From the Field

THE DIGGERS CLUB

Julian Blackhirst is Head of Gardens at The Diggers Club, where he leads the cultivation and preservation of heirloom varieties across some of Australia’s most significant heritage gardens. With extensive hands-on experience in seed saving, seasonal growing and heritage plant care, Julian is deeply committed to protecting biodiversity and sharing the stories behind traditional varieties.

Julian will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 10:30am and 1:15pm, and will be part of a panel discussion at 12:00pm, and a Q&A panel at 2:15pm.

ABC RURAL

Laurissa Smith is a familiar voice across Tasmania through her work with ABC Tasmania, where she has spent many years sharing stories from regional and rural communities. With a strong understanding of life on the land and a genuine passion for gardening, she brings both practical knowledge and thoughtful insight to conversations about growing, seasons, and place.

Laurissa will be facilitating a panel discussion in the From the Field Marquee at 12:00pm.

TASSIE SEEDS

Chef for 20 years and seed producer for 6,  from her small operation in Bridgenorth in the Tamar Valley.  Abbey’s love for all things seeds, growing and cooking makes her a wealth of knowledge that loves to teach others how to incorporate planning gardens around what you love to eat and the best time to grow it.

Abbey will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 9:45am, and has a stall selling her seeds.

BALVAIRD PLANTS

Inspired by their Birralee property’s bush location and existing water assets, their own cold climate gardening challenges, and insights from mentors, horticulturist Fergus Taylor and wife Torey co-founded their nursery business, Balvaird Plants, in 2022.

Torey will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 12:45pm, and has a stall selling her plants with her husband Fergus.

WEST-BEE HONEY

Wendy and David Gibson are the beekeepers behind West-Bee Honey, producing nine distinct Tasmanian honey varieties – including award-winning Stringybark Honey, crowned Tasmanian Champion at the 2025 Royal Tasmanian Fine Food Awards. Sourcing from the Meander Valley and pristine sites such as Devils Gullet, Arm River in the Mersey Forest and the Cradle Mountain region, their honey has also earned international recognition at Apimondia, Montreal in 2019.

Wendy will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 12:45pm, and has a stall selling her honey with her husband David.

SEED FREAKS

Florian Bonenfant is a passionate market gardener, regenerative farmer, and self-proclaimed soil health freak. His journey into seed saving began with his farming education, sparking a fascination with how different varieties adapt to unique regions and microclimates. At Seed Freaks, Florian cultivates over 400 varieties of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds, championing biodiversity and food security.

Florian will be part of a Q&A in the From the Field Marquee at 2:15pm, and has a stall selling his seeds.

SIMPLOT / EASY MULCH

Angus graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2010 with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) and has dedicated his career to all things vegetables, working across both broadacre agricultural production and small-scale domestic growing. His passion extends well beyond the paddock, with a particular interest in the Solanaceae family (especially potatoes and tomatoes) whether grown at scale or in the home garden.

Angus will be part of a panel discussion in the From the Field Marquee at 12:00pm, and a Q&A at 2:15pm.

CORONEA GROVE

Rob Goddard owns Coronea Grove Olives with his wife Jen in Hadspen, producing beautifully crafted, cold-climate extra virgin olive oil. With a hands-on approach from tree to bottle, Rob is passionate about growing traditional Mediterranean varieties suited to Tasmania’s conditions and sharing the story behind great olive oil.

Rob will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 12:45pm, and has a stall selling his olive oil & dukkah with his wife Jen.

BRADY’S LOOKOUT CIDER

Caro Brown is co-owner and cidermaker at Brady’s Lookout Cider, where she champions the revival of heritage apple culture in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley. Since 2015 she and her husband Chris have transformed a former orchard into a thriving heritage apple orchard with more than 80 rare varieties, using traditional méthode champenoise techniques to create aromatic, small-batch ciders that reflect season, place and orchard diversity.

Caro will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 3:00pm, and has a stall selling her cider with her husband Chris.

THE ORGANIC GROCERY STORE

Mark Bennic is the owner of The Organic Grocery Store in Launceston with his wife Shelley, where he has long championed organic, wholefood living in Northern Tasmania. With a deep commitment to sustainable farming, ethical sourcing and community wellbeing, Mark has helped educate local growers and conscious consumers for many years.

Mark will be part of a panel discussion in the From the Field Marquee at 12:00pm, and you will find him running the Games/Competitions on the Lawn at 10:45am and 1:30pm.

THE LOST SEED

Kerryn Martin is the founder of The Lost Seed, a passionate advocate for preserving rare and heirloom varieties. From the Heritage Seed Bank nestled within the historic Annsleigh Gardens in North West Tasmania, one of the leading heirloom seed companies within Australia, Kerryn works to keep treasured old cultivars alive and reintroduce ‘lost’ varieties back into home gardens.

Kerryn will be presenting in the From the Field Marquee at 11:30am, and has a stall selling her seeds.