180. We’re Very Close to a Tipping Point
Rachel Ward & Jade Miles, live in Margaret River
Rachel Ward is a famed actress, film-maker and now farmer. Jade Miles is the CEO of Sustainable Table, author of Futuresteading, and steward of the incredible Black Barn Farm. We shared this conversation with a live audience after a screening of Rachel’s brilliant documentary, Rachel’s Farm. It was a curtain raiser to the Regenerative Agriculture Conference in Margaret River WA, and the penultimate event of Rachel’s film tour of 30 or so locations around the country.
Jade Miles and Rachel Ward on stage (pic: Olivia Cheng).
“It’s also a visibility thing, like the number of bloody politicians that tell us that we’re a tokenistic tin pot kind of emerging market. Well, actually, let’s have a really good hard look at who we are and what we’re doing. When you actually look at us all in one place and we’re visible, we are actually more than a movement. We’re a new paradigm of operation. And it’s about making it visible.”
That lent a certain perspective to this conversation – a kind of overview of the movement, and the country. And that met Jade’s vantage point, also touring the country and researching the world with a different lens, as CEO of Sustainable Table. You might recall their launch event which became episode 161 earlier this year, Regenerating Investment in Food & Farming.
Unsurprisingly, talking with these two women at this time resulted in a very personal, hard-hitting, and inspired take on where things are at, what’s coming down the line, and the stories helping to make it happen.
You’ll hear the 3 of us in conversation for the first 15 minutes or so, then we interweave into our chat a handful of questions from the audience - who are also among the regenerative pioneers in this country.
Head here for automatic cues to chapter markers (also available on the embedded player above), and a transcript of this conversation (please note the transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully serves to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like to read).
This conversation was recorded on 5 September 2023.
Find more:
To screen the film, gain access to resources etc., head to the Rachel’s Farm website.
You can hear Rachel and Anthony in conversation just before the film’s premiere and tour, with Rachel’s co-star Mick Green, in episode 168.
You’ll find Jade at Black Barn Farm, Sustainable Table, and on episode 128 of this podcast: Operating at Human Speed. Stay tuned for more on her next book soon.
This conversation took place after a screening of Rachel’s Farm, as a curtain raiser to the Regenerative Agriculture conference 2023.
Join us at the RE:CONNECTION Festival this weekend (subscribers get a 10% discount – subscribe and see the discount code on the recent posts on Patreon).
Music:
Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack to the film Regenerating Australia.