Mayfield Farm

For the first time ever we are repeating a chat but the trip to the Open Day at Mayfield Farm was well worth a second visit. If you would like to visit Mayfield Farm for yourself, the Spring Open day is scheduled for Saturday 13 October 2012. You can email Ian and Sandra for more information.

The can download a copy of the program here.

Transition Bellingen

Transition Bellingen is hosting a number of food related workshops in the coming weeks - check out the website for details on beekeeping, wild fermentation, jams and preserves, identifying and using edible plants and weeds and cheese making.

Bookmark the page, or subscribe to their weekly newsletter to be kept up to date with all the the interesting Transition Bellingen projects, as well as those of other like-minded community groups.

Toast Urunga

In an area where we are spoilt for choice in ways to celebrate food Toast Urunga still remains a highlight as a real celebration of food, music and wine.

Held on Father's Day each year, Toast Urunga has something for the whole family from a vintage car display, bungee trampolines, arts and crafts, music of all genres and of course food, food and more food, Check out the website for a complete list.

With flavors from around the world, highlights from local producers, guest chefs and tastings galore there is something for every palate.

Toast Urunga
Where: Morgo Street Reserve
When: Sunday 2 September 2012 from 10 am - 4 pm
How Much: $2 per adult, children are free

Tune in to Steve Allen introducing us to Toast Urunga 2012 and join us in the kitchen over the next few weeks as we meet some of the people who will be at Toast Urunga this year,

New Business Promotes Local Produce

New Orleans used to have one of the largest public market systems in the U.S., with farmers routinely selling their produce directly to the consuming public. But public markets across the country have drastically declined in the past 50 years, giving way to supermarkets packed with mass-produced foods. Now a new metro area company called Jack and Jake's aims to revive a focus on fresh, local products by marketing and distributing local foods to stores and restaurants throughout the city.

Jack and Jakes picks up fresh produce from farms and delivers it to local buyers, making it easier for local growers to get their products into area markets, hospitals and schools. Everything that is picked is delivered on the same day.

The business is the brainchild of John Burns, who grew up on the Northshore surrounded by local growers and producers.

"Local growers have a better product that comes at a better price," Burns said. "It's about giving growers a commitment and giving them access to markets. They can produce."

New Orleans has always been a place of food, and Louisiana is a great state for local farmers because of the diversity of food that can be grown here, Burns said. Support for local foods is also growing, Burns said.

C.C. Gaiennie has owned his own farm for almost a decade, which was certified as organic in 2004. He grows blueberries, apples, figs and much more on the Northshore. Being a certified organic farm means he doesn't use chemicals on the produce he grows.

"We're not a conventional farm," he said. "You have to love this business otherwise you wouldn't be in it."

Gaiennie said the only places people can get local products are the farmers' markets. He used to take his product to the farmers' market but stopped because he felt he was wasting food. Anything that he picked and didn't sell that day had to be thrown out because he refuses to ship day-old produce.

"We want it to hit the store fresh, with our name on it," he said. "We're proud of what we do, we have a unique operation."

Large chain grocery stores buy items in bulk, pounds at a time.

"Everything is in such volume," Gaiennie said. "That's not where the quality is."

As a result, he doesn't see local food in grocery stores.

"It's a win-win for the producers to have more distribution points," he said. "It opens up marketplaces and brings in income."

You can read the full article by DiAngelea Millar published at nola.com. You can also go to the Jack and Jake website.


Image from Jack and Jakes website

More Great News From Canada

Canadians willing to pay more for local food: Study

Ontarians and British Columbians are willing to pay more for local wine, fruits, vegetables and meat products than any other province, a survey released on the weekend says.

It also found that Albertans are the most likely to buy local when they shop for beef and that Quebecers are the most likely to buy their local food from fruit and vegetable stands.

"BMO research suggests that Canadians are becoming increasingly loyal to the notion of buying local food, particularly fruits and vegetables, cheese, beef and poultry. Consumers appreciate the quality of food produced by local farm families and recognize the importance of supporting an agricultural sector that accounts for one in eight jobs in Canada," David Rinneard, a spokesman for BMO Bank of Montreal, said in a statement.

