Guess Who Just Sprouted Up In Launceston?

When we made a quiet little announcement a while back about growing bigger than ever, we'll admit we were saving the most exciting news for later. Well, the time has come to unveil a new chapter in the Youth Food Movement story! Say hello to Kylie Allen, our new head of all things delicious and awesome in Launceston. Make yourself a cuppa and meet our first chapter leader, currently studying at the University of Tasmania. She's a self-confessed island dweller, a wife and mum, a nature lover and Fair Food Advocate.As a trained chef and home ec teacher, Kylie discovered the huge sustainability problems arising from industrialised agriculture and realised she had to do something about it. She developed a passion for connecting people to local food systems, intertwining the environmental, health, social and economic issues that surround food. But in true YFM spirit, she knew she wanted to keep a positive outlook. "I am determined to support local food projects and activities that encourage creative solutions," she says, advocating for food gardens in urban spaces and secondary schools as a great start.When she stumbled across YFM, she was super excited to find a network of other young people who believed in creating a better food system too. "I adore YFM's spirit and optimism! YFM provides a platform for young people to voice, actively support, learn, and make meaningful contributions in ways that make a difference." Yep, we adore Kylie's optimism too, and we're pretty keen on her love of big-picture, holistic approaches.So what's she keen on cooking up down in Launceston? Like many of our chapters, Kylie's pumped to get other young people involved in food and agriculture so they can reconnect with where their food comes from. She also wants to look into innovative practices that are improving the health and productivity of the land, so our future food system can better handle what's thrown at it. Easy right?!Want to join her and cook up some serious change down south? Put up your hand and get in touch here.Image credit: Scott Gelston, The Examiner