IN this informative documentary on the Kangaroo Industry web site there is much discussion about our pastoralist industry, grazing practices, the benefits of cooking with kangaroo, and the serious issue of the increase in the number of kangaroos in Australia. Dr. Tim Flannery and others discuss all the related topics.
STEPHEN Crittenden of ABC’s Background Briefing on Sunday 18th April, reports on the complex issues surrounding food labelling. At present there is a public inquiry into food labelling which opens, as he reports, a Pandora’s box of problems. Earlier this year From Plains to Plate, a South Australian initative of farmers, community, government workers, gardeners, students, environmentalist, educators and citizens came together to discuss the issue of strenthening South Australia’s food systems, amongst which was the important item of food labelling. Among some of the partners in this initiative were Slow Food Conivia in South Australia, Friends of the Earth, the Government of South Australia, Community Gardens Network, the University of South Australia, South Australian Farmers Network. Their web site has been developed as an online meeting point to further strengthen a just and sustainable food system for South Australia and beyond.
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HUNTER-gatherer food came in many forms from both animals and plants and was eaten raw, cooked or preserved. The Hunter Gatherer Club will have its inaugural dinner at Muldoon Farms at Bungendore in late March. Food will be collected from the wild, vegetables such as wild purslane, chicory and mushrooms along with venison and yabbies will be served. Deborah Newell, founder of the Hunter Gatherer Dinner Club; Professor Neil Mann, nutritionist, RMIT University speak on the virtues of eating a hunter gatherer style diet on Bush Telegraph with Michael Cathcart.
PAUL Best writes in Epicure in The Age about foraging for wild herbs in Australia. Herbs such as purslane (pigweed), nettles, saltbush, river mint, dandelions, samphire, pigface and warigal greens can be found around Australia. Many of them have been brought here not only by wind, birds and oceans but by the First Fleet.
Samphire is much sort after in the United Kingdom and becoming popular in the food culture in Melbourne. Rock Samphire can be grown in Australia gardens.
Warrigal greens are another hardy vegetable that is found growing wild.
DESERT Knowledge has a mission is to create economic opportunities for indigenous communities in Australia. It seeks to provide sustainable livelihoods for desert people that are based on natural resources and to encourage sustainable remote desert settlements that support the presence of desert people, particularly remote Aboriginal communities. Its core partners are aboriginal councils, state governments, universities and CSIRO. There is ongoing researh into sustainable livelihoods for indigenous communities and into bush harvest. The Desert Knowledge web site has a wealth of information.
GAYLE and Mike Quarmby’s Outback Pride project is promoting the Australian native food industry by developing a network of production sites within traditional aboriginal communites. The cultivation of Australian native food provides indigenous Australians with jobs and training within the horticulture and food industry. One of the bush foods higlighted in their latest newsletter is saltbush.
