We have been supporting The Big Lunch at lots of events this year and appreciated the invitation to be based at their stand in The Food Pavillion, helping ensure our ‘As Sustainable As Possible = ASAP’ message reaches everywhere
And inspiring Big Lunchers to think about what they can do to protect the environment while having food and fun with friends at their Big Lunch!

The Food Pavillion was set up by NI Good Food who ensured that Northern Ireland’s local producers and local produce was the highlight of the show, with slogans like “Grown here not flown here”

NI Good Food Pavillion

The big stores like Sainsbury’s were focusing on their Freedom Food brand and how they are engaging with local producers to ensure higher welfare standards with RSPCA’s assurance. Marks + Spencers were sharing less well known local produce like venison from Finnebrogue Estate in County Down

There was also goat meat on sale from forward thinking farms like Broughgammon The variety of food was exceptional, when it came to tea time I followed my childrens choice Jolly pies, which turned out to be fantastic…they “don’t want to be the biggest pie company, we want to be the best … We source all our ingredients from farms and suppliers which we’ve dealt with for generations, so we know exactly how the animals have lived and how the veggies are grown.”

with the Food NI prize as decided by local chefs for best food, and I would have to agree!

For many people the supermarket is still were weekly food shopping happens therefore the work they do to educate the consumer is important, and can help deliver local sustainability by supporting local producers and providing consumers with their produce. There are lots of good ideas about how the supermarkets of the coming generation will change, but for now we, the consumers, can chose where to shop and what is best local produce.
Organisations like the Soil Association can help inform these choices.

Baglady’s Rachael and Jim Kitchen of the Soil Associations

We joined children at Tir na Nog Primary School who shared their ASAP ideas by drawing these posters:

Holly’s Baglady

JJ’s Bagperson

if you see your school on the list let us know!

Miguel McRoberts age 7

Rebecca Fulton age 7

‘Spin a Pledge’ Game

Pick a Pledge finger puzzle

Molly with her drawing of her pledge to compost food

We had a great day with over 60 kids pledging!
What will you pledge?

Episode seven is about water. Our panel is Sharon Wilkinson, Geoffrey Smith (Blue Mountains City Council), Noni McDevitt, Melinda Turner and Susan Girard. Also, Baglady reacts to reports that if we even try to keep global warming with 2ºC, by reducing fossil fuel use we could cause a new global economic crisis. From Northern Ireland, Deborah Girvan, Alliance Councillor for Newtownards, on her second local clean-up at Comber. And, rubbish on the coast at Larne: teacher Sandy Lindsay and students at Larne High School, with some follow-up by Baglady.

Also: Geoffrey on events surrounding the tragic pollution incident at Jamieson Creek, Wentworth Falls last July, with tips for people to minimise the chance of polluting waterways; Sharon on toxic spills and chemicals getting intro groundwater with Coal Seam Gas; Noni on alternative energy, and Melinda on Thirst.

First broadcast 22nd April 2013

In this week’s show: Irish music from the bush at the annual Blue Mountains Bush Care Picnic! Sue Morrison and Noni McDevitt on plans for Mountains-owned renewable energy, and Sharon Wilkinson on the campaign to stop Coal Seam Gas, with comment from Kay Ridgeway. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead… and are the BBC, the ABC and other big broadcasters serving our needs on info about how to deal with climate change? GLO 6 panel think not. And, in a GLO first, the panel comment on Phillip Allen’s piece from Northern Ireland, on waste to energy. Sharing info and inspiration across the world!

First Broadcast 15th April 2013

This week: Celebrating the launch of the Northern Ireland Plastic Bag Levy of 5p per plastic bag. ‘NI people have never been known for throwing away money so the bag numbers should go right down.’

How do we, as Sir David Attenborough says, do what’s never been done before in human history, looking right back to the first days of homo sapiens… Agree. Can we agree?

Margaret Shearer talks with Blue Mountains Urgency Group members Noni McDevitt, Gary Caganoff and Franklin Scarf, as well as Sue Girard, Melinda Turner. And, a Skype conversation with John James, considering what’s wrong with the world…

First Broadcast 8th April 2013

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In this show Baglady celebrated All Fools’ Day AND the first anniversary of the Blue Mountains Urgency Group, which meets to share food and concerns about the environment, and relax urgently. In the studio were Boxlady Marina Brown, and Dubliner Noni McDevitt. Also featured is Northern Ireland’s contribution: Liz Weir’s message to Baglady about the N.I. Plastic Bag Levy (hooray), and from Downpatrick, Leggamaddy Primary School, Walter and Maria Graham on the horrors of plastic, and Colin Magee on cleaning up and recycling. Plus great music from Blue Mountains groups: the Spooky Men’s Chorale and The Three Sisters!!! Top stuff.

First broadcast April 1st 2013.

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Frank McCooke of Slemish Market Garden

This week’s show is all about SHASAP: Shopping As Sustainably As Possible, and we talk to Uncle Ed Walker – a Wadi Wadi elder now living in the Blue Mountains – about his budding business building lovely children’s toys and furniture using reclaimed materials. There’s a voxpop on plastic bags from participants of the Springwood Foundation Day celebrations. GLObal TV SHOw health editor Margaret Shearer talks about Shopping ASAP at Bathurst farmers’ market and food co-op, author of Life Without Money Anitra Nelson talking about exactly that, Blue Mountains local gardener Steve Erntner on what to plant for winter down under. From the team in Northern Ireland we hear from Frank McCooke of Slemish Market Garden. Also, we discuss some of the Green Washing being done by certain chain stores and multinationals vs. REAL sustainability action in business, tips from the Slow Food movement on how to reduce your carbon footprint when grocery shopping, and just in time for Easter, information on why we should all be buying Fair Trade chocolate.

First broadcast Monday 25th March 2013

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Baglady Productions’ Rachael with a VegOut VegBox.

This week’s show is all about GASAP: Gardening As Sustainably As Possible. We’re joined by Blue Mountains City Council Community Weeds Officer Linda Thomas; author of If the World Were a Village David Smith; Earth Repair founder Franklin Scarf; Blue Mountains Local Noni McDevitt; and, our regular health editor Margaret Shearer. From Northern Ireland we hear from Comber Primary School students and principal Chris Logan, and from Andrena Laverty of VegOut VegBox.

First broadcast Monday 18th March 2013