Paddock, Plate and Planet

The First Nations Farmers

What does it mean to farm with Country rather than simply on it? And how can First Nations knowledge reshape the future of Australian agriculture? In this powerful episode of Paddock, Plate & Planet, host Imogen Corlette travels to Worimi Country on the Mid North Coast to sit down with two remarkable neighbours, thinkers and farmers: Jocelyn King, founder of Djanaba Farm, and Joshua Gilbert, agricultural researcher, advocate and Indigenous Co-Chair of Reconciliation NSW. Jocelyn King is a proud Aboriginal woman, born and raised on Gadigal land and a direct descendant of the King and Smith families. She is also Chair of First Australians Capital. At Djanaba Farm, Jocelyn is cultivating a model of food and fibre production grounded in relationality, community and sovereignty - where farming is less about extraction and more about reciprocity. Just down the road, Josh Gilbert works at the intersection of agriculture, climate, identity and truth-telling. With extensive experience across Indigenous affairs, environmental advocacy and sustainable agriculture, Josh helps governments, corporates and communities navigate change through deep listening, empathy and narrative leadership. His pioneering work has bridged the gap between agriculture and climate action, shaped the Bush Foods sector, and sparked new conversations about Australia’s agricultural identity -  now captured in his upcoming book, Australia’s Agricultural Identity: An Aboriginal Yarn. Together, Jocelyn and Josh explore: * What it means to align modern agricultural demands with First Nations values * Why “taking only enough” challenges dominant paradigms of productivity and profit * The long shadow of colonial agricultural systems - and the opportunities ahead * How Indigenous land management practices can guide regeneration, resilience and community prosperity * The role of storytelling, truth-telling and cultural revival in shaping a future food system that nourishes both people and Country With warmth, clarity and honesty, this conversation invites us to rethink how food is grown, who gets to decide, and what is possible when we listen to the world’s oldest continuous agricultural knowledge system. Read more about Jocelyn here: Paying it forward with Jocelyn King - First Australians Capital [https://firstaustralianscapital.org/paying-it-forward-with-jocelyn-king/] Find out more about Josh’s book here: Joshua Gilbert [https://www.joshuagilbert.co/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Butchers - Tammi Jonas & Grant Hilliard

What does “ethical meat” actually mean in a world of shrinking abattoirs, industrial consolidation and changing consumer expectations? And what does it take for small-scale farmers and butchers to keep integrity at the centre of the food chain? In this episode of Paddock, Plate & Planet, host Imogen Corlette speaks with two people who have spent years grappling with these questions from the ground up. Tammi Jonas, regenerative pig farmer and President of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, has long argued that ethical meat must be rooted in ecological care, animal welfare and localised processing. Her perspective is shaped by the structural changes happening across Australia most notably the closure and consolidation of small abattoirs. These closures are redrawing the map of Australian meat production, pushing farmers further from consumers, eroding regional infrastructure, and making it increasingly difficult for small-scale producers to work with the care and transparency they value. Alongside her is Grant Hilliard, co-founder of Feather and Bone Providores, a butchery built entirely on relationships of trust. For Grant, ethical meat isn’t an abstract idea but a daily commitment to knowing the farmers he buys from. He understands how animals live and die, and helps customers appreciate the full story behind what they’re eating. Feather and Bone’s approach including whole-animal butchery, deep provenance knowledge, and unfiltered transparency, stands in stark contrast to the anonymity of industrial supply chains. Grant reflects on how customers’ choices are shifting, why people are asking more questions than ever before, and what it means for a butcher to become a trusted middle man between producer and eater. Together, Tammi and Grant paint a picture of a meat system at a crossroads. On one side is consolidation: fewer abattoirs, longer transport distances, and an increasingly centralised processing landscape that leaves small farmers squeezed and regional skills eroding. On the other is a growing appetite for something different - meat that comes with context, accountability, and a connection to the people and places behind it. They explore the cultural and ethical shifts underway, the rise of “less but better” eating, and the responsibilities we all carry in shaping the kind of food system we want to support. This episode is for anyone weighing up their own choices in buying meat for their families and looking for insight into this complexity.  Read more about Tammi Jonas on substack here: Tammi Jonas: Food Politics | Substack [https://tammijonas.substack.com/] Learn more about Grant’s butchery Feather & Bone here: Organic Butcher Shop Sydney - Feather and Bone Butchery [https://featherandbone.com.au/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Bush Foodies

