earth goddess welcomed

What an honour it was to be invited to 'welcome' the Earth Goddess to Yarra Ranges as part of Yarra Valley ECOSS' Eco Food Fest.

The Eco Food Fest was a great day, celebrating and promoting all things sustainable living. 

Artists Sioux Dollman and Dakini Maddock
with Cr Samantha Dunn about to 'dress' the goddess.

The Earth Goddess is a beautiful community created 'green' sculpture, funded by a Shire of Yarra Ranges grant with the project led by fabulous local artists, Sioux Dollman and Dakini Maddock. Created from soil with a clay fired face, once the plants on her grow she will become a lovely living green sculpture

The Earth Goddess symbolises the nurturing and healing powers of the goddess. It was wonderful to be able to officially welcome her to the Shire of Yarra Ranges among a throng of local community members.

Familiar face around ECOSS, Peet, plants
 up the Earth Goddess.

I congratulate ECOSS, the day was a wonderful festival covering a diverse range of topics. For those of the culinary persuasion there was fig pickling, curry cook ups and cider home brewing. Gardeners were also catered for with Winter Vegie Preparation, Composting for Magic Soils and No Dig Gardens. 

Festival goers were entertained by a great range of local artists on the main stage. The chat tent was constantly abuzz, starting the day with the Poet's Breakfast, continuing with Bushfoods, Edible Weeds, Backyard BeeKeeping, ECOSS updates, Backyard Chook Chat and Pesty Weed & Kill tour. 

Kids and families had plenty of activities to choose from. There was saw dust a plenty for the youngsters to play in, the Earth Goddess 'dressing' where community members were encouraged to help plant the final dressing on the ECOSS earth sculpture. There was drumming, mosaic making, yoga, drama, creative dance, big community sing, circus skills training and the ever popular face painting.

It was a great day out, the ECOSS Committee are to be congratulated for their efforts to build a sustainable community and provide opportunities for people to connect. It is wonderful to see their commitment to ensuring the local community of the Upper Yarra are more prepared to meet the challenges of climate change and peak oil into the future. Well done on a wonderful, sustainable event.

eco food fest at ecoss - 28 april

Be sure to pencil the ECO FOOD FEST into your diary for Saturday April 28th.

ECO FOOD FEST is the second festival celebrating sustainable food and living in the Yarra Valley.

Details:
Where: ECOSS, 711 Old Warburton Road, Wesburn
When: 9am to 5pm
Cost: free (workshops are anywhere from free to $5)

I had the great pleasure of speaking at ECOSS' 350.org event last year, this time round I've got the honour of opening the Environmental Earth Goddess Sculpture at 3:15pm. Artists Sioux Dolman and Dakini Maddock have created a larger than life earth sculpture. This magical ‘earth’ sculpture will be planted out during the day with the help of any willing hands.

ECO FOOD FEST will be jam packed with chats, tours, demonstrations and a stack of kids activities. There will be free eco-food workshops, stalls and music. Learn about home-brewing, backyard beekeeping, chooks, food preserving or no dig gardening. Or you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds with great food and entertainment.

You can start the day with poets and pancakes for breakfast, or for the active, yoga starts at 9:30. Children's activites include a creative workshop for 6-12 year olds (10:30), whilst there's a circus workshop for 8+year olds at 2 - 4pm. Eager youngsters can also make fresh apple juice and face painting will be available for most of the day.

Fantastic food will be provided by Cafe Koha and ECOSS's pizza oven as well and the Gawler Foundation's super juices will be on hand too.

A great line of entertainment has been planned including:
The Sin Frontera Band (for a Mexican hoedown)
Rachel by the Stream
Starry Eyed Ramblers
Little Yarra Ensemble
West African drumming
and Santha Press will lead the popular Community Big Sing and Songs Across the Valley Project.

It will be a great day out, a wonderful celebration of all things sustainable. I look forward to seeing you there.

For more info click here.