Edible Garden Trail Blue Mtns 2026
Taking part in this annual community event has created an even bigger desire within me to keep up the lifelong habits of my Italian parents. Growing their own food was no fad and wasn't led by saving the planet. It was a necessity when much was still done with basic equipment and lots of hands-on help.
Nature's asparagus: dandelion tips Home grown bell peppers Lemons from my Dad's trees Homemade herb bread Pollinators love garlic bolts Freshly picked greens
The demise of these practices and the rise of industrialised methods of food production and preservation have contributed to the health and climate issues we now face globally. Latest trends of removing gmo labelling on food should give rise to concerns. Not to mention lab grown meat and other things now referred to as "edible".
So it is with a lightness of heart that events such as the Edible Garden Trail continue to gain popularity, inspiring more of us to grow our own food. We don't need large plots. We just need the desire for good food and a return to a healthy life.
These are the lifelong skills that all schools should be implementing, along with teaching students how to prepare basic meals with fresh ingredients. Congratulations must go to the Netherlands for implementing these practices as standard.
Most of the children who attend our Italian cooking classes show a passion for cooking as young as seven years of age – some have been younger! Where has this desire come from? Their parents tell us they have involved their kids in the kitchen, grocery shopping and meal prep from an early age. It could be as simple as having the child pick out only red groceries this week, and green ones next time.
This is the hope of the future that will no doubt save the planet. It's not going to be some big conglomerate that will do it for us. As more people gain the knowledge and skills to cook for themselves, they invariably also want to grow their own food.
And thank God for growers markets and small scale farms. The increased profile of regenerative farming also needs mentioning. There's more of them out there than we know about. High profile names including Rachel's Farm* are helping to bring these farming practices to light.
They are the ones doing the heavy lifting. We just need to be smart and support them. Because we can't all grow food but we all need to eat.
Perfect peach Large pumpkin Peaches on tree Mum's homegrown beans Dried fagiola Unripe grapes
The choice comes down to us – do we want to eat real food that has been grown without a multitude of pesticides (because we don't like finding a bug in our iceberg)?
Do we prefer to spend our dollars on so-called expensive food now, or in a few years to come on prescriptions medication to "fix" the issues?
Edible Garden Trail is on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026.
Be inspired. Support small. Eat real food.
@ediblegardentrail #supportsmallfarms #realfood
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