Following on from the November 2nd Living Lab Northern Rivers, Plan C and UTS “Adaptable and resilient food futures in the Northern Rivers” forum, we invite government, community and not for profits to participate in a “Northern Rivers urban agriculture and food futures Roundtable”.

This half day event will bring together key stakeholders in a participatory and capacity building roundtable as part of Sustain: The Australian Food Network's third annual Urban Agriculture Month.

Co-hosted by Northern NSW Local Health District, Sustain: the Australian Food Network and the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, we will explore the following questions:

● What is the current Northern Rivers food and farming system?

● What are the key challenges to the Northern Rivers food and farming system from health to climate adaptation, food security and reconstruction?

● What roles do key stakeholders play in addressing these challenges?

● What does participatory food system governance look like for the Northern Rivers region?

The Roundtable will produce practical next steps to lay the foundations for long-term food system planning and strategy for the Northern Rivers.

Speakers will discuss the state of play of our Northern Rivers food system including: land use planning for food production, food security and emergency food relief, climate-friendly agriculture, young farmer advocacy and community food enterprise.

Facilitators will step participants through participatory approaches to food system mapping and food governance models.

The Roundtable will be held in the Jullum and Gawandii Rooms.

Check out our AGENDA below:

12:00 - 12:45: Lunch and networking

12:45 - 1:00: Welcome to Country and introduction

1:00 - 1:40: Roundtable presentations

Kathryn Wilson, NSW LHD
Tamara Prentce, NSW DPI
Fiona Berry and Sheridan Keegan, UTS/Griffith
Nick Rose, Sustain

1:40 -2:40: Panel and questions

Joel Orchard: Young Farmers Connect
Rebecca Barnes: Playing with Fire Native Foods
Jaime Cooper: Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre
Jolene Ryan: Santos Organics
Joe Leven: Casino Food Coop

2:40 - 3:00: Break

3:00 - 4:00: Participatory food system mapping and need assessment (facilitated by

Nick Rose, Sheriden Keegan and Fiona Berry)

4:00 - 4:30: Wrap up and next steps

4:30 onwards: Networking

SPEAKERS

TAMARA PRENTCE manages the agricultural land use planning unit within the NSW Department of Primary Industries where she leads a team of planners across NSW in providing statutory and strategic planning advice, and policies, to ensure intergenerational access to landscapes that support food and fibre production. Tamara has previously held roles in the NSW Department of Planning, Crown Lands, Local Government, and in the Northern Territory government. She also runs a small farm on the urban fringe and has dealt with land use conflict and planning complications first hand as a farmer. Tamara's team have been instrumental in identifying areas of the planning framework that require reform to support intergenerational access to local food and fibre. Tamara was the recipient of the 2023 PIA NSW Dr Helen Proudfoot Women in Planning award.

Kathryn Wilson (BSc Ex Sci & Nut, MPH, Grad Cert Health Service Planning)
Kathryn has worked in a broad range of health services and settings over the past 20 years. This has ranged from clinical roles in exercise physiology and nutrition, to population health and health promotion, service planning and leadership roles in NSW and Queensland.

Kathryn has a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Nutrition, Masters of Public Health and Graduate Certificate in Health Service Planning. Kathryn is currently the A/Director of Integrated Care and Allied Health for the Northern NSW Local Health District overseeing Allied Health strategy, Value Based Health Care, Integrated Care, Priority Populations, Health Promotion, Oral Health, Renal Integrated Care Programs, Disability and the Northern Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Parkinson’s Nursing Service.

Kathryn is passionate about collaborative and multi-strategic public health and health promotion opportunities and is committed to working with all sectors to achieve this.

FIONA BERRY is a Research Principal at the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF). She lives in the Northern Rivers NSW, conducting research in ISF’s food systems research area and project manages research across a variety of disciplines. Fiona is passionate about building communities through peri-urban and regional agriculture, local food systems and democratic community participation.

