National Organic Week 2010 at Dublin Food Co-op

Saturday 18th September

11.00 – 15.00 Cooking with Seasonal Organic Vegetables and Herbs – demonstration with Chef Marc Moissard

This was a chance to sample tasty dishes prepared with home grown vegetables, herbs, salads and flowers and learn simple tips on how to grow your own, what and when to grow on small space in a city, balcony and window baskets. Marc provided information on the health benefits of fresh plants in the diet and some unusual recipes - with a particular focus on beetroot...

Beetroot confit in rock sea salt d'Alain Passard / Beetroot jelly

Beetroot and chocolate muffins / Lemon Verbena Lemonade

11.00 - 12.00 Meet our organic producers

This was a chance to hear from Dublin Food Co-op producer members whose fresh organic produce is available at the Co-op every Saturday, with three of our organic growers and award winning organic dairy farmer Mary Kelly (including a sampling of her Moon Shine Dairy Farm organic yoghurt).

12.15 - 13.15 Lunchtime discussion – Is Organic Enough?

Dublin Food Co-op was one of Ireland’s organic food pioneers - but for National Organic Week we posed the question ‘Is organic enough?’ - what about other issues like food miles, fairtrade, corporate organics, sustainability, labour rights? Is organic in danger of becoming just another brand label? Is certification too costly and too tough for small producers to get aboard?

13.30 - 14.30 Growing Together

This session explored shared allotments, community gardens and other ways to get involved in growing locally, organically and co-operatively. It brought together established growers and would-be gardeners seeking a way in and established a new Growing Network at the Dublin Food Co-op.