CELEBRATING native bush foods and regenerative farming will be at the heart of a new festival coming to Quorn in August.
Australian native foods of Nukunu and Adnyamathanha will be the focus of the inaugural Quandong Festival to be held on August 6.
Supported by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal Future Drought Fund and South Australian Arid Lands and curated by Warndu, the Quandong Festival features Australian native food growers, harvesters, cooks, educators and enthusiasts such as Costa from ABC's Gardening Australia, River Cottage Australia's Paul West and renowned author Bruce Pascoe to celebrate with educational workshops, food stalls, culinary experiences and family activities.
Flinders Ranges Council mayor Greg Flint said he was excited for Quorn to be hosting the important festival to celebrate native bush foods.
"The Quandong Festival will bring together people from all over Australia who have that passion for growing and using native foods," he said.
"We want to learn from them how better to market and incorporate these foods into our businesses and community and in turn share the passion that this community has for these native foods. "
"The Flinders Ranges is iconic with native foods such as the quandong, and we want to build on this solid foundation and encourage more people to look at growing these important native foods.
"We are very excited to have some amazing key speakers, chefs and personalities attend and support this event and it will be a real economic and tourism boost for the council area."
Quandong Festival creative director Rebecca Sullivan of Warndu said the spirit of reconciliation and a celebration of regenerative agriculture was key to Australia's food industry and how it adapted to a changing climate.
"We are bringing the leaders and thinkers at the helm of the nation's native food and sustainability industries together whilst we continue as a community to curate a culture for the integration of ancient foods to people living in the region, Australia and beyond," she said.
"The Quandong Festival ventures well beyond quandongs. It's a celebration of all native Australian plants and foods."
Native Food expert, author and educator Bruce Pascoe and wattleseed grower and wholesaler Angus Jones headline the Festival's regenerative farming education series, focusing on sharing regenerative practice.
Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Sign up here to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.
