FLEURIEU FORAGER - Willunga Farmers Market
Transcript of FLEURIEU FORAGER - Willunga Farmers Market
FLEURIEUFORAGER
NEWSLETTER | WINTER 2018
Meet the grower,TASTE THE REGION
farmers market
WELCOME!CONTENTS
Fleurieu Milk
What’s New
Hillside Herbs
Devour The Region
Be Social
Membership
In Season
Meet Tom Bradman from Nomad Farm
Meet Joe Petrucci from Sabella Vineyards
Meet Serena Virgara from Virgaras
Recipe Chicken Curry
Small World Bakery
10
12
14
15
16
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4
5
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Thank you to Ellen Morgan and Josie Withers for photography contributions.
Willunga Farmers Market TeamJenni Mitton – General Manager | Richard Bennett – Operations Manager | Linda Corbett – Administration
Solomon & Craig – Market Day Operations | With thanks to our Market Day Volunteers
Our Current Board MembersPip Forrester Chair | Michael Lewis Deputy Chair | Steve Scown | Glenn Fitzpatrick
Di Bickford | Hani Mouneimne | Vicki Osland | Yvette van Berkel
Thank you to our sponsors for their support in 2018
farmers market
Design by Minka Creative Studio | www.minkacreative.com
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MEMBERSHIP
engaged and valued. Please feel free to share your feedback with
us at any time by visiting the Information Stall on market day or
drop us a line at [email protected]
Spread the word, become a member, because community matters.
We thank you for your ongoing support. The winter is often a hard
slog for our farmers, so we appreciate every Saturday when you
come out to buy the freshest, local produce available.
https://members.willungafarmersmarket.com.au/signup
Community pride & participation When you shop here you feel like you are part of something
special. It is something that makes you feel really good, that’s
for sure... but what, exactly? We believe it is that warm satisfying
glow you feel as you hand your money over to the person who
grew that fragrant, colour bursting apple is the result of you
knowing, consciously or unconsciously, that you just played your
part in strengthening your local community. Communities are
vital, particularly in rural and regional areas because they support
employment, protect environment, build economies and nurture
peoples wellbeing.
Supporting members help the Willunga Farmers Market to provide
a marketplace for Fleurieu farmers and food producers which,
by and large, is a big step towards vitalising community. Yet, it is
really, really important, that our members feel welcomed, inspired,
Renew or sign up for membership
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IN SEASON
FRUITApples, cumquats, grapefruit, lemons, limes, mandarins, navel oranges, pears, persimmon, quinces, rhubarb, tangelos, tangerines
VEGETABLESAsian greens, beetroot, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, fennel, garlic, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, kohlrabi, okra, olives, onions, parsnip, peas, potato, pumpkin, daikon radish, shallot, silverbeet, spinach, swede, turnip, zucchini
The seasons have
changed, the weather
has cooled and the
crops have slowed as
we head towards winter.
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IN SEASON
3
NOMAD FARMSworking with natureWritten by Tania Paola
SA Landcare Award for Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices
(national finalist in 2016) and SA Delicious Produce Award in 2017
and in 2018 (for their Sommerlad chooks) are testament to their
exceptional quality product.
His parents also nurtured Tom’s love of the land, raising their
family on a hobby farm in the Adelaide Hills. ‘We did everything,
we were very self sufficient — our own meat and dairy products,
milking the cow each morning’. A desire to reconnect with the
land saw Tom follow his passion, research innovative farming
practices and realise his goal of a regenerative farm.
Tom loves to connect with end users of his products and ‘build
people’s appreciation for how special chicken can be’. He believes
the Willunga Farmers Market is a great fit with Nomad’s core
values and creates an opportunity for people to understand what
he does. Tom says, ‘The community element of what we do is
very important. The Willunga Farmers Market is one of the biggest
opportunities to interact face to face with consumers and build
more of a profile’.
Tom lives on the farm with his wife, Verity, and their one year
old daughter Laura, with another baby due in July. ‘Verity
embraces my passion and is very supportive. She had to make big
compromises leaving her career in Melbourne to do what we’re
doing’.
Bradman is a well-known surname. Tom’s sister Greta is a
renowned operatic soprano and his grandfather is none other
than Australian cricket legend ‘Sir Don’. Tom confesses his
preference was playing soccer in his younger years but cricket is
still a family tradition and he goes to test matches every year with
his father.