The study also revealed that Canadians are most likely to buy Canadian food products when grocery shopping for vegetables (91%), fruit (86%), poultry (84%), cheese (81%), and beef (78%).

Those surveyed cited the number one benefit for buying Canadian food is supporting Canadian producers. Freshness, the environment and safety were also recognized as top benefits.

Check out the original article in the Toronto Sun.

Image: "Farmers Market Produce" by Lady Au Pair

Food Day Canada

The push to eat healthy and opt for locally sourced home-cooked meals received national attention on Saturday as chefs and restaurants across the country marked the ninth annual Food Day Canada.

The brainchild of food writer Anita Stewart, Food Day Canada promotes Canadian ingredients, celebrates Canadian farmers and food producers and praises the many restaurateurs and home cooks who make use of the bounty growing in their backyard.

Robinson is among the dozens of local food producers who display their homegrown offerings every Saturday at the farmers’ market on Icomm Drive in Brantford. On Food Canada Day, shoppers filled the bustling market looking for fresh fruit and vegetables, homemade bread, local cheese and other delicacies for their dinner tables.

“It’s our generation’s responsibility to grow local, organic produce for the generations to come so it’ll be sustainable,” Robinson said.

One of Food Day Canada’s advocacy goals is for retailers to carry more Canadian products.


Check out the complete story written by J.P. Antonacci at Brant News or the Food Day Canada website for more information (and inspiration) or like the Facebook page.

Image from the Food Day Canada Facebook page

National Food Plan Green Paper

*General disclaimer - this is a very summarized version of the eight page Executive Summary. Unless indicated otherwise, I have only cut and pasted (as opposed to changing content) to give a broad impression of what the green paper is all about. I would encourage you to read the eight page Executive Summary (and the other 200+ other pages as well if you are so inclined) via the links below. It is my intention to accurately represent the content of the document but acknowledge that this very brief summary may not emphasis all of the areas that various parties think might be more important than others. And I apologize upfront for the clunkiness of nothing which bits are my words.*

On 17 July 2012, Minister Ludwig released the National Food Plan green paper – the next step in developing the National Food Plan.

The Australian Government is developing Australia’s first National Food Plan to better integrate all aspects of food policy to ensure a sustainable, globally competitive and resilient food supply that supports access to nutritious and affordable food.

The green paper seeks to inform discussion on the development of the National Food Plan white paper. It discusses a number of options and potential directions that could be adopted by the Australian Government. The Australian Government is seeking feedback on these and other ideas as part of its continuing dialogue before making final decisions about any changes or new initiatives. The government will consider feedback before making decisions about the National Food Plan.

Public consultation on the green paper will continue until 30 September 2012.

The Summary of the Summary

Australia‘s food system is being shaped by global and local forces such as world population growth, changes in consumption preferences, different economic growth rates among countries, climate change, limits to natural resources, and rising health issues due to poor dietary intake.

Australia has a strong, safe and stable food system and Australians enjoy high levels of food security. Australia currently produces far more food than it consumes. We also have the capacity to increase food production in response to market signals and take advantage of growing markets in Asia. Australia is well placed to take advantage of these opportunities because of our key strengths that include our proximity to emerging markets in Asia; our abundance of productive land; a largely pest-and-disease-free biosecurity status; a record of rural innovation; and a skilled and capable workforce.

Australia’s food system is complex and diverse. A National Food Plan will establish an integrated approach to food-related policies and programs for the benefit of food businesses and consumers and underpin the vision of Australia being a reliable, sustainable, productive and resilient supplier of nutritious and affordable food.

The National Food Plan’s key outcome is to ensure Australia has:
a sustainable, globally competitive, resilient food supply, supporting access to nutritious and affordable food. 

To achieve this outcome the Australian Government intends to focus its efforts on seven objectives:
1. Support the global competitiveness and productivity growth of the food supply chain, including through research, science and innovation.
2. Reduce barriers food businesses face in accessing international and domestic markets.
3. Contribute to economic prosperity, employment and community wellbeing in regional Australia.
4. Identify and mitigate potential risks to Australia’s food security.
5. Maintain and improve the natural resource base underpinning food production in Australia.
6. Reduce barriers to a safe and nutritious food supply that responds to the evolving preferences and needs of all Australians and supports population health.
7. Contribute to global food security.

