Diego Bonetto’s calendar is radiating sunshine, with 3 events coming up in conjunction with the Oberon’s region Field to Forest Festival in April. This is a month-long array of activities that explores the delicacies and rare finds that one can forage for across the region. It’s a fantastic chance to plan a weekend adventure supporting regional communities: #emptyesky #spendwiththem. See here for a selection of accommodation options in the region.
Oberon Foragers Training Workshop: how to get money for weeds - Buy tickets here!
Saturday, April 11, 9 am-12:30 pm
This workshop is for people in the Oberon/Bathurst region interested in taking part in a program that will harvest, package and deliver wild foods to Sydney chefs and bartenders.
WHO: After many years working as a foraging educator for the catering industry, Diego Bonetto has established Wildfood Store, a marketplace for edible wild food. The platform and registered company will offer farmers and people in regional NSW the opportunity to subsidise their income by harvesting desirable edible wild plants for the catering and restaurant industry of Sydney. See website here>
WHAT: We will gather at Renzaglia Wines, O'Connell, where Diego will teach you what the chefs expect from a harvest.
WHEN: Saturday, April 11, 9 am-12:30 pm.
COST: General $30, Indigenous/First Nations $5. BUY TICKETS HERE
HOW: The concept is simple. Chefs in the city want clean, well-presented and fresh wild edibles. The farmers have edible weeds coming out of their ears. Diego will train farmers and willing folks who have access to land, on how to harvest and package the produce, destined for Sydney's top restaurants and bars via a Sydney based distribution company. The farmers get paid for their efforts and Diego will bring their stories to the city’s tables.
You will learn about:
Harvesting
Handling/Storage
Distribution
Organic /low input species
The ten most desirable plants
How much you will earn for your harvest
Each participant will get a full-colour booklet detailing 16 of the most common desirable weeds and follow up information on the topics discussed on the day. BUY TICKETS HERE
Mushroom Foraging Workshop - buy tickets here!
Sunday 19 April 2020, 10am-2pm
Follow in the footsteps of Italian and Polish families, wild crafters and gourmet food enthusiasts for a fantastic seasonal treat: pine mushrooms! Join professional forager Diego Bonetto as he takes you and your family on a forest walk, uncovering the details of where and when to look for edible mushrooms, and how to harvest them.
This is a hands-on activity and we hope to find mushrooms for all, but it all depends on how good you are at spotting them on the forest floor. Part treasure hunt, part ecological awakening, this experience is like no other. The activity has been treasured for generations by the eastern European and Mediterranean cultures in Australia, making it a seasonal must-do to share stories, learn recipes and enjoy amazingly fresh wild mushrooms cooked on the spot. And that’s what we will do. We will find mushrooms, share stories and recipes and taste some freshly cooked mushrooms on the spot!
WHEN: Sunday 19 april 2020, 10am-2pm
WHERE: Hampton State Forest, NSW - the exact location will be disclosed to ticket holders a few days before the event.
COST: adults $95, child 6-12 $70 buy tickets here!
EXPECT:
A cheerful trip
A learning experience
An outing in the magical pine forest
BBQ mushrooms to taste in the forest
Take home all the mushrooms that you find
WHAT TO BRING:
suitable clothing (it gets cold in the forest) and shoes
water and snacks (do not expect to be fed on mushrooms alone)
A knife and a basket (a wicker basket is best, you find them in Op shops)
Your camera
WHAT WE WILL DO: We will meet in Hampton State Forest at 9:45am for a 10am start. I will provide a thorough tutorial on the what/how/where of mushroom foraging. We will visit 2/3 different locations and will collect mushrooms. We will have a tasting of BBQ mushrooms for lunch. We will go through everyone’s harvest and take pictures and selfies. Toilets are available at the forest. Too many mushrooms to go home with? We will have a box each to bring home your loot!
Forage to Feast | Forest - buy tickets here!
Sunday 26 April 2020 10am-1:30pm
Join us for an edible adventure in the magical pine forest with renowned forager and environmental storyteller Diego Bonetto and stylist, designer, foodie and weed convert Marnee Fox. Building on Diego's much-loved mushroom foraging workshops, the pair are bringing the seasonal treats found on the forest floor to the table. We will meet in Hampton State Forest at 10 am, where we will learn the how, what, where and when of harvesting pine mushrooms. We will focus on the two most desirable species which are Saffron Milk Caps and Slippery Jacks and discover local stories of plant resilience woven with cultural trivia, migrant perspectives and native wisdom. This is a skill for life and once you have learned how to forage you will be able to go back into the forest on your own to harvest mushrooms to share with friends and family. It is a truly empowering experience.
In high spirits and with abundant curiosity we will then make our way to a gorgeously presented mushroomy buffet beneath the trees for a magical forest floor picnic. Through this experience, you will not only learn how to identify and sustainably harvest wild mushrooms, but Marnee will teach you how to preserve your seasonal treats and share delicious recipes.
In this exciting 4-hour edible adventure you will:
Learn to confidently identify the two most desirable pine mushrooms as well as some ‘edible weeds’ and other wild food treats
Learn how to preserve the seasonal abundance
Learn how they have been used for food by various cultures and hear related folklore. Hear fun and fascinating old stories of foraging, collected from all over the world (and share some of your own).
Receive a pamphlet explaining the day’s activities.
Enjoy a yummy wild food feast showcasing pine mushrooms and utilizing other wild ingredients. Learn how you can recreate these recipes and throw a wild food picnic or dinner party yourself .
One lucky participant will win our coveted ‘Foragers Showbag’ Containing Diego’s Foragers Guide Book, treats from Wildfood Store, and a hand printed foragers bag. Yay!
Receive a yummy mushroom inspired recipe plus a host of digital material for further research emailed straight to your inbox.
This is a leave-no-trace event fostering respect and appreciation for what nature offers us.
WHEN: Sunday 26 April 2020 10am-1:30pm
WHERE: Hampton State Forest, about 2 hours drive west of Sydney. Exact meeting point will be revealed to the ticket holders just prior to the event.
Please be aware that we will be driving on unsealed roads at times. The forest tracks are all suitable for city cars but not ideal for low-riding sports cars.
COST: $145 per person buy tickets here!
This event caters to a limited number of guests so the best experience is assured.
Menu details will be finalised closer to the event due to the nature of wild food reliability.
Please note this event is a vegetarian feast and that some items on the menu do contain eggs, dairy and nuts (not peanuts).
We do not have the capacity to cater for complex dietary needs. Please send menu queries to marnee@marneefox.com