Tom reveals his favourite part of running the farm is ‘moving a
grateful herd of cattle onto fresh grass on a nice, crisp, sunny
afternoon - they relish going into a fresh paddock’. He admits
there are complexities running a small but vertically integrated
business. ‘There’s a lot of moving parts and you’ve got the
challenge of managing them and being able to make money. Be
very focused on the positives that you want to see occur and be
confident in your own ability but without being arrogant - just be
bloody determined!’
‘When you buy something you’re buying a set of
outcomes. When you vote with those dollars you’re
voting for that type of food system.‘ - Tom Bradman
Although Tom admits that farming must be in his genes — Tom’s
great grandparents were dairy farmers near Mittagong in New
South Wales — he’s not your average farmer. Tom initially pursued
a successful law career culminating in the role of Director of
Sustainable Agricultural Policy in Canberra before trading in his
desk job in late 2012 for 160 acres of beautiful, crisp paddocks in
the Finniss Valley on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
We discuss the creation and rise of Nomad Farms over a cup
of tea on the timber deck overlooking his farm, where happy
chooks and cattle roam. Nomad Farms is a ‘regenerative’ farm
where landscape health and animal health and welfare are the
focus. Using production methods that regenerate the landscape,
the farm produces high quality, organic, pasture raised poultry
(including their award winning Sommerlad heritage chicken)
and grass fed beef. Future plans include quails and possibly pigs.
Tom explains their entire business is based on the principle of
regeneration, always with a tripartite balance of ecological, social
and economic benefits.
The name ‘Nomad Farms’ reflects the importance of constantly
moving animals across the farm. Chickens are raised in bottomless
pens and moved to fresh pasture each morning, allowing them
to thrive in natural conditions. Tom believes the health of their
animals — including not putting medication in their feed and
simplifying the animals’ gut biota — produces a product with
much greater nutritional integrity. Tom tells me chefs who order
regularly comment, ‘I can’t get any other chicken like this — it’s
quite different’ and some customers say, ‘thank you for producing
this medicine’.
Nomad Farms has clearly found its niche in the marketplace and
collected some impressive gongs along the way. Winning the 2015
Meet
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‘I love what I’m doing. I love mixing with people and
I’m very passionate about what I do, about life‘
— Joe Petrucci
Joe Petrucci, founder of family owned Sabella Vineyards, has a real
zest for life and smiles emphatically when he tells me the Willunga
Farmers Market is ‘the best thing that happened to this area — we
can showcase our produce’. A longtime supporter of the market,
Joe is a well-known character in the area and loves meeting people.
He makes time for a chat with everyone and clearly enjoys market
days. Joe is a strong supporter of the community, involved in many
local clubs and various committees. He reflects, ‘this area gave me
plenty and I want to give it back’.
Family is everything to Joe. His father migrated to Australia from
Molise, Italy in 1960 to make a better life for his wife and children.
Joe — aged 13, his mother, brother and sister all followed six years
later and settled in Melbourne. Joe wears his trademark handlebar
moustache in honour of his beloved father. His father wore a similar
one but, tragically, died prematurely at the age of 50 after falling
from a ladder.
Family holidays to visit friends in McLaren Vale were treasured times
in Joe’s younger years. These fond memories spurred the family to
move to McLaren Vale in 1976 and start their life on the vineyard.
Joe loved the idea of being free to work for himself and to have
family close together in the vineyard. He credits his hardworking
grandparents with instilling a strong work ethic and recalls his
grandmother saying, ‘if you want to do well you’ve got to get up
earlier than your neighbour — then you’ll be more successful’. This
advice has stood the test of time and Sabella Vineyards has evolved
into an incredibly strong brand with many loyal customers.
Joe’s son Michael Petrucci (named after his father) is the Winemaker
at Sabella and also looks after marketing and export. Joe, at the age
of 65, still runs the vineyards although he admits he’s now thinking
about how he can step back a bit and concentrate more on selling
wine.
Although Sabella Vineyards has never had its own cellar door they
are incredibly successful on their own merits. They have a strong
online presence, agents in most states of Australia and a healthy
export side to their business. In the late 90s, after selling their grapes
to other wineries for many years, the Petrucci family decided the
time was right to keep the best grapes for their own label, and
‘Sabella’ was born.
The Petrucci family has released wine under its Sabella label for
almost twenty years now. They produce a range of wine varietals
including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero d’Avola, Merlot,
Colorino, Aglianico, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscato. Joe
is rightly very proud of their wines, many of which have won awards.
