Food is an important part of every culture; no matter our walk of life, we all have the same desire for our meals; – colour – texture – flavour – love and often memories. As important as good food is to us, one third of all food produced goes to waste in our own homes, contributing as much as 10% of global greenhouse gasses.

Join us for a zero-waste cooking demonstration with Maddie Watmuff who will use rescued ingredients which would have gone to waste, topped up with locally grown ingredients from Melbourne Skyfarm. Be part of the conversation and solution, and get to sample some of the delicious food in our efforts to reduce food waste.

You will learn how to:

turn excess milk into ricotta cheese
revamp floppy herbs as a nutritious pesto
create “Use It Up” meals utilising the sad veggies in the bottom of your crisper

Maddie will demonstrate how to make Use It Up Greens Pie with a sunflower, walnut and nasturtium pesto. Food tastings will be offered (gluten-free and vegan option will also be available).

Alongside this demonstration will be a panel discussion from sustainability and food waste experts.

Maddie Watmuff from OzHarvest is determined to transform the city’s emergency food relief sector utilising precious rescued produce with a root to leaf approach. Not only does Maddie believe that food inequality should be extinguished, but anyone can become the best cook in the house with affordable quality produce, patience, and a disco heavy playlist.

Sam Ferrier is the Sustainability Manager at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). MCEC hosts more than 1000 events each year and is well regarded for its environmental sustainability initiatives. They proudly partner with OzHarvest to tackle food waste in Melbourne, and Melbourne Skyfarm to bring urban farming to the city.

Eily Schulz is obsessed with plants and how people interact with them in the environment, our homes, and even our food. Working with The Sustainable Landscape Company, Eily looks after food growing landscapes like Melbourne Skyfarm, an innovative rooftop farm where all produce is donated to Ozharvest. These collaborations can model increasing community resilience and reducing urban food waste through the circular economy.

Panel Moderator

Kirsty Bishop-Fox of Sustainability Pathways is a sustainability consultant and environmental educator. She’s the program project manager for the Sustainable Living Festival, and also works with councils and businesses to support sustainable development and community engagement initiatives. Kirsty’s recognised for her practical approach, encouraging everyone to make conscious environmental choices, reduce waste and do better for our planet.

OZHARVEST

OzHarvest is Australia’s leading food rescue organisation. They save surplus food from ending up in landfill and deliver it to charities that help feed people in need. They’re constantly looking for new ways to inspire and educate people about food waste, food security, and sustainability. Through education programs and advocacy work, they hope to inspire others to change behaviour and help reach the national target of halving food waste by 2030. Every $1 donated to OzHarvest allows them to deliver two meals to vulnerable Australians. More information: OzHarvest

Please cancel tickets if you are no longer able to attend this event to allow tickets to be reallocated.