Celebrating Local Food and Community Connections
The first Riverina Harvest Festival is almost here! Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 1st, and Sunday, March 2nd, 2025, at Wagga Beach.
This exciting two-day event will spotlight locally grown produce and promote food security. It aims to connect the community while supporting local producers and community gardens.
First Riverina Harvest Festival Highlights
Organizers, including ErinEarth garden manager Eltan Mestan, are working hard to bring the festival to life. While there’s plenty of work to be done, Eltan is confident the event will be a success. “We’ve got everything moving forward, and it’s going to happen,” he said, looking forward to the festival’s impact.
The conference on day one will feature top speakers. The keynote speaker is Clarence Slockee from Gardening Australia. Other experts include Dr. John Rafferty, a senior lecturer from Charles Sturt University, and the president of Community Gardens Australia. Topics will cover local food, community gardening, and sustainable agriculture.
After the conference, join fellow growers, producers, and community organizations for a networking dinner at Mates Gully.
On day two, the First Riverina Harvest Festival First Riverina Harvestwill host free workshops for all ages. Adults can attend sessions on edible natives, promoting community gardens, and edible perennials. Kids can learn about healthy soils, native art, seed propagation, and pollinators. One workshop requires a fee and early booking: mushroom inoculation. Led by Rick Storrier of Ten Thousand Harvests, this session will teach attendees how to inoculate logs with mushroom spores, allowing them to grow mushrooms at home.
The festival will feature eight musicians, local artists, and 35 stalls, including hot food vendors.
Farm Tour Plans
After the festival, Eltan and other organizers are exploring a farm tour option. They plan to take interested visitors on a bus tour of local community gardens and producers in the Wagga area. This is an exciting opportunity to continue the connections made during the festival.
Riverina Harvest Festival Speakers Include:
- Jackie Price, facilitator – Yield Lot 7 & Little Bush Kitchen
- Naomi Lacey, Community Gardens Australia
- John Rafferty, CSU lecturer
- Colette Geier, CSU researcher & lecturer
- Marty Bushby, Whole Picture Permaculture
- Joshua Collings, Acres and Acres Co-op
- Deb Robertson, Batlow Tumbarumba Horticulture Growers
- Bindi Vanzella
- Sarah Kynaston
- Laura Fraumeni
- Douglas Rand
First Riverina Harvest Festival Event Schedule:
- Day 1: Conference at Wagga Wagga City Council from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm
- Networking Dinner at Mates Gully from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Get your tickets here.
- Day 2: Free festival at Riverside Precinct from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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