Sabella’s unique practice of inserting an oak block into the bottle
of their Reserve Shiraz has garnered much acclaim. This puts the
consumer in the driver’s seat — they decide when the wine has had
enough ageing on oak.
Joe exuberantly tells me new beginnings are in the wings. Exciting
plans for the near future include a long awaited cellar door and
restaurant — with rustic, traditional Italian food to complement their
wine. Joe’s vision will continue to bring families together and is a
reflection of what he loves to do in his spare time — spending time
with family and friends enjoying la dolce vita!
JOE PETRUCCI - SABELLA VINEYARDS Old Vines, New BeginningsWritten by Tania Paola
Meet
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Sarina and Francesco Virgara are continuing a proud family tradition
at the Willunga Farmers Market. Sarina has been coming to the
market since 2002. She says “It’s our home market. We live here. It’s
almost in my backyard.”
Sarina says, “I was there with my dad from market number two. He
originally started as Scarfo’s and we took over in early 2004 when
he retired.” They have two farms, one in Willunga and one at Finniss,
this means the furthest that any of their fresh produce has to travel
to market is just 40 kilometres! They work the farms largely on their
own (and juggle raising two children!) but employ locally when the
need arises.
What are your best sellers? What can we expect to see in winter
and spring at the stall?
According to Sarina, “Best sellers are very much a seasonal thing.
We try to have carrots and beetroot and potatoes all year round. It
doesn’t always work, but we try. In winter we have the brassica’s like
cauliflower and broccoli. We’ll have cabbages, fennel, celery, and
then there’s leeks and onions as well. We planted a bit late but from
early May we’ll be back into spring peas, broad beans, artichokes
and salad greens.”
What’s your favourite?
“Fresh peas. Can’t beat fresh peas.”
Are you looking forward to bringing anything unusual to market?
“We try and bring different varieties, like purple cauliflower and a
green ‘Romanesco’ cauliflower. It’s a spiral type of cauli with spikes
on it. Those that are willing to try it give us good feedback.”
What does the future hold?
“We’re happy where we are at the moment. We enjoy doing the
market and we enjoy growing and don’t see any change in the near
future. Another ten to fifteen years, who knows?”
Have you missed any weeks? Why?
“Sometimes not enough stock. Last year we had a bad winter and
coming out of it we were a bit light on. It’s about managing and
getting the best. We want to provide as much as we can and the
best we can. We’re not going to compromise our quality.”
Best market story?
“A lady once asked me if she could borrow 35 kilograms of potatoes!
She returned them within minutes but didn’t want to explain why
she needed them! A few months later she came back and reminded
me about the strange request. It turns out that was the weight
that she had lost! She used the photo she took with the bags
as motivation and a visual reminder of her goal and what she’d
achieved!”
You’ll find Sarina on Saturday mornings at Virgara’s Garden in the
market opposite Pizza Kneads near the northern entry.
Meet
SARINA & FRANCESCO VIRGARAfrom Virgara’s GardenWritten by Michael Genrich
Ingredients:
A handful of fresh shelled peas per person
One small onion - diced
Fresh tomato - chopped
100g short pasta (ditali or elbow pasta as you’ll be using a spoon
for this) per person
Olive oil
Salt
Fry off the onions off with the olive oil in a saucepan until
translucent. Add the peas and saute for a couple of minutes then
add in chopped tomato and season. Add water to just the level
of the peas. Lower heat and cook approx. 10 minutes (or until
cooked). Meanwhile bring a saucepan with water to the boil, add
some salt and cook pasta according to packet directions. Once
al dente, drain the pasta and add to the peas, mix well and serve
into bowls. Add an extra drizzle of olive oil on top if you wish!
SARINA’S SIMPLE RECIPEFOR FRESH PEAS.
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Heat the oil in a medium sized pot. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger until light golden.
Add in the chicken thigh and continue cooking until lightly browned.
Add in the Matchett’s Sting (or Fire) and coat the meat thoroughly, then stir in the coconut
cream and salt.
Continue to cook gently, until the chicken is tender and sauce slightly thickened (approx
15 minutes).
Garnish with coriander, chilli and spring onion.
Serve with rice, flat bread and lime wedges.