(My words) Other factors for consideration are: (back to the summary of the document) the role of regional Australia in food production, food security, producing food more sustainably, addressing land use conflicts, continuing foreign investment in food production, robust food supply chain relationships, tackling health and nutrition issues, ensuring food safety and contributing to global food security.

You can check out the website here, where you can also download the document, download the cover page for any submission you might want to make, register to attend a public forum, participate in the blog or link to  twitter.

Me-Healthy Farm

Another example of the Regional Providore's that provides both a service and an inspiration, Me-Healthy Farm is located at 147 Upper Orara Road in Karangi.Open each Friday and Sunday from 10 am - 2 pm Me-Healthy Farm is a great place to get your fruit and vegetables, herbs and nuts as well as seeds and seedlings. You can also stop by the cafe, check out the gift shop, meet the farm animals and tour the vegetable garden.

Like Me-Healthy Farm's Facebook page to find out what is in season, check out the photos, keep up with the news of the Farm and, in the next few months, discover information on the up-coming workshops.

Got extra produce for sale, Me-Healthy are also looking for more farmers and growers to join in the fun.

Sam joined Pearl in the Passionfruit and Chilli kitchen for a yarn about Me-Healthy Farm. You can listen in here.

Image from Me-Healthy Farm's Facebook page

Buy Australian

The CWA of NSW has created a great way to help people buy Australian - the feature a different product each week, and provide recipes to inspire :-)  So far pecans, eggs, pears, coffee, dates, garlic, lamb, pumpkin and barley have all been featured. You can check it out for yourself here.

And don't forget that the CWA is the home of the best cookbook ever - conveniently name "The Country Women's Association Cook Book". As well as some fancier recipes, you will find all the basic of cooking and preserving and ... well just about everything. You can contact your local branch or order one from the website.

You can listen to Joy Beames from the CWA's NSW Agricultural and Environmental Committee tell us all about the importance of buying Australian in this week's podcast.

Alaska Grown, Because It’s Closer, Fresher, Better

My name is Rachel Kenley Fry, and I am a locavore.

What’s a locavore, you ask? Well, according to Webster’s, this new term means “one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible.”

I grew up on a small farm, so almost everything I ate was local. It traveled from our garden or barn straight to our house. With a spoiled childhood like that, it’s no wonder I grew up to be a certified Alaska Grown food snob. Fresh food just tastes better than food that has traveled the globe to get here. Not to mention it’s healthier for you and supports the Alaska economy.

Because I’m so passionate about Alaska Grown, I’ve made it my mission to turn as many people as I can into fellow locavores. I hope you’ll be one. Local food is more accessible than you might think, and in this column I’ll tell you just how and where you can get it.

The cold, wet weather we’ve had lately has not made growing vegetables easy this summer, but they’re still available in the Valley. Look for Alaska Grown lettuce of all varieties, potatoes, tomatoes and rhubarb in grocery stores, and if you don’t see it clearly marked, don’t be afraid to ask for Alaska Grown produce.

The variety is even greater if you explore the local farmers markets. We have two markets in the core area of the Valley: one on Wednesday in Wasilla and one on Friday in Palmer.

At the markets, you can purchase broccoli, zucchini and strawberries,lettuces, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, beets, radishes, carrots, spinach, garlic, Swiss chard, turnips, rhubarb, a variety of herbs, turnips, radishes, collard greens, beet greens, a variety of Asian greens.

Don’t forget to wash down all your veggies with Matanuska Creamery milk, available in stores. Cheese, cheese curds, butter and cream are also available at the creamery. And don’t forget dessert! You can buy ice cream by the scoop at Friday Fling, or buy one of more than 25 flavors at the creamery.

Alaska Hens provides local eggs to Three Bears and also sell broiler hens at Friday Fling. For any other meat needs, visit Mat Valley Meats for anything from beef steaks to yak salami and pork chops to elk patties.

Did you know you can even use Alaska Grown flour for your baked goods? Alaska Flour Co. provides Non-Essentials in Palmer and Allen and Peterson in Wasilla with barley flour and cream of barley breakfast cereal. And once you’ve made some delicious barley products, why not top them with a birch syrup or caramel from Kahiltna Birchworks, available at Non-Essentials or Alaska Wild Berry Products? Or local honey for sale at Turkey Red?

