Food Matters meets the people who are trying to reconnect us with real, healthy and sustainable food. With our food system causing huge problems for the health...
S3 Ep20: How small scale farming can make a big impact, with Kevin Wallace
Kevin Wallace had no farming background at all, yet he has become one of Ireland’s most successful small-scale producers, growing a range of produce including salad greens, summer crops and speciality products for hotels, restaurants and cafés. Kevin is passionate about soil health and microbial balance, implementing practices such as the ‘no-dig’ and Korean Natural Farming methods to ensure that he is working in harmony with nature. In this episode of Food Matters, Kevin talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the difficult yet rewarding life of a micro-farmer, the unique philosophy behind New Leaf Urban Farmers, and his tireless efforts to creating a healthier, more sustainable ecosystem.
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1:08:26
S3 Ep19: Taking a zero tolerance approach to food waste, with Conor Spacey
When Conor Spacey was working in his first kitchen he was shocked at the amount of perfectly good food being thrown away. He convinced his boss to let him save it, cook it, and use it to feed all of his colleagues. It was a small change that made a big difference to the kitchen’s sustainability and its bottom line. Ever since, Conor has dedicated his career to fighting food waste and creating a fairer food system.Today, Conor is the Culinary Director of FoodSpace Ireland and a co-founder of the Chef’s Manifesto. In this episode of Food Matters, Conor joins Mick Kelly of GIY to talk about his 35-year career in the food industry and how zero-waste can be achieved in hospitality, schools, at home, and in the supply chain.
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1:21:19
S3 Ep18: Baking bread, building community with Ciara O hArtghaile
When Ciara O hArtghaile returned home to Co Antrim, after a year living in New Zealand, she and her husband had a clear mission: to build a community around love of good food, in their home town of Ballycastle. They started to bake high quality sourdough bread in the small domestic oven of their rented apartment, just three loaves at a time. Today, they run the highly successful Ursa Minor Bakehouse cafe, a cookery school, and a professional bakery turning out 300 loaves a day!In this episode of Food Matters, Ciara joins Mick Kelly of GIY to share the story of building their business, creating a food community around it, and her views on how to make a better food system. Check out Ciara’s award-winning Substack about food and life on the North Coast – Gorse
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S3 Ep17: Turning unused city spaces into thriving farms
Brian McCarthy founded innovative urban farming project Cork Rooftop Farm during the first covid lockdown in March 2020. Situated on a rooftop in Cork city centre, the farm started off as a personal project to grow fruit and vegetables. But Brian started to see the potential for something much bigger and, today, Cork Rooftop Farm is a thriving business and a poster child for how urban farming can play a major role in addressing food security, sustainability, and community healthIn this episode of Food Matters, Brian shares his inspiring journey from a tech career to becoming one of Ireland’s leading urban farmers. In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Brian talks about the challenges and successes of transforming a rooftop into a farm, the importance of urban agriculture, and its potential to shape the future of food.
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55:36
S3 Ep16: From Plant to Plate, with Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips
Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips are on a mission to get kids growing, cooking, and eating more plant-powered food. Having previously worked in the arts, Darryl and Ella have brought all of that creativity into what they do today: growing interesting veg in their urban garden, running cookery workshops and pop-up dining experiences, and packing as much flavour as possible into vegan dishes. In this episode of Food Matters, they tell Mick Kelly of GIY about their experience of adopting a plant-based diet, the impact on their health and wellbeing, and how they infuse their food with Caribbean flavours. They also talk about their ever-expanding allotment in London, the power of letting kids get messy in the garden, and why food is a “magical time capsule” for stories and traditions. Check out Darryl and Ella’s new book, From Plant to Plate: Turn Home-Grown Ingredients Into Healthy Meals!
Food Matters meets the people who are trying to reconnect us with real, healthy and sustainable food. With our food system causing huge problems for the health of people and planet, there’s a quiet revolution happening driven by passionate people in communities and food businesses around the world who want to do things differently – producing nutritious food in a way that doesn’t cost the earth. Food Matters tells their story. Join Mick Kelly, founder of GIY as he dives in to proper conversations with the most fascinating food producers, chefs, farmers, scientists, activists and other stakeholders across the food system touching on everything from the pitfalls of ultra-processed foods, food waste and pollution; seasonality, eating more plants, regenerative farming and so much more.. Only by understanding the full panorama of our food's journey can we cultivate a healthier, more sustainable food-future. Join the GIY movement across all social channels and please follow or subscribe to this podcast to continue these important conversations about global food health and sustainability.
Ireland