GROUNDED AUSTRALIA
FOUNDER
Matthew Evans is a one-time chef turned farmer, writer, broadcaster and food activist. Together with Sadie Chrestman they turned a one-time apple orchard into Fat Pig Farm, a mixed smallholding set on 70 acres in Tasmania’s picturesque Huon Valley.
The farm has a heritage orchard, an organically run market garden, the namesake old breed pigs, beef and dairy cows, plus goats, bees and more, as well as a purpose-built dining room that for seven years served 5000 meals annually. After visiting the UK’s Groundswell in 2023, Matthew was inspired to bring that same idea of a fun, informative and ground breaking agricultural festival to Australia.
The result, GROUNDED, is a cross between a food festival, a farming conference and a field day, with talks, demonstrations, food vans, a bar and plenty of chance for social interactions. In December 2024 Fat Pig Farm hosted the inaugural GROUNDED, and there are plans afoot for mainland events in 2025 and 2026.