SERVES 4
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2
3
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5
6
Ingredients
4Tbsp vegetable oil
1 brown onion,diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1” square ginger, chopped
500g boneless chicken thigh,
cut into large pieces
2 Tbsp Matchett’s Chilli Sting or
1-2 tsp Matchett’s Chilli Fire if you
like it hot
400ml coconut cream
½ tsp salt
Garnish
Coriander, chopped
Chilli, chopped
Spring onion, finely sliced
Lime, in wedges
CHICKEN CURRYA RECIPE FROM MATCHETT PRODUCTIONS
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ANCIENT GRAINS FOR MODERN PEOPLEWritten by Tania Paola
Small World Bakery is a purpose built
bakery on the farming property that Chris
and his wife Emily and two teenage sons
live in Langhorne Creek. Making organic
sourdough bread at Small World Bakery
takes a long time — it is fully fermented so
takes a couple of days to make as opposed
to most supermarket bread taking only a few
hours. This, together with their interest in
using ancient grains such as Einkorn, Emmer,
Khoresan and Spelt, is what makes their
artisan bread truly special.
Emily and Chris are incredibly passionate
about what they do. Chris tells me, ‘I like
turning something like grain that is a basic
agricultural product into something that
I consider to be really beautiful and that
is nutritious and tasty for us — I would
love high quality bread to become the
centrepiece of everyone’s table each meal’.
Chris met Emily when
they were picking grapes
in the Adelaide Hills. They
both hail from multi-
generational farming
families with Chris having
baker’s blood in his veins
— both his father and
grandfather were bakers.
Emily worked as a chef
and also a cheesemaker
whilst Chris worked in the
wine industry. Chris does admit it was the
wine industry initially that attracted them to
Langhorne Creek but have since grown very
fond of the area and its people. With two
teenage boys who love living and playing
sport in Langhorne Creek they are now
firmly entrenched in the community. Baking
bread originally started out as a hobby in
their outdoor pizza oven and gradually
morphed into a business.
In 2016 Chris and Emily brought to reality
a long held dream of living for a period
of time overseas. They researched and
worked at bakeries and farms that grow
grains throughout Europe, the UK and North
America. Chris says, ‘This was a bit of a
revelation for us, we learned a lot’. They also
worked with people who had their own mill
or a relationship with the local mill, using
their fresh flour. Emily and Chris found the
experience so inspirational they not only
brought back their newfound knowledge
but also ordered a New American Stone Mill
from Vermont — now milling much of their
own flour.
Chris admits Emily, as a trained chef, is the
more skilled baker of the two. Emily comes
up with inspiration for new recipes and is at
the forefront with their baking techniques.
She manages their social media and is part
of a strong network of bakers across the
globe. Chris works more on logistics and
administration and is very solution driven but
they essentially split the labour and work as
a team.
Chris tells me they have been involved in
different markets over the years but the
Willunga Farmers Market is their busiest,
most successful market and the one they
enjoy the most. Chris says, ‘We really enjoy
being part of a community of producers —
we’ve got to know other producers well. On
the scale that we produce we need to sell
our product at a retail price point to be viable
and we don’t have a shop as our bakery is
on a farm, so Willunga Farmers Market is
the important component of our mix each
week’.
Most of the customers at Willunga Farmers
Market are known to Chris by name and he
says, ‘Our customers there are incredibly
loyal — I would sell 70% of our bread to the
same people each week’.
Another idea inspired by their overseas trip
is their unique city delivery method. Chris
can be found cycling through the streets
of Adelaide each week with a cargo of
precious loaves on board his bike. Future
plans for Small World Bakery include more
workshops and they recently hosted a two-
day masterclass on sourdough bread making
as an event for Tasting Australia.
SMALLWORLD
BAKERY
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It’s been twelve years since it all began at the Willunga Farmers
Market. Who organised it and how did it come about?
“When Fleurieu Milk Company commenced in 2006 John
Maidment and Alan Steinert (our original distributors) saw the
Willunga Farmers as the perfect opportunity to not just sell
product but communicate direct to our target market why Fleurieu
Milk was different. Our farmers would produce the milk while John
& Alan would try and sell it.”
“The opening Willunga Farmers Market gave us was undoubtedly
one of the major factors that enabled us to get off the ground in
the early days.”
What were you selling at your first market?
“At our first market it was only two litre white milks that we had
available. Slowly over the years our range has grown from this.”
Now the business has grown so much, why do you still come to
the Willunga Farmers Market?
