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 will host the inaugural GROUNDED, with plans to take the concept to the mainland in coming years.