Mark Diacono found his life’s purpose and direction through food and he has dedicated his life to growing, cooking and writing about it. Having been involved in the early days of River Cottage, Mark went on to pursue his dream of creating his own farm, turning two blank fields in southwest England into 17-acres of diverse fruit and veg plots, orchards and forest gardens.

In this episode of Food Matters, Mark shares his incredible life story with GIY founder Mick Kelly, along with his thoughts on modern diets, food sustainability, and the transformational power of quality homegrown produce.

They also talk about:

• Mark's love of writing books and all about his latest one, called ‘Vegetables’.
• How to get creative with growing and cooking vegetables while also making sure you’re also getting all the nutrition you need.
• His memories of River Cottage and the valuable lessons he learned during his time there.
• Why tasting a mulberry change his life.
• The biggest mistake most of us make when growing courgettes.
• Why he feels people in Ireland and the UK spend so little on quality food, and what needs to happen to change it.

Cork-born Karen O'Donoghue is a woman with a mission: to improve people's gut health through the bread she bakes at The Happy Tummy Co. in Westport, Co Mayo. Her baked goods are the culmination of a long and sometimes painful journey involving the loss of her mother to cancer, years spent suffering through poor mental and physical health, and ultimately teaching herself all about optimum nutrition.

In this episode of Food Matters, Karen shares the fascinating story of how she healed herself and found happiness through food. In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Karen also talks about:

· The critical importance of eating the right amount of fibre.

· Discovering Teff and why it is the most important grain in the world.

· Why she feels capitalism is at the root of poor diets.

· Building a business on a €25 loaf of bread - a product packed with sustainable, regenerative ingredients.

· Her lifelong mission to help everyone to heal themselves through food.

GIY are proud to align our mission, vision and impact with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, and in line with the UN Decade of Action, our ambition at GIY is to inspire 100 million people around the world to grow some of their own food by 2030.

Join the GIY movement by following our social channels and signing up to our newsletter on GIY.ie

Sally Barnes is both a force of nature and a champion for it. One of Ireland’s most iconic artisan food producers, Sally runs the last smokehouse in Ireland that deals exclusively with Ireland’s diminishing stock of wild fish.

Sally started out by smoking fish in a tea chest in the early 1980s as a way of preserving unexpected gluts, and in the years that followed she has taught herself the techniques of the trade through trial and error and lots of experimentation. Today, Sally is renowned for her top quality, award-winning produce and passion for nature and food sustainability.

In conversation with Mick Kelly of GIY, Sally talks about:

· Moving to a small fishing community in Cork in the 1970s and teaching herself how to smoke fish

· Her concern about what is happening to our stocks of wild salmon and why that is important on a wider, global food scale

· Why she is vehemently opposed to salmon farming

· The importance of educating a new generation of food students.

· Why she avoids shopping in the big retailers and supports independent food stores.

GIY are proud to align our mission, vision and impact with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, and in line with the UN Decade of Action, our ambition at GIY is to inspire 100 million people around the world to grow some of their own food by 2030.

Join the GIY movement by following our social channels and signing up to our newsletter on GIY.ie