If you don’t love baking or cooking, don’t worry — there are plenty of ways to eat local when you eat out. Restaurants like the Bistro Red Beet, Vagabond Blues, Rusty’s and Turkey Red use a wide variety of Alaska Grown produce in their dishes.

If you aren’t sure if what you’re eating is local, ask your server.

Rachel Kenley Fry is a Division of Agriculture intern who writes for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman as part of her internship. She is 2009 Palmer High School graduate

Check out the full article here and while you are there, you can also do a search on The Frontiersman for the rest of Rachel's articles - just just "rachel kenley fry" as the search term. You can also here the chat with Rachel here.

Image: "Alaska" by NehemiahNesheim

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Buying Local Fish

Just as people have choices between organic or convention farming, grass fed or grain fed beef and sheep, free range or intensively farmed animals, there are a range of factors to consider when buying seafood.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has made it easy with their Sustainable Seafood Guide - a free, easy to use online database or iPhone app that correlates all of the data and then presenting it in a simple traffic light system.

And when visiting their sight you can also check out the Greenpeace Canned Tuna Guide to find the brands that

Support our Australian fishing industry that is supporting the oceans.

Check out the the interview with Tooni.

Image: "seafood" by protoperahe

Braidwood Made

The Old Cheese factory in Reisdale provides a range of services to local producers from an apple press to a commercial kitchen, function room and design studio.

They also sell a long list of local produce that includes cider, wine, pickles, relishes, sauces and jams.

And if that wasn't enough there are also artisan workshops including bread, cheese and sausage making.

Buying local becomes easier when are there places like The Old Cheese Factory in communities and this segment is the first in a periodic series where we focus on businesses and services that are making it easier for people to buy local foods.

Tourism opportunity on a plate

Ten years ago Bertie Ahern (Taoseach of Ireland) declared that the boom was getting boomier. In the same year, Margaret Jeffares set up the Good Food Ireland brand.

She had been working in tourism marketing for more than 20 years and saw how Irish restaurants and hotels were getting no kudos for using local produce.

“I saw a massive need for linking agriculture and hospitality together. Hotels and restaurants were crying out for recognition for that commitment to using local food,” she says. “Where was the competitive advantage for the restaurant sourcing local produce over a restaurant down the road that was using imported chicken fillets?”

She decided to set up an all-island umbrella brand for people promoting local produce, with strict criteria based on the philosophy of sourcing local food. “It was a no-brainer for me in the end. If I can drive business into a hospitality sector that’s committed to local food, the hospitality sector will go out to the farmers and buy more Irish food and then more unexplored opportunities will develop for the farmers.”

There is now a national obsession with food and its origins, but at the height of the boom people laughed at her plan to focus on local produce and make Ireland a food-tourism destination.

“It was so pioneering that people were saying to me: ‘Margaret, who really cares whether the food is local or not?’” she recalls. “International tour operators were saying: ‘But you don’t have good food in Ireland’. International consumers were saying: “What have you got in Ireland only bacon and cabbage?”

“They overwhelmingly agreed that the reputation for Ireland as a food producer was very, very good but what we didn’t seem to have was a reputation for our cuisine.”

So Jeffares ploughed a lonely furrow at first, setting up the Good Food Ireland limited company, at home on a farm in Wexford with €50,000 of her own money. Today, she has more than 520 members, including hotels, BBs, pubs, restaurants, cafes, cookery schools, food shops and producers.

“As well as meeting the food-sourcing criteria, they all have to operate at a level that is classed ‘best of their type’,” she says.

The organisation runs workshops and conferences, helping members to market themselves and linking restaurants and hotels with local producers. “So if someone calls up and says: ‘I want to start using free-range eggs. Where can I get them?’ Or, ‘where can I get Irish rapeseed oil?’ we can tell them.”

Members are only accepted after independent inspection to ensure they meet the standards. “Today, the business is mainly supported by membership and sponsorship,” she says. Members pay anything from €450 to €5,000 depending on the size and product type.

