Chippendale Food Fair Changes Face as Residents embrace new era of Sustainability
Man is born free but is everywhere in chainstores, except in Chippendale
The Food for the Future sustainable food fair, which will take place on Saturday 11 October and coincide with Good Food Month, will become more localised in response to an unprecedented reaction by Chippendalians to the ethos of sustainability.
Permaculture North were fantastic supporters and workers on the early stages of Chippendale's street gardens and here they are hard at it - thanks Permaculture North
The fair’s vision is to provide local food for both residents and businesses and cafes, in an innovative and simple way, by linking local producers and consumers without intermediaries, saving on fuel costs and enhancing the freshness of food.
Early advertising of the fair has prompted local businesses, restaurants and residents to begin buying food directly from farmers and sending back food waste to be used as compost.
To facilitate this, Chippendale will be divided into four ‘paddocks’ or areas – at Little Queen Street, Meagher Street, Myrtle Street and City Road. Residents will use drop-off and pick-up points in their nearest ‘paddock’ for farm deliveries and compost. These ‘paddocks’ are set to increase in number as participation grows.
Eventually, organisers expect 300 boxes of fresh food deliveries to take place in Chippendale each week, a move that will no doubt impact on local supermarket chains.
Other residents are embracing sustainability more intimately, successfully growing their own fruit and veg in backyards and on balconies.
As a result of this commitment to sustainability, Fair organisers have decided to approach the Food for the Future fair differently. Within the Chippendale precinct a number of satellite events will be taking place.
Farmers and producers from the Hawkesbury Basin will be selling their wares from the back of trucks – country-fair style and stalls will be displaying all kinds of local produce.
In the context of a working bee on the day of the fair, the residents will plant fruit trees and plants donated by Sydney City Council withdemonstrations on how to build a leaky drain to water the trees.
The fair also showcases artworks by the children from Pine Street Creative Art Centre on their vision of food and life for a more sustainable future. Using printmaking and drawing techniques, children created individual works and a collaborative banner.
NG Art Gallery and Mission will be hosting a Feast for the Future lunch with a panel of guest speakers such as food writer John Newton, sustainability consultant Michael Mobbs, Powerhouse Museum curator Anni Turnbull, City of Sydney councillor Chris Harris and a number of leading cutting edge Australian artists including Juliet Holmes a Court and Janet Laurence. This will be in conjunction with the Food for Thought exhibition which will be held at this time in the NG Art Gallery featuring the works of 30 artists interpreting this theme.
Other local eateries are planning similar activities in affiliation with the fair.
“The Fair was always about convincing the people of Chippo and its surrounds that food sustainability is possible, even in the very centre of a large city. "Man is born free but is everywhere in chainstores, except in Chippendale”, said Fair organiser and sustainability expert Michael Mobbs. “Locals clearly agree with that philosophy, so the Fair will now focus on building on the growing enthusiasm, and encouraging more people to buy directly from Sydney basin farms.”
Food for the Future will take place on the 11 October from 10 am – 4 pm.
For interviews with Michael Mobbs contact him directly on: 0424 460 525