SHERIDAN KEEGAN (MPH) is a PhD scholar in the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Griffith University, Australia, working with the Local Food Resilience and Contingency project team at Griffith University’s Cities Research Institute and Disaster Management Network. Sheriden works collaboratively with governments and communities to enable place-based pathways to resilient and sustainable food systems. Her research interests include disaster food security, food system governance and how regional food supply chains can support communities to thrive and have equitable access to healthy food. Her PhD research is focused on how governance can enable food system resilience at the regional scale.

DR NICK ROSE has been the Executive Director of Sustain since its establishment in January 2016. With a background In law and community development, Nick brings more than a decade of working at the grassroots and institutional level in several Australian states in food sovereignty and sustainable food systems. He is the editor of "Fair Food: Stories From a Movement Changing The World (2015)" and the co-editor of "Reclaiming The Urban Commons: The Past, Present and Future of Food Growing in Australian Towns And Cities (2018)." Nick is also a lecturer in food systems, food policy and governance and food movements for William Angliss Institute in their Bachelor of Food Studies and Master of Food Systems and Gastronomy.

PANELLISTS

JAMIE COOPER is the Emergency Relief Coordinator for the Consortium of Neighbourhood Centres delivering referrals and resources for persons with an immediate need for financial and material aid across the Northern Rivers region. This service utilises partnerships across the donation streams of many organisations and connects into specialist community services. Centres also operate Community Food Pantries and the group deliver a regional Food Rescue program.

JOEL ORCHARD is the Director of Young Farmers Connect Inc (YFC), a national not for profit organisation committed to cultivating networks, resources and community for young farmers state and nation wide. YFC provide educational platforms and community connections that encourage young agrarians to farm for the future, supporting the use of regenerative, holistic and sustainable agricultural practices. The YFC community provides a national framework for peer support and a network that facilitates opportunities, land sharing, collaboration, education, mentorship and industry support to new, young and aspiring farmers throughout Australia. Joel is also the co-founder of Wardell Community Organised Resilience Effort, a community owned and managed recovery hub and support service for the lower Richmond River catchment providing a number of programs to alleviate food insecurity.

JOLENE RYAN has been the CEO of Santos Organics for over five years and has a passion for healthy and conscious living. She was the Store Manager for the Mullumbimby Santos Organics store for nearly two years. Prior to arriving in Australia, she developed her business knowledge during a 17+ year career in retail with an extensive background in sales and operations, training and development, customer service, product knowledge, merchandising, people and culture and opening new stores. Jolene now calls the Northern Rivers home and Santos Organics has been the perfect fit for her to put her skills to use.

REBECCA BARNES is co-founder of Playing with Fire Native Foods which now grows, processes, manufactures and supplies native foods at local farmers markets, gourmet food shops and high end restaurants. With demand currently outstripping supply Rebecca believes the industry is at a critical point and needs to expand to ensure its survival. She is on a mission to educate more growers about the enormous potential of Australia’s native foods and provide industry leaders with a platform to connect and share their stories. Rebecca wants to support First Nations Enterprise in the industry and hopes that one day, the industry will be First Nations led and have a majority of its operators First Nations people.

Joe Leven heads up Member Services at the Casino Food Co-op working with farmer members across the Northern Rivers. Joe is the founder of River Crystal, an initiative which facilitates best management practices within the Co-op membership delivering tangible productivity and environmental outcomes. The initiative provides farmers support in focusing on Soil, Water, Climate and Landscape Hydration and executes projects in the grazing sector to build resilience within their business and the landscape. The River Crystal initiative has gained great traction within the local beef industry and formed a trusting and respectful relationship with regional government groups, natural resource management sectors and Landcare groups. Joe is a cattle farmer himself and a closet ecologist who has a passion for building a sustainable and resilient landscape who acknowledges we are ‘farming the environment’.

Please note : Lunch is included as part of your registration. Dietary requirements options are available at ticket check out.

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Thank you to our co-hosts: