 Russell Farr and Lyn Jones of Windellama Organics One of the most inviting stalls to have caught my eye at the Capital Region Farmer's Markets recently is Windellama Organics. Look at the quality of the produce in the images below and the smiles on the stall owner's faces and you will understand why. Growers, Lyn Jones and Russell Farr, previously worked in the online travel industry, but say they always wanted to have a farm. 'We wanted to farm good quality produce,' Lyn explained. 'Which is why we chose to go organic. This is our third season. Among a range of certified other organic produce, berries are our thing'. On their stall, Lyn and Russell offer berries, beans, radish, cucumber, snow peas, tatsoi, mizuna, eggs, parsley and a salad mix that includes nasturtium flowers. You will find Windellama Organics at the Capital Region Farmer's Markets and Southside Farmer's Markets in Canberra each weekend, and look for them on Facebook too. Their farm is at Windellama, an hour northeast of Canberra, close to Tarrago.  Organic radish... bite me!  Perfect organic blackberries  Organic green, butter and purple king beans
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 Gary and Sue Armstrong of Doonkuna Orchard Lovely to see apple growers, Gary and Sue Armstrong from the Doonkuna Orchard back at the Capital Region Farmer's Market this morning. The Armstrongs bring crisp, fresh apples from their orchard in Crookwell to the markets. Ginger Gold apples were on show at the Doonkuna stall today... an early 'dessert' variety, according to Sue. Ginger Gold are lovely stewed and served with cereal; and are great for pie making too. Last year, Gary explained to me that he has mixed feelings about the news of the ban being lifted on the importation of New Zealand apples. "Chinese apples and pears are already being sold in Australia, but many people aren't aware," he said. 'The addition of New Zealand apples will have a big impact on the wholesale prices and also saturate the market with a lot of fruit. Supermarkets here are asking too much for [apples], sometimes up to $7.00 or more per kilo, so consumption is down. The Aussie dollar is high, so this affects our exports too'. The new changes to the importation of apples may quite possibly hurt the Australian growers in terms of sales, but Gary also points out the issues with the threat of new diseases. Even more reason to shop for Aussie Apples.  Ginger Gold apples from Doonkuna Orchard - an early 'dessert' variety  Dominic and Mareeta Torcaso travel a long way from their property in Myrtleford, Victoria, to get to the Capital Region Farmer's Markets in Canberra every Saturday. But then I would happily travel a long way to buy their beautiful fresh produce! The Torcasos have been selling their produce at Farmer's Markets for the last three or four years. You will find them at the Hume Murray Food Bowl, Beechworth, Rutherglen and Wangaratta. There are capsicums, chillies, beans, potatoes (Nicola, Pontiac, Dutch Cream and Kipflers), eggplant, gourmet tomatoes and other delicious goodies on their stall. And the couple always greet their lines of customers with big happy smiles! Make sure you ask Dominic about his father's heirloom tomatoes. They taste like REAL tomatoes! Enquiries to mailto:torcasoproduce@hotmail.com  Outstanding quality produce!  Torcaso Produce potatoes are excellent  'These guys are really good!', a shopper told me as she bought her weekly supply of potatoes, rocket and herbs from Andrew Galan and Ged Hardy, of Geranda South Coast Fresh Produce. The gentlemen have a cracker of a stall at the Capital Region Farmer's Markets, where they sell an array of fresh herbs and vegetables. Just look at the quality of the lettuces in the photo and you can tell that everything they sell comes fresh from the farm. Choose from fresh lemongrass, mint, bok choy, rocket, dill, garlic, cucumbers, potatoes and lettuces galore. Visit them at either the Capital Region Farmer's Markets or the Moruya Country Markets.  Superb quality cucumbers sold by Geranda South Coast Produce  Jane & Harold Higgins with Isabelle from France Jane Sherborne-Higgins and husband, Harold Higgins from Goulburn Garlic had sold out of their beautiful garlic braids by the time we arrived at the Capital Region Farmer's Market this morning. No wonder, their biodynamic garlic is OGA certified 'in conversion' and was perfectly plump and fresh. Jane and Harold currently grow three varieties of garlic, as well as rhubarb on their biodynamic farm just outside of Goulburn in New South Wales. You will find them at the Capital Region Farmer's Markets every Saturday morning and also at the new Concorde Farmer's Markets from February 2012.  Goulburn Garlic - Monaro Purple  A lovely Christmas gift - biodynamic Goulburn Garlic  Italian Red. Pretty! |
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