In this episode of Paddock, Plate & Planet, we speak with two passionate advocates for bush foods: Peter Cooley, a proud Bidjigal man and CEO of IndigiGrow, and Mindy Woods, Bundjalung woman, celebrated chef, restaurateur and 2022 MasterChef finalist. Peter & Mindy share how their own journeys with bush foods have been inseparable from learning about culture, community & Country. Both speak about the role of their elders in passing down knowledge — and how food can carry memory, identity and connection. They discuss the growing market for bush foods, and why this growth must centre Aboriginal leadership. For Peter & Mindy, it isn’t just about bringing native ingredients into kitchens, but about ensuring Aboriginal people are the ones growing, harvesting & profiting from them. The conversation also touches on their collaboration in Byron Bay, where they are working together on a native foods garden & restaurant that will showcase Aboriginal food culture and create new ways for people to connect with Country through food. This is a story of culture, knowledge & sovereignty — and a hopeful vision for a food future grounded in care. Read more about Peter Cooley and Indigigrow here: Macdoch Foundation | Philanthropic foundation [https://macdochfoundation.org/] Read more about Mindy Woods and Kalkalla on Country here: Mindy Woods Karkalla Byron Bay [https://www.karkalla.com.au/about] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Chefs

In this episode of Paddock, Plate & Planet, we hear from two chefs who have each stepped away from the restaurant kitchen to work in a more close and considered way with food at its source. Matthew Evans is a chef turned farmer, writer and broadcaster - best known as the host of SBS Food’s Gourmet Farmer. At Fat Pig Farm in Tasmania, he and his partner Sadie Chrestman have transformed a former apple orchard into a thriving mixed farm. Inspired by Groundswell in the UK, Matthew has recently launched GROUNDED, a new festival that blends farming, food and culture to spark fresh conversations about land and climate. Jo Barrett is one of Australia’s most respected young chefs. She was named 2024 Chef of the Year, and the cofounder of renowned hatted restaurant Little Picket in Lorne, Victoria. Today she is the creative force behind WildPie - a project that turns under-used wild game such as wallaby, venison and goat into delicious, sustainable food. By working with meat that would otherwise go to waste, Jo shows how food can support ecological balance and reduce pressure on the land. Together, Matthew and Jo explore how chefs shape far more than menus. With their visibility and influence, chefs carry a profound ethical responsibility in shaping how people choose to eat - and, by extension, how food is grown, valued and sustained. They share their passion for growing and for treading lightly on the earth while making a deep impact on thinking and policy making around food that nourishes people, place and planet. Read more about Jo Barrett and Wildpie here: jobarrett.com.au [https://www.jobarrett.com.au/] Read more about Matthew Evans and Fat Pig Farm here: Fat Pig Farm [https://fatpig.farm/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Farmers

In this episode of Paddock, Plate & Planet, we sit down with two farmers on opposite sides of the world who share a common goal: to leave the land better than they found it. Michael Taylor is an ultra-fine merino sheep farmer from New South Wales, Australia, and Scott Laeser is an organic vegetable farmer from Wisconsin, USA. Both farm with a regenerative mindset. But as they explain, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every farm has its own soil, climate and history and context matters more than any textbook approach. Together, Michael and Scott reflect on why an open mind is vital in agriculture today, and how “regenerative farming” is as much about learning and adapting as it is about techniques. They also talk about the importance of “enterprise stacking” - including renewable energy – the challenges and opportunities of running multiple business streams that sustain both the land and their families.  This is a candid and hopeful conversation about farming in a time of climate change - and what it takes to balance risk, resilience and responsibility in order to shape a sustainable food future. Learn more about Michael Taylor and his farm “Taylor’s Run” here: Taylors Run – Premium Superfine Merino Wool Producers [https://taylorsrun.com/] Learn more about Scott Laeser and his farm “Plowshares & Prairie” here: Meet the Farmers — Plowshares & Prairie Farm [https://www.plowsharesandprairie.com/meet-the-farmers] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.