Matt's in the hot seat

With Christmas just around the corner, the market has completed its fourth year. We have run 206 markets to date.

Nearly 1100 locals have signed up as members.

More than $20,000 has been raised for local community and charity groups. Two schools now have food gardens, with the market donating $4500 towards these projects.

Approximately 250,000 people have shopped at the market and nearly $3.5 million has been spent within the local economy.

Goodness only knows how much local food has been produced and consumed over the past four years. In November it was announced the market won the silver award for 'Best Food Tourism Experience' with the South Australian Tourism Industry Council. This translates to more tourists visiting the region because of the market.

We have another chairperson on the VHFM committee. Matthew Stuart will now co-chair the market with Rachel McMillan.

Rachel has been in the position for nearly three and a half years and her busy workload has taken its toll. Matthew has kindly volunteered to lighten the load.

Matthew is well known in the community as the minister at Newland Memorial (Uniting) Church. He also runs our community stall selling Fleurieu Milk and is in the Army Reserve. A Father to son Aaron with another baby on the way, and partner of Kristen you can see he has lots of free time. He is also an excellent cook.

On behalf of the management committee, the stallholders and our wonderful volunteers, we would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a wonderful 2013. May the festive season be a time filled with good cheer, family & friends and beautiful local food.

See you at the market!
p.s. The market will be operating every Saturday morning during the festive season.

Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

What does Born Free mean?

The Egg Corporation has announced that it is redefining the rules regarding freerange eggs, it should be mentioned that the Corporation represents private industry.

The standard definition of free-range eggs was 1500 birds per hectare, which means that each bird has six square metres to call its own. The Egg Corporation's new definition allows for 20,000 birds per hectare or two birds per square metre.

The playing surface of the MCG is roughly one hectare. Try to imagine 20,000 hens on the hallowed turf, it's busy enough as it is with 36 footballers. How would the producer feed all these birds and how would they gather the eggs? What would happen to the effluent?

Clearly consumers prefer free-range, they are ethical eggs which taste better and demand is exceeding supply. Major 'cage-egg' producers want a slice of the action but they want to do so without the extra costs involved.

How will we know what is truly free-range in the future? Even Coles and Woolies are concerned about the new definition. We as consumers deserve to be informed about the origin and ethics of the food we purchase, but we also need to be vigilant and investigative. Fair trade, organic, free-range and GM free are labels that we are increasingly looking for on the shelves.

The 'big end' of town is on to our shopping trends and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Major food companies are now offering organic and fair trade tea, coffee and chocolate.

However when big business starts moving the goalposts and redefine such terms as free-range we need to be concerned and vote with our wallets.

The good news is that truly free-range eggs will be available from selected farmers' markets and they will be clearly labelled as 'Truly Free Range – Farmers' Market Eggs'.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Born free … as free as the wind blows

There's been a lot of discussion concerning the issue of 'free–range' produce in recent months.

The Egg Corporation has announced that it is redefining the rules regarding free range eggs.

Now it should be mentioned that the Corporation represents private industry.

The standard definition of free-range eggs was 1,500 birds per hectare…which meant each bird had 6m2 to call its own.

The Egg Corporation's new definition allows for 20,000 birds per hectare…which equates to 2 birds per m2.

The playing surface of the MCG is roughly 1 hectare (10,000m2)… try to visualise 20,000 chooks grazing on the MCG. The grass would be gone in a few hours, as would any worms or bugs. I would imagine that the surface would rise in a sea of manure at an exponential rate.

How would you feed these birds and how would you gather the eggs?

The 'Free-range Egg Producers Association' places a limit of 750 hens per hectare.

Clearly, consumers prefer free-range and demand is exceeding supply. Major cage egg producers want a slice of the action but they want to do so without the extra costs associated with genuine free-range production.

Another problem will be the run-off from these 'egg farms'. Eventually it will finish up in our waterways.

So we as consumers have a difficult and ethical choice before us.

How do we know what is truly free-range in the future. Even Coles & Woolworths are concerned about the new definition.

We consumers deserve to be well informed about the origin and ethics of the food we purchase but we also need to be vigilant and investigative. Fair Trade, organic, free-range and GM free are labels that we are increasingly looking for on the shelves.

