Jeffrey Shaw & Andrena Forrest with Guest - Helen Dew - Living Economies - 13th June 2024

Helen Dew (NZ) has always grown her own fruit and vegetables, and says, “I’ve always had a natural bent to conservation”. Concerned about society’s dependency on commercial food systems and the impact it has on climate change, she has taken massive action to encourage people to take personal responsibility and become more conscious consumers.

Highly motivated, with stacks of energy and drive she pursues her interest with “passion and persistence”. At 81 years of age, Helen began hosting ‘Edible Gardening’ workshops at her home in Carterton. Her primary aim is to encourage the community to grow, eat and share healthy food and thus reduce the carbon footprint involved in the current food production and distribution system. In 1991, concerned with social, economic and environmental wellbeing, she and Alf joined the ‘Wairarapa Green Dollar Exchange’ a system that enables members to trade with a complementary currency. In 2002, she became a founding member of ‘The Living Economies Educational Trust’, an educational charity that provides information on “how citizen-led economic solutions can improve the community’s wellbeing and contribute to a healthy planet”. For more information see www.livingeconomies.org.nz As Helen’s confidence and her network of like-minded people expanded in New Zealand and overseas she attended international conferences addressing the flaws in the global economic system, and promoting local and global community currency models. She was one of the presenters at a complementary currency conference in Hannover, Germany in 2003, and an attendee at a similar conference in New York in 2004. Between 2006 and 2018 Helen managed the online bookstore for Living Economies during which time she was the Project Manager for the New Zealand edition of the book “Fleeing Vesuvius – Responding to the effects of economic and environmental collapse” - a compilation of works by various writers that was published in 2011 by Living Economies. The book’s overall aim is to “arm its readers with the knowledge they need to develop new ways of doing things instead of staggering from crisis to crisis trying to patch up systems that are only suited to economies that can grow and grow.” Helen, now aged 83, is very proud of her four adult children, 19 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren. To this day she is an active member of many community groups, including Living Economies. She played a key role in a New Zealand award-winning documentary ‘Living the Change’, now available on demand. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/livingthechange During the COVID lock-down Helen offered her ‘Edible Gardening’ workshops online, enabling the wider population to learn from her experience. Friends are currently working on an illustrated book for children of all ages, encouraging present and future generations to adopt sustainable lifestyles. Helen Dew Nominee: 2019 Women of Influence LIVING ECONOMIES Educational Trust Website & bookstore: www.livingeconomies.nz E: helen@livingeconomies.nz P: 0064 6 379 8034 M: 027 9009 742 FB: https://www.facebook.com/livingeconomies/ Your host: Jeffrey Shaw https://jeffreyshaw.com.au Your host: Andrena Forrest https://andrenaforrest.com #radiofm88australia, #andrenaforrest, #JeffreyShaw Listen to Radio FM88 Australia from your part of the world https://radiofm88.com.au Ask Alexa - Play Radio FM Eighty Eight Australia youtube.com/@radiofm88australia youtube.com/@andrenaforrest youtube.com/@jeffreyshaw Like what we do, you can assist with a financial contribution click here https://radiofm88.com.au/donate-now/ We use the Wise Payment System Shipping goods in and out of Australia, contact https://australiatrade.com.au Download the Listen App for Android and Apple Users Go to - https://radiofm88.com.au/listen-app/ for plain English written instructions or watch the brief Android and Apple video, on how to install https://apps.radiofm88.com.au