Our Origin Story
The Riverina Harvest Festival is dedicated to fostering self-sufficiency, well-being, and a clean and green environment through community collaboration. Our mission is to connect people and promote food security by celebrating locally grown produce and supporting community gardens and local producers. We aim to enhance education and networking opportunities, implement regenerative and permaculture practices, and support new initiatives. By showcasing the benefits of sustainable gardening, we will build a resilient community and strengthen connections among local growers, gardeners, residents, and organizations.
Whether you’re a passionate gardener, a local food advocate, or simply curious about how communities can grow stronger through gardening, this festival day is for you. Let’s cultivate connections, share knowledge, and build a sustainable future—together!
Program
Day 1
Conference Program: 12:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Conference & Learning: Start the festival with an afternoon of insights from local and leading experts in, community engagement, gardening, horticulture and sustainability.
Learn more about How local food networks foster resilience within our communities in so many ways and get inspired by our amazing lineup of speakers!
Networking & Dinner: Finish the night connecting with speakers and fellow attendees during a relaxed networking session, with a delicious dinner made with fresh, local ingredients at Mates Gully.
Day 2
FREE Festival: 10 AM to 4 PM
- Support Local Growers: Buy and connect with local farmers and discover fresh, local produce.
- Delicious Food: Enjoy tasty meals made from locally sourced ingredients.
- Live Music: Groove to live performances by local artists from 10am to 3pm.
- Workshops: Learn new skills with hands-on workshops throughout the day, perfect for both adults and kids.
- Stalls & Seating: Explore a variety of stalls and relax in the spacious seating areas.
- Community Groups: Connect with local groups and get inspired by their amazing work in Wagga and the Riverina.
Day 1 – Conference Day
Guest Speakers
Deb Robertson
Asgard Garden & Laurel Hill Preserves + The Inconvenience Store
Batlow/Tumbarumba Horticultural Growers Group
Collete Geier
CSU Researcher & Lecturer
Tackling Community Inequality Through Gardening
Conference Dinner
Enjoy a relaxed networking session, with a delicious dinner made with fresh, local ingredients at Mates Gully.
Philip Fitzgerald
Vendors and Stalls
Taravale Flour and Lamb
Junee Licorice & Chocolate Factory
Wagga Free Range Pork
Sunshine Food Riverina
Mates Gully Farm
Ali’s Spuds
Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc
Bull Creek Brewing Co
Borambola Wines Ply Ltp
Crafty Cider
Ladbroken Distillery Brewhouse
Coolamon Cheese
Rewild Water Kefir
Little Bush Kitchen
Woolshed Farms
Bidgee Strawberries and Cream
CWA Uranquinty
Wagga Wagga City Council
TLC Bath Products
Riverina Local Land Services
The Big Boys Sauce Co
Found Enviro Care
Community Gardens Australia
Defence Shed Wagga Wagga
Ten Thousand Harvests
Kyeamba Valley Woodworks
Beingreen Permaculture
Erin Earth
Demonstration Gardens Wagga
Grow Resilience
La Crepe’Rit
Kooringal Rotary
Wagga Wagga Bonsai Society
Taste of the Mountains
Essential Wisdom
Tumut River Brewing
Elm Road Honey
The Poet & Have a Go Circus
FREE Adult Workshops
Cheese Making
Jackie Price (Little Bush Kitchen)
How to promote your community garden
Naomi Lacey (Community Gardens Australia)
Edible Natives
Clarence Slockee (ABC‘s Gardening Australia)
Edible Perennials
Elizabeth Foxlewin (President of Permaculture Riverina)
Square Foot Gardening
(The Demonstration Gardens)
Value adding strawberries/ ice-cream making
Kylie Cashen (Bidgee Strawberries and Cream)
Growing successfully with hydroponics
Michael Cashen (Bidgee Strawberries and Cream)
Veggie patch planning
Natasha Stafford (Beingreen Permaculture)
FREE Kids Workshops
Love food love soil
Jenny Hill (Environmental Educator)
Videos:
7News featured the Riverina Harvest Festival and some of the organisers in this news clip:
Article:
Coming soon…
Radio:
ABC Riverina Radio’s Sally Bryant interview discussing the upcoming Riverina Harvest Festival with Eltan Mestan from ErinEarth:
Spotlight On Local Community Gardens
All groups are always excited to welcome new members and volunteers.
Funders and Partners
This event would not be possible without our funders and partners:
This project is supported by the Southern NSW Innovation Hub through funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, Wagga Wagga City Council and Transgrid Community Partnerships Program.
Erin Earth, Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc, Pro Patria Center, Demonstration Gardens Wagga Wagga, Wagga Nursery, Wagga Surveyors, The Chaston Street Nursery, Carbon Mate PTY LTD, Gardeners Studio Nursery and The Streaming Guys.