It’s official the Bio Corbieres Festival at the Chateau des Bonnafous is back. After a year of absence the Bio Corbieres festival has returned, this year it will be an all day event on Sunday 3rd June.

I move the Bio Corbieres festival, we usually do very well financially, returning with two cars full of empty boxes and  bulging purse. But more than that it is a real celebration of the organic sector in the Corbieres. After a long winter, and a hectic Spring it is great to kick back and catch up with all the local news, people you haven’t seen for six months pop out of the woodwork. It is great to reconnect with old friends and clients.

It is also one of the few events in the Corbieres for the organic community and the sustainable development projects. Renewable energy, eco- heating, sustainable forestry management, environmental initiatives. They are usually all there in one form or another. The local organic wine markers do a tasting of their wines, well it is the Corbieres after all. There are usually a load of animals milling about, lots of activities for kids, a bicycle powered Merry-go-round, and mad hippies with flutes and guitars making, what I am assured, is music. The restaurant in the Chateau de Bonnafous do an organic menu for the day and there are a number of organic food producers providing delicious foods, wine and locally produced bread and cheese.

The event is organised by Lurio ADDL, a local sustainable development association supported by the local communes. due to the withdrawal of certain grants the event was cancelled last year, to my absolute horror, but it seems all is well again.

The only point I would criticise the organisers on is their ideas about who can sell their produce at the event. For me a local development association should concentrate on, well local projects. I they are not organic so what? Put all us organic folk together in a clearly defined and sign posted “bio village” but open the event to other local producers, I would much rather see Corbieres Saffron producers, shepherds, essential oils and dried herb transformers and beer brewers at the event that the obese crystal seller that was next to me a couple of years ago, His stories that he wheezed to me about the incredible healing powers of stone just didn’t quite ring true when I was convinced he was just about to have a heart attack at any minute. If it is to be a local and organic festival include both, and drop the hocuspocus re sellers.

But that small point aside it is a great day and I hope to see you all there.