Food Security

Food and Farming Security - Key    Result/Vision: The community actively participates in ensuring an abundant, local and resilient food and farming network for all.

Goal 1: At least 50% of food consumed locally is locally and sustainably grown/produced..

Goal 2: We Grow Good Tucker - there is an emphasis on quality and nutritional value.

Goal 3: The Community is engaged in local groups which work together and which work cooperatively with all local farming stakeholders. No-one is left out!

Goal 4: The community is well educated about local and regional food and farming security issues.

News and Updates...

Far North Coast Food Recovery Project by the CONC - NNIC is a partner organisation in the CONC FNC Food Recovery project. Almost 25 Tonnes of food destined for landfill across the region has been recovered and resdistributed  to poeple in need either directly or cooked up into healthy meals by our wonderful volunteers and by the Mullumbimby Grub Hub crew. Food Recovery deliveries are made to Nimbin on Wednesday each week. For more info and updates see the website and Face Book page.

Nimbin Show and Sustainability Alley - SHOUT OUT for speakers, workshops and stalls for 2018

The large outdoor marquee (thanks to Gillian and Dolph) was perfect for learning how to start a fire using local materials and how to build a rocket stove.

The centrepiece to the 2016 Alley was the subtropical yurt. Assembled on site on Saturday it also served as the display board for the 2016 Sustainable House Day tiny homes award winners.

Sustainable Living Hub - A key project identifed is a community kitchen space. This has been incorporated into the Sustainable Living Hub project, a site for which has now been secured on 7 Sibley St. Nimbin. The Hub is also relevant to Energy (demonstration energy efficient building), Jobs and Skills, Housing and the Built Environment, and the Natural Environment. Find out more at www.sevenonsibley.com

Blue Knob Farmers Market - every Saturday morning rain or shine 8.30am til 12pm. At the Blue Knob Hall on Blue Knob Road. For stall info contact Dolph Cooke.

Nimbin Weekly Farmers Market - Every Wednesday from 3pm to 5pm - next door to the Green Bank. Stallholders info contact Jenny on 0488 009 808. Stalls $10. Local Food ONLY. Check out a video made by Guy Stewart, here.

Loads of quality and mostly organic, all local produce (within one hour's travel distance) including fruit and veges, meat, grain milling, jams and preserves, tofu and tempeh and soo much more. Great for the whole family.

The Blue Knob Farmers Market and the Nimbin Weekly Farmers Market are both big on sustainability. We are starting a drive to encourage local shoppers to return jars and bottles to the original seller. Many of the sellers are offering a refund on their jars and bottles. There will be a small sticker on the jars that will be colour coded so they can be returned to the original stallholder. Please jump aboard with us and recycle our jars! For more info contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sharing Local Knowledge - Weekly Food Security-related Info sessions are held at the Blue Knob Farmers Market.  At the back of hall - workshop space. Usually commencing at around 10am. By gold coin donation. All welcome.

Nimbin Natural Beekeepers Group - our purpose is to promote beekeeping in our local area using natural methods. We meet once a month and offer support to new and experienced beekeepers. We also organize workshops about beekeeping and make bulk purchases of beekeeping gear eg. boxes. All ages and all level of experience welcome. For more info contact James on 6689 7575 , 0434892466.

Bee Swarms - If you see a [European] bee swarm please let us know asap so we can collect it and give it a good home.  Contact Bayleigh 0413 976 342

Beekeeping Equipment - the Nimbin Food Equipment Library (see below) includes beekeeping equipment inclluding 2 honey extractors and some protection equipment as well as a queen rearing kit.To access this equipment, join the Library at NNIC.

Good news from Europe - The European Union's decision to put a temporary ban on some commonly used insecticide due to concerns about their impact on bees has sparked calls for a similar suspension in Australia. The European Commission voted overnight to suspend the use of neonicotinoids, a category of pesticide that has been shown to cause brain damage in bees and interfere with their navigation. The chemicals are widely used in Australia on fruit and vegetables and crops like canola.  Lets hope the Australian government bans them as well. See the ABC news story here.

Nimbin's 92nd Annual Agricultural Show September 2013 - another fabulous show and a bigger and better Sustainability Alley featuring the Paddock to plate Cafe and 14 stalls covering almost all of the Sustainable Nimbin Community Plan.

One of the objectives of the Food Security project is to re-invigorate the Nimbin Show. In 2013 there was an increase in gate takings of around $500 from the year before. Steadily the show is gaining renewed strength and support. And the Winners ARE....

Most Sustainable In Show 2013: Tuntable Falls Primary School, Highly Recommended: Dolph and Gillian - BioChar Project.

Nimbin Food Bytes short film competion: First Prize "The Bouquet" by Peter Hardwick, Pancho Colladetti, and Suse Wolf. Starring Johhny Evolution and Carla Muhling in the lead roles and featuring Leif Lyall and Donato Rosella. Second Prize: "Made in Nimbin" by Guy Stewart, featuring Jason Grignon.

Jason the Baker from Guy "Wholistic" Stewart on Vimeo.

Best Show-themed Shop Display: Nimbin Bakery. There were 8 entries and good on all the shops who made the effort. 

Key organisers Jenny Creasy and Steph Sekald standing under the entrance to the Sustainability Alley. 

From Top left to Bottom - Johnny Evolution demonstrates the application of fermented probiotic fertiliser. Peter Pedals talks people through his working electric car project. Andrew Kavasilas demonstrates making hemp milk from THC-Free hemp seeds.

The Paddock to Plate Cafe was back and bigger than ever, with live demonstrations of food prep and samples available while you wait.

Nimbin's 91st annual Agricultural Show September 2012 - The show was another great success and thanks to everyone from the A+I Sociery who made it happen and to everyone from the Blue Knob Farmers Market for putting together the fabulous sustainability alley.

The winner of the Most Sustainable In Show category was biodynamic farmer Jed Cameron of the massive cabbage (below) fame, runners up were Djanbung Gardens and Stuart McConville.

Congrats to Kit McNamara who won the 2012 Year of the Farmer - Nimbin's Sexiest Farmer Competition. (Click here for the story in the Echo). Well done also to everyone who entered produce and exhibits and took out prizes in this year's show.