Agriculture’s role in history to be celebrated at festival

A festival combining Tasmania’s rich agricultural history with innovation in food systems and sustainability is back for its fifth year.

agriCULTURED will take place between July 28 and August 3 at various locations in Launceston and its surrounds.

Event executive producer Sarah Blacklock said the goal was to enhance the public's understanding of food systems.

“In the words of the great poet Wendell Berry – eating is an agricultural act,” Ms Blacklock said.

“You can’t have food without it, so the more we support our farmers and producers to do the right thing by the planet, the better for us and  the world.”

FermentHQ will be officially launched during agriCULTURED on August 2, with the Legana facility to be the first of its kind in Australia.

“The festival is about building those relationships with farmers, celebrity chefs, scientists and artists,” Ms Blacklock said.

“We want the community to come along and understand more about where their food comes from, who grows it and why it’s important.

“Launceston, now that it’s been designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, should be proud of the incredible produce, artisans, chefs and restaurants that create a really world-class food scene in Northern Tasmania.”

Tickets for the dinner-based events at Mudbar Restaurant, Grain of the Silos and Timbre Kitchen have also sold out.

However, there are still spots left for ‘The Journey’ on August 2 at Sen Vineyard and Mudbar Farm at White Hills, which Ms Blacklock considers to be agriCULTURED’s flagship event.

“It’s an exploration of place, produce and purpose,” she said.

“We go behind the farm gate and talk to people who are growing the food that is shared with restaurants in the north.

“It’s really beautiful that we are connecting people to the land.”

Ms Blacklock said there were also some seats left for the Conversations in the City event at Peppers Silo.

Tickets for all the agriCULTURED events that have not been sold out can be purchased online.