The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Sustainable space at Tralee Food Festival
TRANSITION Kerry will be hosting a ‘Sustainable Space’ at Tralee Food Festival on Saturday, 23rd September, in Tralee Town Square. This is to celebrate and showcase the work that is being done by local community groups and small, sustainable, local businesses.
Tralee Allotments Project will show how the community apple press works and fresh apple juice from local apples can be tasted on the day. Through the autumn, the public are welcome to bring their apples to the Moyderwell Allotments between 9am and 1pm during the week, where Peter and the workers will press them for you and give you back your own apple juice. Bring your own containers.
Shanakill Community Organic Garden, Castleisland Community Garden and Gortbrack Organic Farm will bring some of their food harvests and promote their upcoming educational programmes. Check them out on facebook.
Donal O’Leary from Stop Food Waste will demonstrate how to compost food waste. Can you believe that the average household throws out one third of the food that it buys! (www.stopfoodwaste.ie)
Learn about Foodshare Kerry, a food bank that rescues quality surplus food from supermarkets and food producers and makes it available to organisations to redistribute to those in need. (www.fsk.ie).
Meet members of the Kerry Sustainable Energy Co-operative to hear the benefits of membership , their initiatives such as the bulk buying of locally sourced wood for fuel, provision of the energy and moisture metres to local libraries, sourcing grants and their series of public information evenings on renewable energy in Tralee on 26th September, Kilorglin on 25th October and Dingle on the 23rd of November. (www.ksec.ie, facebook and twitter).
The Kerry Branch of the Irish Wildlife Trust will explain their work and upcoming events to be hosted by Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre.
The Transition Kerry ‘Sustainable Space’ is one of the activities of the National Convergence Festival, with events happening all around the country www.cultivate.ie/convergence-festival
At an international level, our Sustainable Space is part of European Day of Sustainable Communities, which is organised by ECOLISE - European Community Led Initiative for Climate Change and Sustainability (www.ecolise.eu).
Transition Kerry aims to bring together groups and people who are taking action locally to help with climate action and building community resilience. There are many good projects, organisations and people coming together to do this important work and they need our support and participation at all levels in our society, from home to community, business and farming.
On a related note, Transition Chorca Dhuibhne will be taking part in the upcoming Dingle Food Festival (29 September – 2 October) where, in partnership with Kerry County Council, they will be launching their zero waste initiative for this year’s festival. This aims to make the festival waste free by 2020 and is a step towards a plastic-free future for our communities. (Next year in Tralee?) To volunteer, contact Darach at 087-2153758.
If you want to get involved and volunteer in the Tralee Space, contact Niamh @ 086 7247066. Find Transition Kerry on Facebook page and at www.transitionkerry.org