Jeffares says she could have 10 times the number of members without the rigorous inspection process, but she could not offer the consumer guarantee of the best quality produce.

Good Food Ireland the numbers:   

522 members who employ more than 5,900 people  

Members had a turnover of €390 million last year

24 per cent are exporting produce and 17 per cent have plans to do so

80 per cent expect growth in earnings this year

92 per cent increased their spend on Irish produce in the last three years 

Read the complete article in the Irish Times

Image of Maraget Jeffares from the article in Irish Times

Karen Schultz: One family's quest to eat more local food

Three years ago, I didn’t think much about where my family’s food originated.

Beyond the generic grocery store, I simply didn’t know. Then I read a book about a family that spent a year growing its own food and getting to know the people in their community who produced the food.

Chapter after chapter, as I learned about topics such as eating in-season crops and the art of cheese-making, I started to examine the food I served my family.

Where did it come from? Who was producing it? Was it the healthiest available option?

I scoured our pantry and quickly discovered the shelves filled with items produced, processed, or packaged far from Lansing. The next night, I served dinner with small labels on each dish. Mexico. Argentina. Spain. Honduras.

The message was clear: Our food was more traveled than we were and we could do better to support local eco-friendly providers.

That was the beginning of my family’s local food journey.

We had a lot to learn.

My first local meat purchase was 75 pounds of beef from a Mason farmer who doesn’t inject his animals with antibiotics or hormones, a practice some believe contributes to health problems for people. The farmer told me a steer named Big Fella had spent his life grazing on wildflowers and grasses, which seemed like a better life than some of the industrial-sized cattle operations I’d heard about. The farmer invited my kids to the farm and when I sat at the farmer’s kitchen table to write a check, I couldn’t imagine feeling better about my “go-local” kick. And then we made hamburgers; the meat tasted amazing.

Emboldened, we explored farmers markets, visited a natural food store with local options, and asked foodie friends where to find the best fare.

You can’t get more local than your backyard, so I planted a garden. The first year, I harvested a lot of tomatoes, all green and inedible. This year’s garden, my third, already is producing and aims to be my best yet.

When I shop for food now, I always look at where the food comes from and opt for local sources when possible. We still eat a few foods from far-flung places but I’ve also tapped into a movement that tastes good, supports my neighbors, helps the environment, and even saves money.

You can read the full article in the Lansing State Journal.

Image: Karen Schultz from the Lansing State Journal.

What a Great Idea!

The trend toward eating more locally-produced food has the support of a local South Surrey store.

The South Point Save-On-Foods has added a “choose local, eat local” display for customers of the outlet at at 3033 152 St.

Save-On boasts the chain is the number one supporter of local suppliers, producers and growers, include brand names like South Surrey-based Missing Goat Jam, or the tomatoes and peppers that come from Millennium Farms in Delta or Marilyn’s Gourmet Salad Dressings made in Abbotsford.

The store features weekly sampling of local producers.

Promoting local content is seen as a way for customers to support their neighbours’ businesses and keep their money north of the U.S. border.

Other arguments advanced in favor of local foods include the fact that it travels less distance, which means it consumes fewer resources when it is  shipped to the store.

Local foods are also said to be more diverse than so-called monoculture crops that relay on a limited variety of types to ensure durability for long-distance transportation.


Read the full article at the Surrey Leader
Image accompanies the article

More Than The Humble Spud

Dorrigo potates have a well deserved reputation for quality - and it is even more exciting when they are organic. Ken Lewis from Stringbark Farm at Dundurrabin, just outside of Dorrigo.

Do you know which varieties are 'waxy', which are 'floury' and which are the all rounders? Do you know when to use which variety of potato where. This site is a great starting point, and this one includes a few more varieties.

For more information on growing your own potatoes, or to order some potato seed, call Ken 02 6657 8255 or see him at the local growers markets between Bellingen and Armidale.

Image: "Potato" by Jacqou

Free Range Eggs

It shouldn't be a hard question - what is a free range egg? Most people would imagine chickens running around grassed paddocks, scratching up worms and .... well being chickens and that is what they pay for when they buy eggs labelled as free range. But things are not that simple.

Phil Westwood from Freeranger Eggs in Grantville, Victoria helps us understand what are the current definitions as well as discussing the proposed changes.