“For as long as Fleurieu Milk Company is around, we will come to
the Willunga Farmers Market (hopefully forever). Whilst we have
grown, our core values have not differed at all and WFM will always
be a place we can interact direct with consumers, obtain feedback,
tell our story and be proud of what we do along with many other
great local farming businesses.”
FLEURIEU MILK COMPANYNICK HUTCHINSON
Written by Michael Genrich
Nick Hutchinson grew up on a dairy farm in Myponga. He’s the general manager of local success story and
premium dairy producer, Fleurieu Milk Company. Exclusively for this edition of Fleurieu Forager he talks about
the Willunga Farmers Market and what it means to Fleurieu Milk Company.
How often do the owners/farmers attend the market?
“Our owners/farmers still milk the cows and run the farms so
unfortunately they can’t attend on a weekly basis however they do
visit when they can. Two years ago, our farmers chose the markets
as the place to enjoy our 10th birthday celebration so this shows
how much it means to them.”
To what depth is it a ‘family business’?
“FMC is a true family business. It is still owned by the three
businesses that started it 12 years ago. Over these years nearly
all the owners’ children have worked in the company in different
roles while going through school and university. These days we’re
frequently visited by the owners’ grandchildren who are the next
generation of FMC employees who will no doubt be involved in 10
years’ time. “
How many local people does Fleurieu Milk Company employ?
“Fleurieu Milk now directly employ 43 people from the local area.
In addition to this there is all the supplying farmers, owners, and
subcontractors who make up what is now quite a large Fleurieu
Milk Company family. The majority of these employees are based
across the Fleurieu Peninsula with some living in Willunga.”
How far does your milk travel to reach the Willunga Farmers
Market?
“100% of our products are processed on farm in Myponga,
approximately 20 kilometres from Willunga. All supplying farms
are within 5km of the milk factory, so it’s fair to say that when a
consumer purchases any FMC product at the Willunga Farmers
Market it has not travelled more than 25km from the cow that
produced it. This is pretty cool when you look at it this way.”
Was the market ever a ‘testing ground’ for new
products?“Absolutely, every product we’ve ever introduced has
been trialled at the farmers market. Keep your eye out for some
new ones coming later in 2018.”
You’ll find Fleurieu Milk Company and their range of milks, creams,
yoghurts, and flavoured milks at “the top of the market” every
Saturday on Kell Street near Salad Greens and Kitchen Herbs and
Humble Grounds coffee.
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WAR ON WASTEReducing plastic in the market is important to us all. We
have some fresh produce stall holders trialling compostable
produce bags. We also have ONYA reusable produce bags
available for sale at the Information Stall
BLUECOTTAGE FARMWhen Jude McBain sold her Almond orchard
in Willunga last year we were delighted to hear
the new owners Tony & Betty Hoimes, trading
as Blue Cottage Farm would be joining us at the
market with their fresh and wholesome Natural
Almonds!
Blue Cottage Farm is situated at the base of the
Mt lofty ranges close to the sea with rich soils
and frost free winters. The orchard is one of a
few remaining in the district that was once the
largest almond producing area in Australia. The
orchard was replanted in the1990s with the
traditional varieties of Johnston’s and Somerton
almonds.
In 2017 Betty and Tony took over the farm and
are using organic principals to continuing the
long tradition of growing, harvesting, sorting
and packaging these tasty almonds for sale at
Willunga Farmers Market.
What’sNew
Available in packs of 5Members $14Non-members $16.
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FALKAI FARM Pasture raised quail eggs! The most delectable little morsels, so
creamy and soft! Falkai Farm share the Nomad Farms stall at the
Willunga Farmers Market on the 4th Saturday of each month.
Along with their everyday hero - the humble chicken egg, pasture
raised quail eggs are also available and are of course locally grown
on the Fleurieu Peninsula
Falkai Farm produce true free range eggs - laid daily by happy,
pasture-raised hens. Chooks are free to forage through healthy
pasture for bugs and grubs, green grass and seeds. They sleep in a
converted caravan, overseen by their faithful guardian, Maremma
dog Bernie.
Hens are moved to fresh pasture a couple of times a week as they
follow the cattle on their regular movements around the Nomad
farm, just as birds in nature follow herbivores to sanitise pastures
and act as biological cleansers. This builds biodiversity, disturbs
soil to encourage fresh new growth, and fertilises the pastures
naturally, without artificial inputs. The chook’s diet of constant
fresh pasture is supplemented with SA whole and cracked grains,
all GMO and soy free.
