Country Noosa’s regenerative farming expo at The Apollonian Hotel in Boreen Point on Thursday 5 May is gaining momentum with surfer/permaculture guru Dave Rastovich and partner Lauren Hill confirmed as headliners.
Rasta, the former champion free surfer and environmental warrior who gained global fame for his group’s efforts to free dolphins about to be killed commercially in Japan, depicted in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary The Cove, has spent much of the past decade alongside Lauren building a ground-breaking permaculture garden that will feed a whole community.
Working with permaculture specialist Geoff Lawton, with whom the couple has worked on podcasts, they have planned the garden on their 20-acre property near Byron Bay to have the capacity to feed six to eight families that live nearby, the goal being to reduce the distance the food has to travel, eat generally healthier, bring back a diverse eco-system to a neglected plot of land, and strengthen their community. They have reconfigured the land to work with its natural patterns.
Beginning with level terraced gardens and footpaths to absorb water, the garden also includes the option to use water from road run-off if necessary, while portable chicken coops that can easily be moved around help to regenerate the slopes below and create compost that will enrich the soil.
When Dave and Lauren bought it, the property had been grazed by cattle for a century. With the exception of a grove of towering eucalyptus, everything else had been eaten down to the roots.
After building a small cabin to live in, Dave and Lauren set about regenerating, planting 7000 native trees and studying permaculture to understand how the property worked.
But don’t get the idea that it’s all work and no play for the power couple of Byron permaculture.
As surf writer Sean Doherty reported: “The couple’s love for the ocean grew into an environmental consciousness that demanded a better approach to food, [but] the garden and the waves compete for their time. That’s the cycle of life around here; when the waves are good, the garden suffers.
“Lauren and I are both such surf rats,” Dave saud, “that if the waves are good for weeks on end, the garden either runs wild or dies.”
Despite this occasional priority battle, the couple are serious about their food choices contributing to a better world.
While Dave grew up eating healthy food on properties in his birthplace of New Zealand, Florida-born Lauren didn’t know the meaning of grow your own until more recent times. Their journey together, with son Minoa, is fascinating and they’ll be sharing insights at The Apollonian.
An awareness raiser for the World Wildlife Fund’s Innovate To Regenerate campaign, supported locally by Country Noosa and Permaculture Noosa, the expo will kick off at 4pm with information and produce stalls on the lawn and guest speakers.
On dark comes the Noosa premiere of Damon Gameau’s Regenerating Australia documentary, followed by live music. Fresh dishes from The Apollonian’s own permaculture garden will be available throughout the event.
This is a free event but please register your attendance at countrynoosa.org