Unfortunately, the 'big end of town' is on to our shopping trends and they will do whatever it takes to recapture their share of the market.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing…if Nestle starts selling 'fairtrade' organic chocolate then everyone benefits.

However, when big business starts to move the goalposts and redefine such terms as free-range to meet their own needs we need to be vigilant.

Ultimately, we have the final say via our wallets. We can also register our concerns by signing petitions, writing letters and contacting our local politicians.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Now is the winter of my content:

Winter has arrived…it’s official! If the 1st of June doesn’t do it for you, the weather certainly will. At the farm we have had 100mm in the past week and the thermometer has barely crept past 11c… I know, I’ve been watching it.

Suddenly I have been overwhelmed with hunger. My body has burned up what little fat it stores in keeping me warm and now I need to consume carbs.

Ahh… comfort food! What would we do without it! It is the season to indulge in the deadly sin of gluttony. Mashed potato, pasta, slow cooked lamb shanks and everything else that satisfies.

It’s funny… in summer, I would no sooner eat that type of food than sleep with my winter quilt. In summer I drink ice cold beer and crisp white wine but now that the days are at their shortest, it’s hearty reds, full bodied ales and scotch (with a hint of soda).

One of my favourite ‘comfort foods’ is the food of the subcontinent, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka…I don’t care. Friday night is always ‘curry night’ in my house and before you begin to think that I am being selfish and imposing my tastes on others, you are wrong… I live alone. Why Fridays…I don’t know, maybe it is something to do with football being on the telly. Maybe because it is that I have spent a long day harvesting vegetables and I am ravenously hungry but nothing satisfies me like a good vindaloo on a Friday. It doesn’t matter how late I get home from the farm, the first thing I do is dollop some ghee into the pan and start frying onions… the rest of the ingredients follow as I am sorting out tomorrow’s market and then whilst I shower, things slowly bubble away, filling the house with aromatic fragrance.

If my mojo is working, the rice, pickle and flat bread are all ready for the first bounce…ahh, bliss! Vegetable curry (aloo ghobi is my favourite), lamb rogan josh, fish masala… it’s all good and satisfies the hungry beast within.

We have a new Indian restaurant in Victor Harbor, it’s called the Tandoori Café. You’ll find it near the Hotel Victor on the esplanade. I’ve been there twice and it’s good. You can’t go wrong with Indian food which is why you rarely see Indian restaurants reviewed.

My favourite restaurants are the ones that specialise in regional cuisine. India is a vast place, the food of Delhi is vastly different to Bengali cuisine just as Madras (Chennai) offers different fare to Kerala.

The food of southern India is my fetish. Why… because this is where the spices are sourced. If you wander along the wharves of Madras, what you smell is pepper… the worlds most traded spice. Pepper is to me what Metamucil is to the elderly. I consume it like no other. I buy 1 kg bags of black peppercorns from Chinatown and am constantly filling my pepper grinder.

When in Kerala, order the vegetarian thali. It comes on a banana leaf with an enormous (fresh baked) flat bread dhosa accompanied by little dishes of vegetables, pickle and rice. You eat with your hands, it costs a few rupees and is one of the world’s culinary triumphs.

My recipe is in tribute to the miracle that is Indian cookery. Make it for someone special… I did.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Food Glorious Food

The full moon that coincides with Easter is the southern hemisphere's version of the harvest moon. It's mid-autumn and the summer produce is just about in…only the pumpkins remain on the vine, slowly maturing as their skin hardens in the autumnal sunlight. Pumpkin soup and roast pumpkin…hearty comfort food for the winter.

It's the time to bottle, preserve and pickle. It's what our ancestors have done for millennia. Salt, vinegar, spice and sugar are all we need.

As for me … the evenings spent this week will be devoted to making tomato sauce, pickling onions, making mustard pickles and my secret sauce. It's a secret because it is a work in progress.

The criteria is … it has to be hot & spicy and it has to be green. I'm thinking Louisiana and Cajun cooking, I'm thinking hot dog relish and something one would dollop over grilled fish or a bowl of gumbo.

