Conversations on the Edge

23 February 2018

3 hours of thought provoking discussion from the 2018 Apollo Bay Seafood Festival about the food we eat and the changes we need to make if we are to survive.

Conversations On The Edge, one of the Apollo Bay Seafood Festival’s key events, brought together regenerative farmers, local fishers, marine scientists and writers to tackle farming, fishing and the future.

Moderated by writers, Hilary McNevin and Richard Cornish, the 12 experts gathered by the sea at the Apollo Bay SLSC and addressed three topics over one day, ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food', 'The Local Catch' and 'Sustainable Futures'.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

Discover how farmers from the Otways and beyond are innovating and finding new ways to regenerate the land, and how that affects the quality and flavour of our food.

Dr. Charles Massy, OAM - Regenerative farmer, author of Call of the Reed Warbler; a New Agriculture, a New Earth.

Ros Denny (St Aire Farm) - Fourth generation local beef farmer, now farming regeneratively.

Paul & Wendy Troughton (Forrest Foods) - Shiitake mushroom growers, and sustainable dairy producers.

Jodie Lawson (The Green Acre) - Vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Local Catch

Members of Apollo Bay’s local fishing industry discuss issues of sustainability, traditional fisheriers management, and consumer access to locally caught fish.

Dr Kate Brooks - Director of Seafood Industry Victoria and KAL Analysis, internationally recognised social researcher in the area of marine and natural resource management.

Markus Nolle - Director of the Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Operative, Chair of Seafood Industry Victoria, President of the Victorian Rock Lobster Association.

Nick Polgeest - Director of the Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-operative.

Russell Frost - Director of the Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-operative, locally renowned fisherman.

Sustainable Futures

Research and innovation in marine produce; impacts of climate change on the marine environment, with a focus on the Bass Strait and local industry.

Bruce Pascoe - Teacher, farmer, fisherman, Aboriginal language researcher and author of Dark Emu, Black Seed.

Caleb Gardner - Professor at UTAS’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.

Erin Cumming - Academic and PhD student at Deakin University: Sustainable Nutrition Solutions into Australian Seaweed.