Farming collaboratively with Nomad Farms, this symbiotic
relationship is beneficial both socially and ecologically, by
encouraging a community of people and community of flora
and fauna.
MILKLESS We recently welcomed Laura Davids to the Willunga
Farmers Market stall community with her range of Milkless
cheese products. Laura has always been a passionate
foody, with a particular love of communal grazing style
eating.
Laura began to observe a growing number of friends
having to adopt dairy-free diets for various health reasons.
This ignited a passion for experimenting with various dairy-
free mediums to replace cheese on her grazing platters.
After several months of trial and error, Laura development
a variety of texture & flavour marriages that she was
delighted with & began offering them to the public.
Milkless now offer a range of small-batch produced, dairy-
free/soy-free/gluten-free (vegan friendly) specialty cheese
alternatives at the market each week.
The range of flavours has been developed to pair with
wines & to satisfy the cheesey cravings of those who’s
dietary requirements or lifestyle choices prohibit dairy.
With a variety of textures & tastes, Milkless cheese is a
lovely addition to any grazing platter.
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Steve and Lorraine Thompson have been in the wholesale nursery
business for more than 33 years and specialise in herbs and
succulent plants. Hillside Herbs was involved in the very origins
of the market in 2002 and many market goers visit them for their
expert knowledge and wide range. The farm (Hillside, after the
old name for McLaren Flat) is where they’ve been located for 22
years and is only five kilometres from Willunga. Steve and Lorraine
manage the nursery and every Saturday morning you’ll find their
daughter Mel at the market stall right on the corner at the southern
entrance to the market.
How did you get involved in the Willunga Farmers Market?
Lorraine says she “was invited to be a part of the original farmers
market by Michaela and Sam who were the original owners/
founders of the ‘Spice Girls’, along with a select group of
businesses from the area.”
How long have you been coming to the market?
“In sixteen years we’ve probably missed only ten to fifteen
markets,” she says.
Is everything you sell grown at the farm?
Lorraine says “Yes, it is. We try to keep with the produce side at the
farmers market, but we also grow a huge range of succulents at
the farm. The succulent side is Steve’s passion and in the last ten
years demand for them has gone crazy.”
What can we expect to see in winter and spring 2018?
Market goers can expect to see “more of your subtle herbs. We
do lots of salad greens, rocket, kale, endive and open-hearted
lettuces that we can keep picking and they keep growing,” says
Lorraine. Hillside Herbs has gained a huge following with their
popular chilli festival and she adds that “moving into spring and
summer we will sell a lot of chilli’s.”
Is it a family affair?
Hillside Herbs is very much a family business. Lorraine says, “When
people have things to do with herbs they ask questions, like how to
grow it and how to use it. The knowledge side is hard and to find
people who have that knowledge is hard. Both my daughters are
really good. Eve used to do it in the early days. Mel’s been there for
at least six years now and she’s very knowledgeable. Because we’re
open seven days and there’s only the two of us at the nursery, I
mainly go to help Mel to set up and pack up.”
Any plans to expand the stall?
Although they often bring extra tables to most markets Lorraine
says “there are so many people that want to be involved so it’s a
little hard. We do well with our 3x3 and we can fit what we need to.
That way there’s always space for an up and coming person.”
Is there anything unusual or hard to get in your range?
Lorraine tells me that “it changes every year. We’ve started to get
more hops and we do holy basil which is a very sacred basil to
some religions. Stevia is very popular as a sugar substitute. It’s
three times sweeter than sugar but has no calories so it’s excellent
for diabetics. You can make a strong tea from it then freeze it into
ice cubes and use in baking and making deserts. It can also be
powder dried and used as a powder to sweeten. We also grow
and sell bay trees and curry trees. Their leaves are very popular in
Indian cooking.”
What’s your best seller? What’s your favourite?
“Coriander and common mint,” she says. People buy these mostly
to use straight away, because according to Lorraine, Coriander
can be “temperamental” and not very easy to grow at home. She
points out that “naturally we bring culinary herbs to the farmers
market, but we also carry lots of medicinal herbs on the farm.”
Lorraine’s favourite herb is “Thyme. I use thyme so much. It’s
subtle enough to use in anything… soup, vegetarian foods, pasta...
It’s a real go-to herb.” If you’re low in iron Lorraine recommends
“parsley… lots of parsley.”