Why green? Well I have an abundance of green zebra tomatoes and, manzillo chillies in my garden. Actually there is an abundance of everything … even okra, hence the gumbo. It has been a wonderful season for us vegie growers … not too hot, not too cold with just the right amount of rain.

Now, back to the green sauce… aside from the green tomatoes and chilli it will have onion, spices, paprika capsicum, vinegar, salt & sugar, maybe some fresh corn and definitely a dash of Tabasco. I'll let you know how it works out.

What we are talking about here is the celebration of the season. I like to eat, according to the season. Why, because you get local produce at its best. There is nothing like fresh 'real' tomatoes with garden grown basil, all chopped up on a slice of toasted sourdough. That is the taste of summer. In winter I love mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, chorizo and beans. You get the idea…eat according to the season and enjoy each season.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Remember: fresh is best

First we had the 'milk war' and now we have the 'fresh produce war' between our two major supermarkets. Now before you think…oh, here we go, the farmers' market manager bashing the major food retailers. Wait…you're wrong! We need supermarkets; they're convenient and offer a huge range of products…even I shop at my local supermarket.

However, Australia has the largest concentration of supermarkets in the world. In other words we have very few competitors and at the moment they are in battle.

Cheap produce is surely good for us consumers but in the long term…is it? At the end of the food chain is the humble farmer and many of them are going to the wall. Which means that Australia is now importing produce that we once grew and that is crazy.

In recent times we have seen Heinz close its tomato cannery in Victoria. Golden Circle shut down its beetroot and corn cannery in Queensland. Brands like SPC, Ardmona, Berri and Rosella are disappearing or being swallowed up by multi nationals.

What we are seeing is the growth in 'private labels' or own brand. These labels have increased their market share from 15 per cent to 25 per cent in the past 10 years. In the UK they are now at 40 per cent. We as consumers need to be vigilant we need to closely read the labels.

We can grow all of this stuff, so why import it!

When it comes to fresh, I'd hate to be the guy buying vegetables for a major supermarket chain… it must be a nightmare. Imagine ordering 30,000 cabbages and then getting them out to all the supermarkets in good shape…and that's just the cabbages!

Now I grow veggies for the market. They are harvested on Friday, refrigerated within the hour, packed in styrene boxes and then sold on Saturday morning. But even I can see the slight deterioration in that 24 hour period.

By 2050 there will be nine billion of us on this small blue planet.

The UN predicts that we will not have enough food or water to sustain our needs. Australia needs its farmers more than ever. We need to retain land close to the cities for market gardens, dairies and orchards. Above all, the farmer needs to be paid a fair price for their produce so that they can survive. Our survival depends upon them.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

FRESH IS BEST!

First we had the 'milk war' and now we have the 'fresh produce war' between our 2 major supermarkets. Now before you think … oh, here we go, the farmers' market manager bashing the major food retailers. Wait … you're wrong! We need supermarkets; they're convenient and offer a huge range of products … even I shop at my local supermarket.

However, Australia has the largest concentration of supermarkets in the world. In other words we have very few competitors and at the moment they are in battle.

Cheap produce is surely good for us consumers but in the long term … is it? At the end of the food chain is the humble farmer and many of them are going to the wall. Which means that Australia is now importing produce that we once grew, and that is crazy.

In recent times we have seen Heinz close its tomato cannery in Victoria. Golden Circle shut down its beetroot and corn cannery in Queensland. Brands like SPC, Ardmona, Berri and Rosella are disappearing or being swallowed up by multi nationals.

What we are seeing is the growth in 'private labels' or own brand. These labels have increased their market share from 15% to 25% in the past 10 years. In the UK they are now at 40%. We as consumers need to be vigilant, we need to closely read the labels.

We can grow all of this stuff, so why import it!

When it comes to fresh, I'd hate to be the guy buying vegetables for a major supermarket chain … it must be a nightmare. Imagine ordering 30,000 cabbages and then getting them out to all the supermarkets in good shape … and that's just the cabbages!

Now I grow veggies for the market. They are harvested on Friday, refrigerated within the hour, packed in styrene boxes and then sold on Saturday morning. But even I can see the slight deterioration in that 24 hour period.

