The thing I like best about Michael Pollan is that he articulates many important points that need to be made in such an approachable way that, well, everyone gets it. That’s rare in a writer, and in a speaker. And he’s been doing it for quite some time now. About time he came to Sydney, really.
Reading Michael Pollan’s books is how I found out about Joel Salatin and PolyFace Farm, amongst many other interesting things. And more than that, it was reading Michael Pollan’s early book A place of my own that formed part of the motivation for Nick and I to move to Milkwood and try living simply, in a small house that we would build ourselves.
The other great thing about Pollan’s writing is that he’s essentially taking large chunks of what makes permaculture design and thinking so relevant and makes a book out of it – local food systems, our co-evolution with plants, and the notion that our relationship with food represents our most fundamental relationship with nature, and that we as a society are fast losing a hold on that relationship.
Happily, Michael Pollan is coming to Sydney and will be speaking at the Sydney Opera House on July 10th. It will be a cracker of a night and we think you should come. So does the Sydney Opera House, who’ve given us 2 tickets to give away.
To be in the running to win the tix, leave a comment below (preferably intelligent, insightful and perhaps a little thrilling) before Monday 2nd July at midnight.
We’ll use a random number generator to pick a comment and that person will get two tickets.
I might also mention that Joel Salatin, the extremely innovative ‘beyond organic’ farmer featured in multiple Michael Pollan books, and the guy who told Michael Pollan that if he wanted a Polyface chicken then he’d have to come and get it (local sales only), will be joining us in NSW come February.
We’ve been lucky enough to present Joel twice in NSW in the last 2 years, but this time we’re getting serious!
Joel will be teaching 3 one-day masterclasses on Polyface farming techniques and how to get started from scratch in small-farm organics:
>> Joel Salatin: Masterclass Series: Feb 2013 at Jamberoo NSW.
Hooray for articulate people who give a hoot, and who advocate (and practice) ethical futures that entire communities can participate in.
So get commenting, lovelies! And see you down the harbor on the 10th? Nick and Adam and Hannah and Costa will be there…
>> More posts about Joel and Polyface Farm, including our 2011 workshop resources…
Hi Kirsten, couldn’t agree more. I’ve become a big Michael Pollan fan in recent months and love his way of blending personal anecdote and storytelling with insightful analysis of the way our food is produced. Very much looking forward to hearing him speak when he comes to Melbourne.
I’d love to do the Joel Salatin masterclasses but realistically I’m not in a position to put any of his techniques into practice. I don’t think it would be right for me to take a place on the course away from someone who could make better use of it. Damn …
Hi Kirsten,
Can I attend ad media? I have a radio program, Bondi Locals at Bondi FM. Lance from Transition Bondi is a co-host. I hope he and Beatrice can come, too.
Many thanks.
Frederick
Heyo – you’d have to get in touch with Sydney Opera House to answer that? They gave us just the 2 tix to pass on… 🙂
Food is too important to be left to experts! It is the big issue we confront today – if we get the food system right, most other things will fall into place. Michael Pollan explores and investigates (what is good) food, the current food system and nurturing and healthy alternatives. And it does it in a non polemical and hectoring way. That’s why his message is so challenging to agribusiness. I’m going to try and make his talk.
How awesome to think that it was Michael Pollan who has inspired you and NIck on your journey…….to think how many others down the line through your sharing have now also been inspired……thank you!
Aw thanks. It’s funny how things work out – i can still hear us waxing lyrical about building a tinyhouse in the bush, as we sat in the comfort of our *already built* beloved rental in Fitzroy… aahhh…
by the way…..i have tickets already……so hope to see you there…right at the back though….i think they must be close to sold out.
My husband and I are currently looking for a few acres up your way as we head toward our “real” life so as you can imagine were like sponges at the moment trying to soak in all we can!!! Being in our 50’s were getting a late start at this but its something we’ve planned to do for a lot of years and now we can finally make a start on our Eden. We would love to hear Micheal Pollan speak and help us with our plan to leave a beautiful, all be it small, place for our grandchildren.
Thank you, your email has inspired me to explore Michael Pollan’s world and his intrigiuing look at our partnership with nature and our responsiblity to understand and live a more simple and sustainable way of life. I would really love to hear Michael speak so I may spread the word within my own community.
Nice video! Thanks for sharing. Would love to hear more of his inspiring words! As Bill Mollison explains as to the example just explained…..every cyclic event increases the opportunity for yield. To increase cycling is to increase yield….goooooo principle of cyclic opportunity woo!
