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

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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 info@willungafarmersmarket.com.au

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

1

2

3

4

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.

- 14 -www.willungafarmersmarket.com.au

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

bookings@darenberg.com.au 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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