Roo products showcased at Quorn Kurti Festival
Organic and sustainably harvested kangaroo products were showcased at the Quorn Kurti Festival in October.
The festival featured a range of native food options, including pepperberry, barramundi, quandongs, and wattleseed but attendees at the bush food garden sessions received a special treat.
Kangaroo shaslicks, yiros, burgers and sausages were offered alongside a roo tail stew to further promote the locally-processed and lean protein option to the community.
Almost 100kg of kangaroo produce were supplied to local groups for fundraising barbecues including the Quorn Sporting Club, Quorn Community Landcare Group, Nukunu Yarning Circle, and the Quorn Men’s Shed. Festival volunteers also enjoyed dinner at Emily’s Bistro, with shanks provided by the Kangaroo Partnership Project.
Visitors George and Rick tried the kangaroo sausages and shasliks on offer at the Bush Food Garden on Sunday. Rick said he enjoyed the taste and the good deep flavour of kangaroo meat.
“It’s low fat and high protein and really easy to eat; it’s the most economical meat we have in this country,” he said
Nukunu man Ron Boland cooked the roo tail stew for garden visitors on Sunday. He made a hearty meal by adding potatoes, carrots, peas and beans.
“I eat kangaroo in my house at least two times a week. It’s something we always crave for after growing up with it and now my family is growing up with it too,” Ron said.
“Everyone has their own taste, but it’s lean, it’s very healthy and it’s good for the heart and the immune systems. I think it feeds your soul and re-energises you.”
The decision to supply kangaroo meat to the festival was inspired by the funded Kangaroo Management Collective Pilot, a project that brought together Gawler Ranges land managers to better manage the district’s kangaroo numbers.
The project looked at harvesting kangaroo products and addressing a low demand by subsidising locally harvested kangaroo meat to increase local interest and consumption. It did so by supplying kangaroo meat to local enterprises, providing a nutritious and budget-friendly protein source.
It is hoped the collective project will become a self-sustaining network that will continue beyond the life of the Kangaroo Partnership Program and inspire similar groups in other areas.
You can see the festival in action on the A Kangaroo Conversation Facebook and Instagram account.
The Kangaroo Partnership Program is funded by the State Government’s Landscape Priorities Fund.
