The lineup for the second agriCULTURED festival in Launceston, Tas, will bring together big players in the Tasmanian agriculture and tourism sectors and feature interstate innovators in the two industries.
TV presenters Costa Georgiadis, Matthew Evans and Hannah Moloney head the lineup, but several local chefs and local industry figures will also host key events, including a 'meet the producers' dinner hosted by Tasmanian chef Massimo Mele.
The festival will also bring a unique artistic flavour to northern Tasmania, with a musical experience called Acoustic Life of Farm Sheds presented by Tasmanian arts organisation Big hART being a central feature of the festival.
The event will have visitors travel to rural locations, including Mole Creek, Dairy Plains and Westbury, where rural architecture will be "interpreted by composers, musicians, and digital artists."
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Festival chair Theresa Chapman said the festival would celebrate sustainable growth in the agriculture and tourism sectors and honour the people behind both industries.
"Australia has ambitious targets for agriculture and food as it heads towards 2030," she said.
"With demand for innovation in sustainable practices continuing to grow, collaboration, innovation and the sharing of information will be essential in achieving our targets."
She said the festival would focus on consumers and provide "a platform for voices across the whole spectrum of food systems in Tasmania [including] indigenous land managers, farmers, innovators, and inventors".
Mr Mele said the dinner he will be hosting as part of agriCULTURED will showcase the importance of building relationships between growers and restaurants.
"The quality of produce in northern Tasmania is some of the best in the country and having access to such exceptional local, seasonal ingredients is a luxury," he said.
Other highlights include a hybrid digital sculptural installation from art collective Soma Lumia and jeweller Samantha Dennis.
A series of food and agriculture-related workshops will also take place across Launceston, along with a night market in the city's civic square on night two of the festival.
The festival will take place in Launceston from August 4-7.