Michael Pollen words are something to feast on. He inspires and make yuo consider how you can vote for a better future with your fork x
Wow, how facinating. I would love to discover more on Michael Pollan so will search, read, enjoy, learn and be inspired. Thanks for sharing.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Words to live by. If I could get 2 tickets please, random number generator, I would be extremely grateful.
Isn’t it wonderful how flowers have trained us so well?
Reading Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma was for me, one of those rare ‘teachable moments’ that completely changed my world view. From an apathetic ‘I eat because it’s gourmet,’ to ‘I just want to know EVERYTHING about where my food comes from, who makes it, and the time, effort and passion they put into making it. He opened my world to food foraging, mushroom hunting, and Joel Salatin’s brilliant ‘bloody-hell-it-just-makes-good-sense’ farming systems. I got the chance to meet Salatin in person last year, and now I would love to meet Pollan also … so fingers crossed!
Love to go Kirstin. It is this truely random, or do I have to write something that convinces you I’m worthy of the tickets? Because you know I am. 🙂
Omnivore’s Dilemma was a confirmation for me. The ideas I believe are innate, but are suppressed by popular culture, media, “education”, to name a few. Having started our family on a farming journey in the NSW southern tablelands, It is good to refer back to people such as Michael and Joel when you question your own resolve in more difficult times. Hope to see Michael in Sydney, but still content to learn from Joel in Jamberoo next year. C U then.
I was also inspired by ‘A Place Of My Own’ though we are still looking for the right place to build. Pollan is a real inspiration, would love to go along and see him.
Great video. I was incensed by a news report on abc radio a few days ago about an Australian mining company wanting to mine phosphate from the sea off the coast of Namibia. Obviously this will bring them huge profits, but at the cost of so much, not the least risking the livelihood of the local fishing community. And for what? To make phosphate based fertilizers that if you listen to Joel and Michael you will realize we don’t even need! Soap box moment over 🙂 It is heartening that there are growing numbers of farms like milkwood, and wanna… Read more »
Should be a great night, love to come!
Since Omnivore’s Dilemma and then Food Inc. were so inspiring to so many, it will be amazing to let him rev us up in person! Can’t wait- but it would be nicer to do it for free!
For me, the video reinforces the philosophy of living simple being the key for a healthy community. And how mass production and money driven society walk on the opposite direction. Thanks for sharing ideas and experiences!
I read ‘In Defense of Food’ last year and it changed the way I think about food in every way. Brilliant! Michael Pollen is an amazing writer, reseacher and voice for ‘real food’ around the world.
Two sides of a very important coin of ethics and logic – I had the great privilege to hear Joel speak in Sydney last year, now its time to hear Michael. What a significant location at The Sydney Opera House – cant wait : )
id love to see the guys in person with the insightful messages they bring, having recently converted my back and front yard to a permy patch i have also begun bee keeping. love some tickets!!! part of permamculture sydney west.
His books are awesome. I’ve been a vegan for many years (for environmental and animal rights reasons) and this guy offers one of the most balanced and compelling arguments for an omniverous diet I have come across.
I would love to go and bring my friend Aleisha!!
As a avid follower of your email news and all things Joel Salatin, I would love to attend Michael Pollans talk and be further inspired and educated! Thanks for the opportunity to get involved and increasing the awareness out there. I look forward to having my own little patch of land to work withone day and putting these learnings into practise!
Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin are such inspirational people. More people should be exposed to their messages!
i would love to hear michael speak at the opera house.
Looks great.
He is the most lyrical, insightful and witty writer I have ever had the joy of reading. He weaves together knowledge of biology, ecology, natural history, sociology, poetry and gardening in the most magical way. My favourites – the chapter entitled “The Virtues of Compost” in Second Nature (it really is laugh out loud at times) and Johnny Appleseed – the history of the cultivated apple in The Botany of Desire. The radical idea that certain plants manipulated humans into assisting their reproduction and spread around the world was inspired.
And the winner (chosen by putting the numbers 1-29 on bits of paper in a basket and drawing one out) is… Lorenzo Tassone!
Thanks to everyone for playing! Lorenzo, I’ll be in touch 🙂 – see the rest of you there anyways?
i am so excited, hope to meet you guys, i love seeing what you are doing and hope to be doing what you do one day. i hope to see Costa too.
Selain menyediakan angka jitu kami juga memberikan paito lengkap dan livedraw yang akan kami sajikan khusus untuk anda pecinta togel.