Belfast Exposed, 23 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2FF
8 February 2025 14:00-17:30
Free event
As part of We Feed The UK’s collaboration with Belfast Exposed, farmers Helen Keys and Charlie Mallon of Mallon Farm join Kerry Melville from Nourish NI in a panel facilitated by Co-chair of Belfast Sustainable Food Partnership, Gawain Morrison.
Helen and Charlie are reviving the tradition of growing Irish flax alongside a patchwork of potatoes, grass and oats. Together, they’ll discuss the potential to rebuild the Northern Irish flax industry in a fair and scalable way.
Join us as we explore the role of fibre as part of a wider nature-friendly food and farming system. We’ll share how others can diversify their farms without moving away from food production.
The panel will run from 14:00-15:30, followed by a 16:15 screening of the multi-award-winning feature documentary film ‘The Nettle Dress‘.
Helen Keys and Charlie Mallon transitioned their inherited family farm into nature-friendly farmland. After finding their productivity and positivity swiftly grew alongside the increasing wildlife numbers, they developed Source Grow, an online platform that helps farmers decide what to grow.
Kerry Melville is the coordinator for Nourish NI. The charity partners with local food producers pioneering sustainable methods as part of their push to make healthy and sustainable food a defining characteristic of Northern Ireland.
Gawain Morrison is a leading voice on Belfast’s food resilience. With decades of experience inspiring change through the arts, his current work uses food, music, and culture to bring citizens of Belfast together for a green and positive future.
This event is part of Yvette Monahan‘s exhibition for We Feed The UK. ‘The Clean Blue of Linen’ is being displayed at Belfast Exposed between 6 February – 22 March 2025.
