Monday, September 27, 2010

Like minded


On Sunday we went to our local market, the first one they've held since I moved here 3 years ago.

We were hoping it would be a bit more than a fete type setup, so that it would encourage the tourists who come to the Valley to spend more cash locally, and keep the market going, as currently the closest good markets a 2 hour round trip away.

Anyway we arrived at 8am, and were pleasantly surprised to see the car park filling up and stalls galore, excellent!

Our 2nd stall stop was a tiny one with organic seedlings, because the market was just starting up there weren't huge numbers rolling through yet so had a chance to chat with the stall holders. Gloria and her husband Bob.

They live about 10 mins from us on a couple of acres and have converted an acre or so of lawn/garden into an organic vegie patch.  Mainly due to Bob being ill and needing a hobby.

We got chatting, they're trying the first market with seedlings to test the market, then next month bringing the produce along. And they also have a stall at their property, which we'll be heading to this weekend!

I've been thinking more and more over the past couple of years of how much our lifestyle and especially food contributes to our health.

How do we know what the stupormarkets are getting farms to spray onto their produce to ensure it has a longer shelf-life or is more attractive to buyers, or has a uniform appearance, or is available out of season?

Over the past 10 years or so there has been alot of coverage about the effects of asbestos, and people now can't believe that houses were allowed to be built with such a toxic substance.

I wonder if in 20 years our children will be reading the same sort of headlines, but instead of asbestos, it being about chemical 1234 (etc) being highly toxic and having been a common spray for produce 'back in the 2000's'.



Longterm Mr Mel's and my plan is to have our own farm and be as self sufficient as we can be, growing as much produce as we can, and raising and slaughtering our own meat etc.

But in the meantime, we have put alot of effort into our veggie garden, this season we're growing : tomatoes (2), capcisum, chilli, lettuce (5), spring onions (10), snow peas (15), mushrooms, strawberries (5), mint, coriander, sage, oregano, parsley, bay.  It's only small, but it's a start, we haven't had to buy spring onions or parsley for at least a year, and get through summer with our own supply of tomatoes, capsicum, lettuce & snow peas, usually with some left over for neighbours etc.

Gloria & Bob asked for our details after our chat about organics/health etc, and I'm looking forward to maintaining and growing a friendship of sorts.  They've asked if we'd be interested in bringing our surplus veggies out to their stand, for them to sell (and give us veggies in return), and Mr Mel are very excited to get involved in some bartering and exchanging produce.

We're quite excited about having bumped into some like minded people who live close by, even though they're 25+ years older than us, we all had an instant connection, which is rare these days I feel. Especially when we're relatively new to the area (me 3 years from Melbourne, Mr Mel 1 year from Sydney).

I'm excited  :)

Till next time,


4 comments:

  1. Hi Mel, your vege patch sounds wonderful. I'd love to live out in the country like Mr Mel and yourself.

    I'll have to content myself with my planter boxes on the patio for now! lol

    Helenc

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  2. Hi Helen,

    Thanks for your comment, we love our vegie patch, will take some photos on the weekend, now everything is really coming alive with flowers & new growth. It's lovely to pick your own produce :)

    Planter boxes are great, you can grow heaps, herbs are great on patios, and tomatoes would be worth a try too.

    Thanks again, Mel. :)

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  3. Hi mel,
    I just found your blog on the down to earth blog, what a wonder Rhonda is. Anyway I like your blog too. I like what you write here and I love "stupormarkets", I haven't heard that term before but I love it, may I use it?
    I live in Melbourne, in Croydon and am moving to Healesville next month to live on a couple of acres of land and hopefully have a stall on our land selling surplus eggs and etc.
    So I know where you are coming from in what you write. Did you end up cultivating a friendship with the couple you met at the market?
    I haven't been to the Hunter valley but I believe it is very beautiful. How goes it with the mining? I heard coal mining is looking at getting in there.
    Good luck with your aspirations.
    Dayla
    http://badgerfarmwithdayla.blogspot.com/2011/06/but-we-have-no-badgers.html

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  4. Hi Dayla,
    Rhonda is remarkable, I hope to have 1/10th of her knowledge one day!
    Thanks for visiting my blog, and for the lovely comments.
    Definitely use stupormarkets, I love it :)
    Healesville is lovely, I used to go there to visit family when I lived in Melbourne.
    A stall selling eggs etc would be lovely, good luck with it.
    I will visit your blog and follow your journey :)
    Yes we have formed a friendship with the couple from the market, they have set up a regular market at one of the vineyards, after running into council issues with their roadside one. It's building well.
    The Hunter is lovely, 'luckily' most of the mining is further up the Hunter from where we are, we do have some underground mines around, but nothing like up around Singleton, Muswellbrook, thankfully.
    Thanks again, will be dropping over to Badger Farm :)
    Mel.

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