The five-day Slow Food in Australia National Conference will inspire, educate and entice communities all over the country to create their own fresh food chapter and help cement a future for their farmers.

Three of the region’s farms and Macquariedale Organic Wines will open their gates so the foodies can see a variety of farming principles.

Farmers Marco Forman and Lucie Bruvel, who founded Shepherds Ground Farm and Eco Village at Butterwick – a set up where people live in a sustainable community and grow and eat their own produce – will showcase their way of doing things.

Then Anambah’s Mark Brown and Kate Beveridge, who run Purple Pear Biodynamic Farm, will offer insights about their mixed farm and provide a delectable farm lunch. 

Chicken producers Kelly Eaton and Simon Carroll, from Little Hill Farm at Mount Vincent, will highlight their pasture raised chicken operation that’s focused on meat and egg production. 

Slow Food Hunter Valley leader Amorelle Dempster said the group would also visit Maitland produce market which would help them see the paddock to plate concept at work.

They will also witness the produce market’s launch as Australia’s first Earth Market and the 59th in the world. 

“We’re putting Maitland on the map and we are bringing like-minded people together in our city,” Ms Dempster said.“This is so exciting – to think what we have achieved in a little over 12 months, it’s absolutely incredible.

“This is an opportunity for them to learn from our farmers and pick up some tips they can take home.

“They want to come here to see what we have done with the market and there’s no reason why other Slow Food groups can’t achieve what we’ve done here.”

A range of talks and forums at Tocal College will be held during the August 2 to 6 conference. 

Topical issues including beekeeping and biosecurity will be put on the table. 

Anyone can attend the conference events. Visit www.slowfoodhuntervalley.com.au