Good Life The original good food shop
Life Cykel: wellbeing from mushroom extracts In 2015, Julian Mitchell and Ryan Creed embarked on a mission to address two pressing issues in our modern society: the increasing environmental, physical, and emotional stressors affecting health; and the lack of potent, high-quality mushroom products and supplements. This endeavour led to the creation of Life Cykel, a mushroom biotechnology company. The founders' ingenious idea was simple yet impactful - collecting coffee waste from local cafes and restaurants to cultivate gourmet mushrooms. These mushrooms would then be reintroduced to the community, forming a sustainable cycle that benefits both people and the environment. Over time, Life Cykel's vision expanded, evolving into something even more profound – the cultivation and extraction of premium-quality mushroom extracts for enhanced wellbeing. Life Cykel's team of expert farmers and scientists ensure the highest quality in the growth and extraction of mushrooms. A patent-pending extraction process results in liquid-form products with superior bioavailability, maximising their effectiveness. When incorporated with native wisdom and the antioxidant profile of Kakadu plum, this addition elevates the health benefits of the mushroom extracts, providing a holistic approach to wellbeing. Life Cykel collaborates with the Byron Bay Herb Nursery, a non-profit disability charity offering job opportunities and community engagement for individuals with disabilities. This partnership has led to the creation of Alkaline Greens and Bee Pollination Grow Kits, as well as seedlings for the 'Grow & Gift a Tree' program. Launched in September
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From humble beginnings with original founders Marco and Rob selling produce and bulk wholefood staples out of the back of a ute in Upper Main Arm from 1978, Santos Organics has been supplying healthy and organic vegetarian food to the Byron Shire community for over 45 years. Santos Organics was created from the original vision of ‘the good life’... good vibes and good food; even its name was inspired by the Sanskrit word ‘santosha’ meaning contentment. In true spirit, Santos Organics makes the good stuff simple; offering wholesome, healthy food with heart, available so you can live the good life by dropping into one of their three locations in the Byron Shire or from anywhere in Australia via their online store. With a fresh and vibrant health food store and wholesome cafe in three locations – Byron town, Byron Arts and Industrial Estate, central Mullumbimby and online, Santos Organics sources the best organic food, natural lifestyle, and eco-friendly products,
The Santos Organics team.
with every single item going through the ‘Santos Organics Care-Check’, so customers can rest assured that they’re not only shopping consciously and ethically but also treading a little more softly on our planet. The ‘Santos Organics Care-Check’ is unique to Santos Organics, grounded in the roots of the founders, originating with the ‘Ethics Manifesto’ and cultivated over the years by their passionate team. Whenever a new product is presented to
Santos Organics, their ethics and research team thoroughly evaluates the ingredients of a product, the source of those ingredients, any relevant farming practices, the distance that product has travelled, its packaging and the presence of any genetically modified ingredients, toxic chemicals, and palm oil or palm derived ingredients, while prioritising Australian certified organic or biodynamic products at all times. Sourcing ‘local first’
organic produce and artisan products and supporting their local community of growers, suppliers, businesses, and customers alike, are the cornerstones of Santos Organics. The launch of the ‘Grow the Growers’ project earlier this year, supporting farmers to convert their farms to certified organic, signified their deep commitment to strengthening the local economy and ensuring food security for the Byron community in years to come. Registering as an environmental not-for-profit social enterprise in December 2016 also formalised Santos Organics’ longstanding focus on community and environmental projects through its donations totalling over $337,000 and involvement in many valuable community and environmental initiatives. With in-house naturopaths and dispensaries offering 15-minute complimentary consults, fresh food grown and prepared daily for our cafes by local organic suppliers, and a vast array of organic wholefoods and fresh produce, Santos Organics has your health and wellness needs covered!
Organic awareness month at Mullum Farmers Market
2020, the 'Grow & Gift a Tree' initiative allows customers to contribute $3 to their order, supporting the Byron Bay Herb Nursery's seedling growth, which is then gifted to local community groups. Life Cykel's deep-rooted partnerships extend to remarkable individuals like John Smith Gumbula, a cultural ambassador and founder of BUR’AN, an Ethical Fairtrade Indigenous Social Venture Corporation. Collaborating with John, Life Cykel has developed outstanding products, including the Dreamtime Bush Tucker Box and Ancient Australian Activation Extracts, incorporating a range of native Australian ingredients. The team at Life Cykel are committed to bringing you the highest quality products available. We sincerely hope you enjoy them and that they will enrich your life in the best way possible! Q More info: lifecykel.com
As the month of organic awareness has come to a close, it is a lovely opportunity to celebrate and reflect on some of the work that happens behind the scenes at our farmers’ market and why everyone talks about the ‘Mullum vibe’. As many of you might not know, our markets were set up by our local community and farmers, to enable our local farmers to make a living and sell locally grown fresh, nutritious produce at affordable prices. Of the farmers that attend our market, an increasing number, currently over 40% of them, are now certified organic. Some of those farmers are part of the team running our markets and play leadership roles in the organic farming movement. David Forrest, from Forrest Organic, is a pioneer and farmer/educator in organic farming. He is also the current president behind TROPO and advisor to the committee that runs the Mullum Farmers Market. Sue Mangan is the secretary, writer and producer of the TROPO magazine and current president of our markets. Rod Bruin, from Summit Organics, has been the president of TROPO and president of Mullum’s markets for seven years and remains an ordinary member of the committee. TROPO stands for Tweed, Richmond, Organic Producers and is a grassroots organisation set up in the late 1980s to encourage the development of organic farming in the Northern Rivers. Members include everything
from certified organic farmers to backyard gardeners and conventional farmers working toward conversion. They are committed to supporting healthy, locally grown organic food production. They run a number of regular activities that include meetings, workshops and field days that cover practical organic farming techniques and tips, as well as the wider issue of sustainable agriculture. Education is a focus – they produce a biannual magazine with a wealth of knowledge,
including planting guides. They open up their farms for farm walks four times a year. These walks are an excellent opportunity to see the developments happening on organic farms and the constant adaptation required by climate change. They are used by the farmers as a great opportunity to share knowledge and answer any questions. The day usually ends with a delicious organic feast, all of which is offered to you for a really minimal donation. It’s truly inspiring to witness the commitment of these
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hard-working farmers and the educational role they play within the organic farming movement. Their generosity, kindness and inclusivity filter from the top down and make up some of those ingredients that create that 'Mullum vibe'. Q Mullum Farmers Market is every Friday from 7am till 11am. Sign up here for their monthly newsletter: https://mullumfarmersmarket.org.au/ To join the TROPO mailing list, register here: https://www. tropo.org.au.
the Nor thern Rivers’
tastiest offerings!
FOR THE
SUMMER EDITION
Issu e #4 Easter 202 3
A collection of the tastiest options for eating and drinking in the Northern Rivers. www.echo o.n net.au/ea at-driink Insta @byr yro oneatdrin nk
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