By 2050 there will be 9 billion of us on this small blue planet. The UN predicts that we will not have enough food or water to sustain our needs. Australia needs its farmers more than ever. We need to retain land close to the cities for market gardens, dairies and orchards. Above all, the farmer needs to be paid a fair price for their produce so that they can survive. Our survival depends upon them.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Market celebrates third birthday...

As 2011 enters its final days, the market celebrates its 3rd birthday. To date we have held 154 markets and over 950 people have signed up as members in that time.

From small humble beginnings we have grown to now have the widest produce range of any farmers' market you care to mention. Where else can you buy, fresh from the farm, goat meat, Texel lamb, live yabbies, locally caught seafood, Red Angus beef and free range pork?

We have introduced a number of new stallholders in the past month, including…

• Hahndorf Gourmet Smallgoods…you must try their chorizo & Bavarian ham.
• Green Eggs & Ham…free range pork and eggs from Parawa.
• Fleurieu Milk…real milk, unhomogenised, jersey and the creamiest yoghurt.
• 19th Hole Wines…Mike & Trish Wesley with their superb wine from Mt Jagged.
• And we have Paris Creek cheese back at the market.

From our regular stallholders the produce has never looked better. Delicious cherries and strawberries. Not to mention the other summer fruits and vegetables. The season is shaping up to be a good one for our local farmers and they well and truly deserve it. Fingers crossed for the coming months.

We, as a community need to support our local farmers and producers. They are producing world class food for us to enjoy. I am frequently approached by overseas visitors who are so impressed by our market.

This isn't a pat on the back, instead it is a plea to the community to come and shop at your market. If you care about what you eat. If food security (or the lack of it) is of concern to you. If you want to see local farmland and farmers… it's one of things that we cherish about living here.

Farmers' markets are a growing movement throughout the western world, in the U.S. there are over 8,000 farmers' markets and we have a great little market right here on our doorstep. So come along and show your support.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

How local is local…

Let me explain…just lately the market has been inundated with requests from local producers to sell their produce at the market. For some, we have been able to say yes but to others we have had to place them on the burgeoning waiting list. The reasons for the decisions are varied but all lie within the charter of the farmers' market.

We can say yes to people who can offer something different, something that we don't have for our customers. For others who have something that the market is already well served in, all we can do is place them on the waiting list and wish them well in their pursuit.

Our charter states that the market is to pursue producers from the Fleurieu, the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island. If we cannot find that produce from those regions, we can then seek producers from further afield.

The market began 3 years ago and expressions of public interest were called for. For the first market (December 2008), we had 21 stallholders, 19 of whom showed up on that wet and cold day. Of those 19, 16 are still with us and I applaud and will reward them for their loyalty. Since then we have included another 21 stallholders, most of who have stayed. All of these 'originals' have endured the wild weather and disastrous days.

Many of our stallholders record very modest takings but they do it because they believe in the farmers' market movement. Take Karen Parry and husband Geoff for example… they operate Gooseberry Hill, selling organic seedlings, flowers and seed. Karen & Geoff regularly tour the world looking at and learning from other farmers' markets. Check out Karen's article in our newsletter.

Just for the record, of our current stallholder listing of 32 stallholders… 28 are from the Fleurieu, 2 are from the Hills and 2 are from the Riverland.

And if anyone knows of a local dairy or free range poultry producer, let me know and I'll sign them up.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Spring has sprung at farmers’ market

Spring has sprung, the grass has rizz, I wonder where dem birdies is’… I remember that verse from a cartoon show I used to watch way back during my misspent childhood. I think the quote can be credited to Elmer Fudd…ahh, Looney Toons.

Being manager of a farmers’ market and a grower, one’s eye is constantly turned towards the sky and the internet weather service. I want Saturday to be fine for our customers and stallholders but I want the rest of the week to feature sunshine during the day and a drop of rain at night.

The winter has been a good one, although August displayed some uncharacteristic warm spells. Late winter and early spring is when we veggie growers start planting our seedling for the summer. We want the soil to warm up but we still need some rain to nourish the delicate seedlings. Our livestock producers require the spring to bring on the pasture. For the cereal farmers things are looking good but there is still a way to go and last Saturday’s north wind would not have helped. Whilst our fruit growers need…well, let’s not go there it gets way too complicated.

