Forest Picnic a real treat in the woods!
The sun illuminated all that is good about food production in this country on Sunday when it shone on
the crowd gathered in Portumna to celebrate organic food. The spectacular setting was the perfect location to host such a great day out. The crowd was spellbound on the day with the range of activities and events from enchanting storytelling, informative nature walks, organic production talks and cycling trails for the more adventurous!
However as with every good picnic the main focus of the day was the food! Some tough choices had to be made by punters when it came to choosing where to lunch, would it be a delicious organic burger from the award winning Organic Kitchen or a sumptuous organic food plate from the Slow Food tent? There was plenty of organic food to take home and savour if you simply could not eat any more including delicious award winning cheeses and tasty bread. A range of fresh seasonal vegetables was also on offer highlighting the diverse range of fresh produce available in Ireland at the moment.
Event organisers ICSA, IOA and Slow Food Galway were delighted with the turn out on the day. “It was a pleasure to be able to showcase so many high quality organic producers in one place emphasising the achievements of the organic sector and the range of organic goods that can be produced in Ireland” said the organisers.
The picnic was officially launched by Minister Ciaran Cuffe who stated that “the future of Irish agriculture is rooted in what the organic sector are showcasing here today. Our food production systems need to become more resilient and organic food has proven itself to be the most resilient type of agricultural production.”
Eoghan Mc Cormack aged 10 from 4th class in St Brendans National School, Eyrecourt won the colouring competition which was sponsored by Shannon Oaks Hotel well done Eoghan!