now to buy an extra tin of food to stock up the pantry “just in case”. And this is one reason why Farming Champion’s event Farmer On Your Plate has more than doubled in size in the past year. The connections that we build helps to shorten the gap between farmer and consumer, bringing confidence with a closer connection to our food. When we build positive relationships, we can make more positive food choices for our families. Safe food, safe families.
We had a panel discussion on stage about the innovations in food technology and the supply. With food traceability, we are able to ensure the integrity through our food chain.
Farming Champions advocates for the farming families, and in turn, we also advocate for you – the consumer. Our farming families provide food security, and we also provide choice in your food. Our committee comprises people – farmers or not, from all over our State, willing to share the knowledge we have gained from our passion to raise awareness and support our farming families. Our volunteers and committee’s dedication to bringing this event here today is a testament to this commitment, and I want to thank our event coordinator, Laura Leyland, for the diligent handling of our biggest event yet here in Fremantle.
So thank you for coming to the Farmer On Your Plate 2023 – where making the connection with your farmer builds confidence for healthy food choices more easy.
The official event opening was conducted by Minister for Agriculture and Food, Jackie Jarvis. Dignitaries in attendance included The Governor of Western Australia, His Excellency Chris Dawson, and Mrs Dawson. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Direct General, Heather Brayford. City of Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge. As well as the Honourable Colin de Grussa MLC, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Food, Shelley Payne MLC and John Snowball, President of the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia.
Thank you to our brilliant Perth Chefs, Xerxes Bodhanwala from Pan Pacific Hotel; Don Hancey, WA Food Ambassador; Vince Garreffa, founder of Mondo Meats; Peter Manifis from Gather Foods; and Paul Storm from Bluey Zarzovs. All who showcased our exhibitor’s produce in delightful cooking demonstrations, sharing their best tips to use and cook with local ingredients, and providing tasty samples for the audience.
2023 Sponsors include Buy West East Best, Perth Market Group, Royal Agricultural Society of WA, Country Wide Insurance, City of Fremantle, Bannister Downs Dairy, Loose Leaf Lettuce Company, Milne, AFGRI Equipment, Berry Sweet, Green Plus, and Nautic Two Rocks Estate.
Exhibitors List: Antons Bratwurst, Devoted Artisan Butter, Eco Bread Pty Ltd, Black Garlic & Co, Australian Bee Company, BLOCK 275, Tucker Bush, Cambinata Yabbies, Wandering Clover Fed Beef, Family Food Group, Bluey Zarzov’s Hotsauce, All Burn Chilli, AFGRI Equipment, The Backyard Pantry, Boulder Dash Entertainment Group, Australian Black Limes, Slow Food Swan Valley and Eastern Regions, La Rochelaise, Lancaster Wines, Lake Janis Grassfed, Rurale Skincare, Table 13 Bistro, Swan River Distillery, Chestnut Brae Farm, Country Women’s Association of WA (Inc), Red Lime Jones, Cooper’s Classics, Dumbleyung Landcare, Lucky Bay Brewing, R4W Coffee Van, The Natural Circle, Schmear and Bagel, Wild Chisel, Clay & E., Shire of York, Milne foods, The Livestock Collective, Sweeter Banana, Down2Earth Gardening, RegenWA and Mette is Baking.
Thanks to Kate Johnson Photography for our event photos and thanks to Alex from Simple Ben Stories for our event video, watch it on YouTube here.
Please save the date for the 12th Farmer On Your Plate, to be held on Saturday 26 October 2024 at Esplanade Reserve, Fremantle. We can’t wait to see you there!
