FBA joins the Capricorn Food and Wine Festival

Posted on October 2nd, 2019

For the first time, FBA joined the much-loved Capricorn Food and Wine Festival hosting a brand new Special Edition Chef’s Table event called Farmer meets Foodie!

Over 80% of the Fitzroy Region is managed by graziers and growers. The Fitzroy is the largest beef producing region in Australia with over 3.2 million head of cattle – more than the entire Northern Territory. Each year, fresh produce is celebrated and enjoyed by hundreds at the Capricorn Food and Wine Festival, and this year, we decided that the farmers should be too. 

As the name suggests, food and wine are the centrepieces of the annual festival which is celebrated on the banks of the mighty Fitzroy River. Pop-up kitchens appear on the newly renovated Rockhampton riverfront showcasing signature dishes in a range of cuisines. 

The Special Edition Farmer meets Foodie Chef’s Table enabled keen festival-goers to meet four producers from across the Fitzroy Basin, learn about their enterprises then enjoy their produce. 

The four producers on show were Ainsley and Rob McCarthur from McArthur Holdings (aka From the Verandah), Viv Coleman from Bedford Park, Ross O’Reilly from High Valley Dawn Permaculture and Ian and Sandy Groves from Groves Grown Tropical Fruit. While the food that these four landholders grow is wildly different (beef, pork, vegetables and fruit), all producers stressed the same important message – soil health.

All food relies on soil, no matter if it is a plant growing in it or an animal living on it. Without healthy land, we cannot grow healthy food. For all landholders, their business is also their home, where they are or have raised their children. Therefore, the importance of being surrounded by healthy landscapes is paramount.  

After hearing from the producers in FBA’s Flow Centre, attendees and landholders headed down to the riverbank to see the much-anticipated produce!

The ingredients from the producers were then prepared by internationally acclaimed Chef Glen Barratt from Wild Canary and Masterchef contestant Nicole Stevenson. Together the pair showed the audience how to make grilled kohlrabi, pastured pork and prawn Vietnamese salad with hot and sour dressing.

Overall, it was a fantastic event that gave local consumers an insight into how their food is being grown. Many questions were asked and the passion from the landholders was irrefutable. Watch the below video to get a feel of the fantastic event.

Thank you, Capricorn Food and Wine Festival, for enabling us to co-host this fantastic event, we are already looking forward to next year.