Join us for AFSA’s first in-person Convergence since 2019, as we gather to discuss pathways to democratically designed food sovereignty.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE

About this event

Following two years of disruption and digital events, the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA) is beyond thrilled to be able to gather in-person for our annual Food Sovereignty Convergence! This year’s Convergence will be held at Echo Valley Farms in Goomburra Valley, Queensland. We’d like to thank AFSA’s Vice-President, Randal Breen and his wife Juanita for hosting this year’s event on their home soil.

Convergence is a place where Australia’s food sovereignty movement comes together to debate, collaborate, share and strategise to advance food sovereignty in Australia, as well as build the movement for the future. From farmers to First Nations people, food rights activists to chefs, from researchers to community organisers: we encourage everyone working on food sovereignty and food system change to join us to help shape the agenda for the coming year.

Food sovereignty asserts the right of peoples to nourishing and culturally appropriate food produced and distributed in ecologically sound and ethical ways, and their right to collectively determine their own food and agriculture systems. In the style of an un-conference, we aim to make Convergence an open and democratic space to discuss pathways to achieve food sovereignty for all.

Sunday 16 October: Agroecology Workshop

  • Location: Echo Valley Farms, Goomburra, Queensland
  • Time: 10.00am-4.00pm
  • Address: 157 Forest Springs Rd, Goomburra

Ticket costs:

  • Non-members: $125.00
  • AFSA members: $125.00
  • First Peoples: FREE (enter the code FIRSTPEOPLESFIRST on the ticket page)

Catering: Lunch, tea and coffee will be provided by Echo Valley and is included in the ticket cost.

Echo Valley Farm, producing pastured eggs, Brangus beef and Bushranger pork, is founded in the ‘four goods’ – good for the animals, good for the land, good for the farmer and good for you.

The AFSA Agroecology Workshop at Echo Valley will ground you in the mission to enact food sovereignty on every farm, which includes practising radical transparency and deep engagement with a community of eaters, including the rewarding successes of CSA (community-supported agriculture). The aim is to design complex and diverse agroecosystems for all the individual parts to eventually support and sustain each other to prevent the outbreaks of pests and disease common in monoculture systems. In practice this means incorporating a range of livestock, grains, and plants in ways that minimise external inputs by re-using waste on the farm, spreading out the risk of relying on just one crop, conserving water and looking after the soil – we’ll explore how this is done at Echo Valley, as well as insights from how it’s done at Jonai Farms & Meatsmiths down south on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, where AFSA President Tammi Jonas and her bricoleur husband Stuart live, farm and work to heal Country.

*This Agroecology Workshop is limited to 30 guests, so be sure to book your place before spots fill up!

Sunday 16 October: Convergence welcome potluck dinner and yarning circle

  • Location: Echo Valley Farms, Goomburra, Queensland
  • Time: 5:30pm – 9:30pm

Ticket costs:

All attendees: $25.00 (attendees asked to provide contributions to potluck dinner, with ticket costs covering speaker travel).

Join us on Sunday evening for a welcome potluck dinner at Echo Valley Farms before we kick off Convergence. We’re asking attendees to bring along contributions for a communal meal to be shared among the group, as we gather with old friends and new for the first time since 2019. Dinner will lead into a yarning to set the tone for trust, relationship building and collaboration between farmers and First Peoples at Convergence.

All Convergence attendees are welcome to camp on-site at Echo Valley Farm for either or both nights at a flat cost of $30.00 (allowing for Randal and Juanita to organise portable toilets and other basic amenities for guests).

Monday 17 October: Convergence Un-conference

  • Location: Echo Valley Farm, Goomburra
  • Time: 9:00am-5:30pm

Ticket costs:

  • Non-members: $75.00-$200.00
  • AFSA members: $75.00
  • First Peoples: FREE (enter the code FIRSTPEOPLESFIRST on the ticket page)

Catering: Breakfast morning tea and lunch will be provided by Echo Valley Farm and is included in the ticket cost. (Tea and coffee will also be provided).

Monday’s Convergence discussions open with lightning talk sessions that will spotlight the diversity of people and experiences that make up our food and farming systems, including First Peoples, women, youth, and LGBTQIA+ people. This year, we’re making the focus of our lightning talks some of the key activities AFSA has been working on throughout the year, including:

  • Revised Peoples’ Food Plan draft for consultation
  • AFSA Legal Guide for Members draft for feedback from members
  • AFSA Values & Theory of Change
  • Eating Democracy survey and book announcement

Convergence will continue with un-conference sessions and break-out discussions on the key current issues for the food sovereignty movement as determined by attendees.), our roles in shaping the future, and next steps. Lunch and morning tea will be provided by Echo Valley.

Monday night: Convergence Dinner

  • Location: Echo Valley Farm
  • Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm

Ticket costs:

  • Non-members: $40.00
  • AFSA members: $40.00
  • First Peoples: FREE (enter the code FIRSTPEOPLESFIRST on the ticket page)

Catering: Dinner and drinks will be provided by Echo Valley for the Monday night dinner, including locally brewed beer. Attendees are welcome to bring along their own wine and spirits if preferred.

