Indigenous Perspectives

Aggrocultural Advances - 2004

City Farmer's Market

The City Farmer's Market held every Wednesday at Reddacliff Place in the Brisbane CBD is a bustling hub of quality seasonal fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat and poultry, breads, flowers, plants, cheeses, charcuterie and more. 

Business people, tourists and locals alike gather to take advantage of the fresh produce on offer, at very good prices (often further discounted at the end) and often direct from the farmers themselves.  Stall holders proclaim 'no pesticides added', 'nothing but natural', 'spray free, naturally ripened', '100% quality guaranteed folks', 'check out these...', 'beautiful, beautiful'... and there really is no reason to doubt these claims.

Grown to classic music...

Northey Street City Farm

Northey Street City Farm is a non-profit community organisation situated on the banks of Brisbane’s Breakfast Creek in Windsor and is a fantastic example of how communities can support food sustainability issues.

The farm was developed in April 1994 for people to enjoy and participate in using the principles of permaculture.  It offers hands-on gardening opportunities, courses & workshops, a weekly organic markets and much more. Within the 4 hectare farm are more than 1500 exotic and native fruit trees, bushtucker plants, shrubs and ground cover

Mission statement:

To create a working model of a cooperative, community based urban permaculture farm which demonstrates, promotes, educates and advocates for environmental and economic sustainability in a healthy, diverse and supportive community.

Sunday farmers market

Every Sunday the farm hosts Brisbane’s only certified organic farmers market. Fresh, seasonal, top quality local produce, dairy and dry goods are on sold to a ever-growing consumer base at very reasonable prices.  On site you'll also find an edible plant nursery, Chai cafe, music, permaculture workshops and more. 

New to the farm is Village Life - a collection of artists, crafters, performers and healers, all right next to the food market.

I decided to check the market out for myself and what a fantastic place. The vibe of community spirit is so welcoming and addictive. The stall holders (most of which are the farmers) are friendly, full of passion and knowledge about Organic farming, and love to talk to their customers. The produce has been picked not long before and the quality shows. 

Even if you are not yet convinced about the value of Organics, the feeling you get at this market makes it  definitely well worth checking out.

Art in our community

‘a picture says a thousand words’

Art allows meaning to be communicated visually across different languages and if you look around you will see it everywhere. Art is in the posters used to advertise, on signs and on product labels, on walls in the form of murals, on light signal boxes (children’s art) and even street art such as graffiti. How many times have you taken notice of something because of its powerful images?

Street art is a nuisance to some and a fabulous communication tool to others. Examples of valuable street art can be seen around the world in places like Belfast where people promote their republican or loyalist political beliefs in large scale murals on the side of buildings. British graffiti artists ‘Banksy’ illustrates social issues in satirical graffiti in various places around the world. And of course the Berlin wall with its social, political and artistic expressions of issues, largely in light of the historical events in Germany.

But is art and food sustainability connected?

Fresh produce has been featured in many a historic artwork such as in Cezanne’s many still life paintings of bowls of fruit and of people eating fruit such as in Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida’s ‘Boy Eating Grapes – 1890.

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Apples and Oranges (1899)

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, Boy Eating Grapes (1890)

Several of Vincent van Gogh’s artworks explore the production of food, in particular potatoes, and looks at group of people working together to maintain a crop. In ‘The Potato Eaters’ Vincent illustrates the importance of food in terms communication at a family dinner.

Vincent van Gogh, Peasants planting potatoes  (1884)

Vincent van Gogh, The Potato Eaters (1885)

One group of people got together to paint this mural in promotion of a long-term running fruit and vegetable stall.

NZ

Queensland Art Gallery      

  Using the power of art let’s promote food sustainability in our communities.

The power of images