The talk amongst the stallholders constantly centres around the weather. Basically, what we work on is averages. Average rainfall, average temperatures but there is no such thing as average from one year to the next. Charlotte Morley (Illawong Texel) from Parawa has spent nearly 50 years on the land and the rainfall has varied from (approx.) 300mm to 1500mm and guess what…the average is 900mm! That makes it tricky for vegetable growing and yet Charlotte reliably informs me that the year of low rainfall was a good one for her and yet it was probably lousy for the rest of the state.

Farming is a gamble, each season we hope for average conditions. If the weather plays its part, the harvest is bountiful but then the prices fall and so it goes on. The production of food is becoming a complex issue. Once upon a time farmers grew for the local market and the surplus was exported but things are changing. With uncertain times ahead the only certainty is that prices will rise.

So let us all hope and pray for a climatically average spring and summer and I will leave you with another quote…’The lark’s on the wing and the snail is on the thorn. God’s in his heaven, all’s right with the world.’ Robert Browning.

I didn’t just watch cartoons - I read poetry as well!

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Drought and flooding rain:

Autumn is possibly my favourite season. Traditionally the autumn was harvest time, a time to prepare for the winter. Things like grain and corn were stored. Ripe pumpkins were spending their final weeks in the garden, hardening up. Preserves were made, beans were dried and vegetables and meats were pickled. Seed was saved for the spring.

A good summer meant ample food stocks for the winter.

It’s been a mixed season for local producers. For our fruit growers it’s been tough. A spring that lasted forever followed by a brief summer and way too much rain. It has been a similar story for our vignerons and wine makers. Mildew followed by botrytis and split fruit with little flavour. Heaven knows what the 2011 vintage will be like.

To produce food we need water but at the right time. As the poem goes...’a land of drought and flooding rain.’ That’s Australia, when the drought breaks it really breaks.

Whether you believe in climate change or you are a climate change skeptic, we do seem to be breaking a lot of records in recent years. We’ve just had our wettest March on record following our wettest summer.

So spare a thought for our producers. Farmers work on averages ... average rainfall, average temperature but rarely do we have an average season. If the fruit doesn’t taste as good or if the vegetables have blemishes or if the price of meat rises...you can blame the season.

Nothing is perfect in farming. Our producers work tirelessly to put food on our tables and they do their best with the hand that has been dealt to them. They do it because it’s all they know and it is the life that they love and believe in.

Last week’s leading stories in the Times spoke of the issues addressing farmers on the Fleurieu ... my plea to the politicians and bureaucrats is, let the farmer’s farm so that we can have local food on our tables.

See you at the market ... Brent
Brent Tamblyn, VHFM Manager
0439 849 824 |

Et tu Brute?... Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)

The humble Caesar salad, many people think that it was named after the Roman emperor but it wasn’t...it was named after a chef who got caught out with an empty larder and late guests, so he improvised. Ah yes...necessity, the mother of invention.

Now the Caesar salad appears on menus at every pub, bistro and many restaurants, even fast food outlets have featured it. It’s a classic dish but unfortunately many have tampered with it. You can have a chicken Caesar, a prawn Caesar, I’ve even seen a salmon Caesar. My theory is...don’t mess with a classic.

Alongside this article is the basic Caesar recipe but here a few ironclad rules...

You must use cos lettuce and the leaves should be torn not cut. The small inner white leaves are the best and they should be used whole.

Use good quality smoked bacon...the dish should taste smoky and salty.

Eggs should be free range and lightly poached.

The croutons should come from a good quality ciabatta or sour dough, thinly sliced and buttered on both sides and then baked in a low oven until just crisp.

Anchovies are not optional, they are essential! Otherwise you are off my Christmas card list.

The parmesan should be freshly shaved.

And finally, when making the dressing, use a little of the oil from the anchovies, you will not need to add salt and it gives the dressing a delightful fishy flavour.

All of the cos leaves should be tossed with the dressing before assembling the salad.

That’s it...simple really. And no we are not being food snobs, just food purists. I take food seriously, it’s kept me employed for half my life and I am still passionate about it.