After wrapping up a day of lively discussions, all Convergence attendees are invited to join us for dinner and drinks provided by Echo Valley. This is a chance to keep the conversation going, before unwinding with old friends and new in the food sovereignty movement.

Tuesday 18 October: Convergence Un-conference and AFSA AGM

  • Location: Echo Valley Farms
  • Time: 9:00am-3:00pm

Ticket costs:

  • Non-members: $50.00-$200.00
  • AFSA members: $50.00
  • First Peoples: FREE (enter the code FIRSTPEOPLESFIRST on the ticket page)

Catering: Breakfast morning tea and lunch will be provided by Echo Valley Farm and is included in the ticket cost. (Tea and coffee will also be provided).

Convergence concludes on Tuesday with wrap-up un-conference discussions that help set the mandate for the year ahead for the AFSA National Committee, followed by AFSA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). We invite all AFSA members to stay for the AGM, where they can raise, discuss, and vote on key issues for action and governance decisions for the coming year.

The Food Sovereignty Convergence is central to determining the work that AFSA does to advance food sovereignty and address the important issues in our food system. For that reason, we encourage everyone’s input on identifying the key issues for the food sovereignty agenda, and for discussion at Convergence. We look forward to seeing many voices join this year’s conversations on food sovereignty and hope to have your voice be one of them!

Ahead of Convergence, we encourage you to join the FSC Facebook Group to add to the pre-event discussions about what issues and topics you would like included at Convergence.

Catering

Breakfast, morning tea and lunch will be provided by Echo Valley and is included in the ticket prices for Convergence & AGM on Monday and Tuesday to cover the cost of produce and staff to prepare meals. Tea and coffee is also included in the ticket price.

For those attending the Sunday night potluck dinner, we ask that you bring along a contribution for a shared meal with other guests. On Monday night, anyone wishing to attend dinner will need to purchase an additional ticket, which has been priced to cover the cost of produce and preparation for all guests.

Due to Convergence being run largely by volunteers and a small number of staff at Echo Valley, we’re unable to make other arrangements for those with specific dietary requirements. If this applies to you, we kindly ask that you bring along your own food. Or, email Jess (admin@afsa.draftsite.net.au) to find out what will be served during Convergence so you can come prepared!

Camping and accommodation

Randal and Juanita have kindly offered to host camping on-site at Echo Valley Farms. To cover the cost of providing all guests with basic amenities (including toilets), anyone wishing to camp at Echo Valley during Convergence can purchase a camping ticket at a flat cost of $30.00.

Portable toilets will be provided on the camping site, however there will be no access to showers, so please bring any additional provisions you think you may need!

Travelling to and from Echo Valley Farm

As many of AFSA’s members will be travelling interstate for this year’s Convergence, we’re hoping we can organise ridesharing and accommodation options to help people get to and from Convergence. If you’re looking for a rideshare or accomodation to get to and from Convergence, or if you’re someone who is able to offer ridesharing or accommodation to other attendees, please fill out this form. Alternatively, AFSA’s Admin Officer, Jess Power, can help with any travel or accommodation queries – send her an email (admin@afsa.draftsite.net.au).

Convergence and corresponding events such as the Agroecology Workshop will take place in various locations nearby Echo Valley Farm. We’ll be releasing a detailed site map and address information to all attendees in the lead up to Convergence.

​​Ticket prices for AFSA non-members (including options to become an AFSA member)

For non-members wishing to attend AFSA’s Convergence, you have two options for ticket purchases. If you’d like to attend and find out more about the food sovereignty movement, tickets are available at the standard rate for both members and non-members.

If you’d like to include AFSA membership in your ticket purchase, you can select this as an add-on. Options start at an additional $25-$125 for any farmer or ally, to ensure that our membership remains inclusive and accessible to all! So, if you’d like to become a member, we ask that you select the option that best suits you.

AFSA’s Admin Officer, Jess Power, will be tracking all membership add-ons in the lead up to Convergence, and will reach out to all new members to say hello and get you set up on our system. Feel free to send her an email if you have any additional questions! (admin@afsa.draftsite.net.au).

Support AFSA’s Food Sovereignty Convergence

Ticket prices for the Food Sovereignty Convergence are kept as low as possible to enable as many people as possible to participate in the discussion.

If you have capacity to contribute to Convergence with a donation in addition to your ticket price, this will help to cover the full costs of the event, and support AFSA’s work advocating for food sovereignty in Australia. Your support is greatly appreciated, and enables Convergence to be an inclusive and democratic space for the food sovereignty movement in Australia.

Pay the Rent at Convergence

As part of our ongoing commitment to enacting AFSA’s First Peoples First Strategy, we’ve decided to allocate a portion of our quarterly income to Pay the Rent to local mobs or organisations on Bundjalung Country. If you’d like to make an additional donation to Pay the Rent at Convergence, we invite you to do so via the add-on listed on the ticket page.

BUY TICKETS FOR AFSA’S FOOD SOVEREIGNTY CONVERGENCE HERE

Published On: 15 August, 2022Categories: Events