Hillside Herbs is located at 43 Sand Road, McLaren Vale and is
open seven days. You can call them on 08 8323 8385. They are
at the Willunga Farmers Market every Saturday to provide superb
local produce with expert local knowledge.
STEVE AND LORRAINE THOMPSONWritten by Michael Genrich
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THE CUBEExplore the d’Arenberg Cube, a five storey multi-function centre in
the heart of McLaren Vale. Each of the five levels have been carefully
designed to entice and excite the senses, including features such as a
wine sensory room, a virtual fermenter, a 360degree video room, and
many other tactile experiences.
d’Arenberg are offering members of the Willunga Farmers Market a 10%
discount on wine when presenting your membership card in the Cellar
Door, as well as a 10% discount on wine experiences, including entry.
Please book your tasting experience in advance at
[email protected] Offer valid until 31.10.18
Devour The Region
2 June – Tom Jack from Bocca
Di Lupo by Mitolo Wines McLaren
Vale will be in the market kitchen
cooking with fresh local produce.
7 July – Organic Pest Control
workshop with Tim Marshall.
Tim is a Sustainable Agriculture
Consultant and Soil Specialist
21 July – Almond Blossom Festival
cooking demonstration with Jess
Donovan, Natural Super Kids
28 July – Tom Jack cooking
demonstration with Almonds to
celebrate the Almond Blossom
Festival plus children’s activity trail
around the market
11 August – Benefits of
Fermented Food with Remedy Bliss
15 September – Growing
Microgreens with ScoopSA $5
members, $8 non-members
UP COMING EVENTS @ WFMWe are pleased to present a variety of workshops and cooking demonstrations for our customers
and members to enjoy. All activities will be held in the market and start at 10.30am.
For more information and tickets please visit www.willungafarmersmarket.com.au
- 16 -www.willungafarmersmarket.com.au
A huge thank you to everyone who participated. With each and every post, you help
us to spread the word about how great our market is and all that it has to offer.
It could be your favourite food, stallholder or scene – share the moment that
surrounds you on a typical market day with us to enter our Spring / Summer
competition. Winner will be announced in the next issue of the Fleurieu Forager.
Be Social
#myWFMmomentShare your Willunga Farmers Market moments with us to WIN your very ownannual membership!
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1 | THE WINNER thestudioninthevines – Fresh Asian Greens! So excited to meet Yong @willungafarmersmarket and experience her fresh and delicious produce. Chinese broccoli for lunch this week! #lifeisgood #freshisbest #supportlocal #eatyourgreens #myWFMmoment
2 | myseasonalkitchen – How gorgeious are these? @flower_cellardoor @willungafarmersmarket #myWFMmoment #sunflowers #willunga #community #supportlocal #buylocal #fleurieupeninsula #southaustralia
3 | alexcheeseco – Fresh and crisp @willungafarmersmarket #earlystart #earlybird #willunga #myWFMmoment @alexcheeseco #pepato #onthebench
4 | petroleyes – Smoothie bowl from @thedandyteaco @willungafarmersmarket #smoothiebowl #farmersmarket #salocal #saeats #willungafarmersmarket #willunga #thedandyteaco #southaustralia #mywfmmoment #easter #fleurieupeninsula #portwillunga #cleaneating #healthytreat
5 | a.fleurieu.affair - I was so glad to be back at my happy place this morning! @willungafarmersmarket and the most colourful of produce by @heirloom_harvest. The toddler didn’t even complain once #winning #willungafarmersmarket #willunga #myWFMmoment #areyouamemberyet #adelaide #veggies #fresh #vegan #healthy #love #happydays #southaustralia #ichooseSA #glamadelaide #southaussiewithcosi #fleurieuliving #fleurieupeninsula #afleurieuaffair #fruit #heirloomharvest #mumlife
We are thrilled to announce that the winner of
our #myWFMmoment competition is
@thestudiointhevines Congratulations!
Follow us Facebook.com/willungafarmersmarket
Instagram.com/willungafarmersmarket
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Of course, the market is a wonderful place to shop for
your fresh produce - we also have some great breakfast
/ brunch and lunch options for you to relax and enjoy!
Bush Pepper Catering, Pizza Kneads, Crepe City and Little
Acre Foods will warm your belly this winter plus you’ll be
tempted by delicious baked goods and pastries.
What’s ForBreakfast?
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