For more information check out the Free Range Farmers Association. Choice also has a great article that is worth a read. And you can keep right up to date by checking out the ACCC.

So, what can consumers do?
1) Look for credible accreditation - the term "free range" is not representative of consumers expectations, if you are thinking you chooks live like those in the picture. Check if your eggs are supplied from an accredited free range farm, or Humane Choice approved or a similar branding. At the moment most farms selling pastured eggs (as opposed to 'free range'), are accurately branded but there is no certification process.
2) Visit your farmer - ring up and ask to come and meet the chooks. All farms have some biological hazard procedures (such as washing boots, or not getting in the paddocks with the animals) but if your farmer continually says no to a visit, then maybe you need to think about what they are trying to hide.
3) Contact your members of parliament. The time for comment in this round has closed but it shouldn't be taken off the agenda - and whether this is an animal welfare issue for you, or just truth in labeling - we need legislative clarification.
4) Let your wallet do the walking. While the pollies and the egg industry are sorting out the bits and pieces be aware that your consumer buying power is speaking for you - spend your money on a brand of eggs that represents your stand on the issue, whatever that stand is.

Image from Freeranger Eggs

Bits and Pieces

Pete and I started talking about his recipe and ended up discussing half a dozen things so I though it was important to put in some follow up information.

Snail forks: I got the snail fork half right (as you can see from the pic) but they don't have little hooks on the end.

Purging snails: another thing I (almost) got right - the most common way to purge snails is to allow them to fast for about 5 days. Some googling has told me that you can feed them cornmeal, oats or bran just before this time, but the most common method remains a fast.

River Cottage: home of all things wonderful - currently on ABC1 but check out their website for more info.

Cheesy Cauliflower: (as opposed to cauliflower cheese) I blogged about this when I first made it because it was so good and so easy but reproduce it here:


Dead easy and particularly delicious. For the cambembert: cut it into wedges, dip in flour, egg and breadcrumb and then deep fry until golden (but no so golden that the cheese has melted). For the sauce: cook cauliflower florets of 1 biggish cauliflower in milk with 1 bay leaf and 1 clove until the cauliflower is tender. Remove bay leaf and blend until smooth.

Dip cheese into sauce and grin madly :-) All up, from start to finish, about 15 - 18 minutes.

PS: The left over sauce made a scrummy topping for toast lol


Snail fork image: Hospitality Wholesale
Cheesy Caulifower image: Pearl Maya

Food Brings Us Together

Noongar Elder Carol Pettersen joins us in the kitchen to discuss her life as well as sharing some food stories. Carol is an amazing woman and you can find our more here when Carol won the Elder of the Year (Female) at the 2008 Naidoc Awards.

A real honor and a privilege to share time with an incredible person. You can download the podcast here.

To market, to market

Just found a new Farmer's Market column in The Australian.

"EVERY weekend, this column will reach for the shopping basket and go hunting and gathering. Around the country, people have fallen in love with farmers markets.

It's a sign of our deep fascination with the food we eat, but also of our growing understanding of the difference just-picked produce makes to taste, health and the world we live in.

In this crazy world of supermarkets and online shopping, more and more people want to see the colour of the tomatoes, potatoes or green leaves they buy. They also want to touch them, feel their texture and weight.

Farmers markets flourish in every state. Miranda Sharp, at Melbourne Community Farmers' Markets, says there are about 150 in Australia (and 7500 in the US). Seventy of them are in Victoria, which has the distinction of having an accreditation process. Community Farmers' Markets is one of the many accredited members of the Victorian Farmers' Markets Association, which oversees accreditation. The association has the great good fortune of a state government grant for the work. Miranda says accreditation gives growers and buyers a framework of trust and security, which is attracting interest in other states.

Slow Food Melbourne is another member of the association. It operates a monthly market (every fourth Saturday) at the Abbotsford Convent. Slow food is a philosophy, and the market is a practical, active version of an ethical idea.

Each week, this column will be based on chats with people at markets across the states, finding out what's new, what's in season, what's happening. Each market is a window on the state, each with its own seasonal calendar."

You can read the full article from last Saturday's Australian here.

Image: "Farmers Market VI" by etekeyama