“What we do to the soil, we do to ourselves”

Matthew Evans is a Tasmanian food writer, television broadcaster and chef who lives and works on Fat Pig Farm, a soil-to-stomach regenerative farm and restaurant. He’s been the host of six series of Gourmet Farmer and two documentaries on SBS TV. Matthew is the author of over a dozen books on food, including On Eating Meat, and SOIL, the incredible story of what keeps the Earth, and us, healthy.

While I had followed the exploits of Matthew on TV as he morphed from food critic to foodie, I hadn’t read his book (OK, I listened to it, but Matthew narrates it) on soil.

I enjoyed the way the TV series showed some real-life issues around starting to farm. The more challenging parts as well as the rewarding ones. I certainly resonated with those experiences!

It was while listening to the book that I KNEW I needed Matthew to be my dinner presenter. I knew he would resonate with the audience.

He has a great way of getting the message across. You know, I’d never thought about it before, but as he says, “Put simply, plants do something no animal can do – they make their own food,” (right on page 6!). Boom! Of course. they make their own food using sunlight. Amazing. They don’t ‘use up’ the soil. They feed the soil and they feed us.

Perhaps you’ve seen this piece on the loss of soils before, but take a look at this piece narrated by Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Edward Norton, Penélope Cruz, Robert Redford and Ian Somerhalder. I love it so much I’ve started the conference with it twice! (Not this time…)

Chapters in Matthew’s book are equally inspiring, such as ‘We are all, temporarily, Not Soil’. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes… we will return to the soil. And also, ‘A grain of truth – Regenerative Agriculture’.

Suffice to say it’s really well researched, and entertains and informs all the way through. He’s become very knowledgeable on all things ‘regenerative’, mainly through the school of hard knocks.

We are honoured to have Matthew as our Gala Dinner presenter. He has just returned from the Groundswell conference with news of what is happening overseas as well.

Tickets to the Gala Dinner are still available, be there or be square!