Markus & Michelle Repo and family - Seventh Hand Organics

“the way life ought to be…wholistic healthy lifestyle”

“We arrived at our topic, ‘the way life ought to be’, through the realisation that health issues our second-born child was suffering may not be as medical expertise was advising.

Our goal for our talk at SEE is to create awareness for people to explore an alternative option to obtain a healthy, wholistic, satisfying way of life. We are passionate about living a life of peace through a wholistic approach to health: in body, mind, and spirit.”

Even when Marcus and Michelle lived near the city, they owned chickens and grew vegetables in their backyard. They realised they had to go further to offer their children a healthier future when their child, Mika, suffered eczema at age two. Their wholistic approach has been successful for Mika’s health and the entire family.

Seventh Hand Organics boasts 250 acres of seasonal, organic meat, eggs and vegetables. Cattle are rotated between paddocks, chickens are also moved around the property from rich pasture to rich pasture, in enclosures with movable housing.

The Repo children are involved in the farm, learning for their own future; in fact it’s just a way of life for them…the way it ought to be!

 "Where trees and people meet: Resilience and Wonder in a Woodland Life’

I live on and care for over 80ha of almost pristine granite heath and endangered woodland ecosystems on two adjacent nature refuge properties. I source some of my income and many of the resources of my lifestyle from the forest, living by a code of resilient, less moneyed, reductive lifestyle and as close to the raw truth of low impact sustainability as I can. I am a ‘keeper of the forest’, or forest keeper.  

As a layperson and practitioner in the science of forest keeping, I  carry out some important work and research in the  complex, biodiverse heathy woodland ecosystem I call home. I have worked alongside traditional owners who are the fire, soil and water keepers of their cultures. I utilise techniques of thinning, tree surgery, soil nurture, feral animal control and cultural burning.

“Opportunities and challenges for local food”

Ray Palmer has been growing and marketing food for 15 years.
During this time, he has grown over 40 types of vegetables, pigs, laying hens, beef cattle, and broiler chickens selling them via farmer’s market and a box scheme.

Ray has also been instrumental in the formation and running of a grower marketing collaboration and a participatory guarantee scheme. 

Symara Farm on Facebook

“To store or not to store -  should you invest in batteries?”

I have a degree in Environmental Engineering and a degree Photonics and Nanoscience. I spent 5yrs working as a research scientist for nanotechnology company developing lithium batteries for energy storage before moving to Stanthorpe and starting Solar Blessing Pty Ltd in 2014.

I have always been interested in Solar Power and Renewable Technologies, especially stand-alone solar systems. We live ‘off the grid’ ourselves and love being able to offer that lifestyle to others. I believe that it is crucial that we start investing in renewable technologies and micro-grids and move away from coal based centralised power systems if we want a sustainable, clean future for generations to come.

solarblessing.com.au

“A garden for wildlife”

I was obsessed with possums as a child. Utterly. Totally. Every year I would diligently produce for whomever the teacher was that year an assignment on possums.

Many years later, the family would experience the Applethorpe fire; we resolved to get involved with caring for our decimated local wildlife.

On joining the Granite Belt Wildlife Carers Group, we were asked what species we would like to work with. I chose caterpillars. No, just kidding. The only choice for us was obviously possums. We work with mostly brushtails and ringtails with the very occasional glider. 

Granite Belt Wildlife Carers

“Thank you John”

John Lindsay will perform as our Master of Ceremonies again in 2021.

John was heavily involved with BLOG, the Border Landcare Organic Group, and largely responsible for bringing to Stanthorpe some outstanding presenters such as the late Hugh Lovel, Graeme Sait, and Jerry Coleby-Williams.

“Why the wind is the spearhead of a thousand diseases”

Nick Hilton:

Chinese medicine was for me a logical progression from my first study as a naturopath, then the herbal side of Chinese medicine was again a logical progression.

My goal with this presentations to introduce people to home treatment protocols that are safe, effective, affordable and easy to apply.

Sustainable agriculture is my caring for the planet schtick.

Why is "Wind the Spearhead of a thousand diseases"?

What can you do about it?

What can you do with your Tigerwarmer?

What on earth is a Tigerwarmer?

During my time at SEE I will answer these questions.

Workshop: “The Hidden Life of Plants and Humans”

Monk of Ananda Marga, Personal Meditation / Yoga teacher, author, musician, retreat facilitator, activist, organic farmer, Dada Jitendrananda was born in Ireland in 1958.

With over forty years in the role of monk of Ananda Marga, Dada has also served in Japan, New Zealand and Australia. He now lives in Stanthorpe where he manages the Ananda Palli retreat centre and organic farm.

Dada’s workshop, The Hidden Life of Plants and Humans, sets up an interaction between human and plant participants. We begin with yoga and a guided meditation to awaken our shared connection as living beings. We then create a commons for interacting in. The experience culminates in a musical expression of our interaction that’s suitable for musicians and non-musicians alike. Participants will feel an enhanced sense of the consciousness that joins all beings in a close family.

Workshop: “Nutritional enhancement and preservation of food”

Gui is passionate about everything that improves the planet and human health. He advocates for traditionally prepared, locally sourced meals as a way to reduce our environmental footprint and regenerate our body. He applies his diverse (lived in four different countries) and scientific (PhD in Physics) backgrounds to every dish he makes.

Gui will be sharing some insights into enhancing the nutritional value of foods via methods including fermentation and sprouting, and he will bring in some degustation samples for everyone to try.