Angelica Organic Farm

Hello! Tim and Deri-Anne Wyatt here, welcoming you to Angelica Organic Farm’s website and online gourmet garlic shop.

Through this web presence, we share with you our life on the land running our small, diverse organic family farm as well as providing you with a convenient online shop for purchasing gorgeous gourmet garlic. We hope to inspire and inform you about naturally grown, seasonal produce, sustainable food production and other related topics which nurture food security and environmental and community wellbeing. It is also our pleasure to answer any other questions we haven’t covered, so please email us here for answers to those.

If you’d like to be advised as soon as the 2010 new season garlic is ready please join our mailing list using the form on the right hand side of this page.

ALL 2009 garlic is now 100% SOLD OUT
The online garlic shop is CLOSED until the new season crop is up.  
The online shop will re-open approximately late November 2010... but if you want a reminder closer to the time please join our mailing list. 

Please note we DO NOT supply bulk or wholesale-priced 'seed' or planting stock garlic: we are simply not a large enough farm. Our focus is to grow premium quality, gourmet garlic for direct sale as food to home cooks and chefs.  We are NOT commercial planting stock suppliers or set up to do so (even though our garlic is 'fertile' and you can grow from it in your home garden if you wish).  



DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM 

From The Earth...mmm Delicious Produce Awards 2010!

Thursday, July 22, 2010
We have some great news to share with you all...



On Monday night at Circa, The Prince in St Kilda, Melbourne, the winners for the 2010 delicious Produce Awards were announced and we are proud to say that we won a GOLD MEDAL for our beloved GARLIC in the "From The Earth" category. The delightful and creative Matt Wilkinson, head chef at Circa and his team put on a sumptuous cocktail party spread with as many of the Award entrants' produce as they could source this time of year and it was truly lovely. 



There was the 'who's who' of  top chefs, including the awards' judges. Some we spotted and/or got to speak with were Maggie Beer (Barossa food legend and a hero of ours!), Matt Moran (ARIA), Neil Perry (Rockpool), Sean Preslin (Saki), Cheong Liew (The Grange, Adelaide Hilton), Stephanie Alexander (Stephanie's & the school Kitchen Garden Scheme) and our own Alla Wolf-Tasker (The Lake House). I said to Tim, "I wonder what Sydney-siders are dining out on tonight? Many of their best chefs are here!" 

The magnificent Matt Preston hosted the awards presentation in his usual sartorial splendour and great humour. He was very generous in posing for a photo with us and chatting about our work and it was so nice to finally meet him. He is in our esteem a very talented food critic and personally I adore cravats! I have to mention that Matt actually looked damn finer than he has come up in our photo below...sorry Matt...our phone camera is very unkind (the digital camera jammed earlier in the evening).




All the other winners and medalists for the various categories and awards are listed at the attached ABC delicious magazine website. Several of this years finalists and winners are from around our region, which is really lovely to be a part of...Fernleigh Farms, Wurrook Super Fine Prime Lamb, Holy Goat Cheese, Meredith Dairy, Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens, Daylesford Organics, Sher Wagyu, Warialda Belted Galloway Beef, as well as several other great Victorian producers.



We extend our sincere congratulations to all finalists and the winners and we feel honoured to be amongst such a great bunch of passionate, sustainable producers. We really appreciate how hard everyone works and what kinds of risk factors can be associated with farming and food production, so cheers to all the hard work and big hearts and for the generosity and support a few of you in particular have shown towards us since we started our long held dream of organic farming.

We are also thrilled that the Collingwood Children's Farm Farmers' Market won the 'Outstanding Farmers' Market' award (for all Australia!). Established in 2002, this community-owned market brings more than 70 Victorian producers (such as us) to inner-city Melbourne on the 2nd Saturday of each month and was one of the first farmers' markets to be accredited for stallholder authenticity. It was really wonderful to see Miranda Sharp our market co-ordinator accepting this award, as we truly appreciate the commitment and many hours (years!) of work she has put in towards making this market and others a success and an experience consumers can rely on for quality and integrity as well as an enjoyable environment. Go girl and go CCFM!



As I was discussing with a colleague and friend earlier today, one of the best things for us about winning this award, is that both me and Tim have been 'obsessed' with really good food or ingredients in one way or another (i.e. different aspects at different times) since our teens and although winning awards is by no means our 'why' for becoming organic food producers, it IS very nice to be recognised for being premium produce growers (esp. GARLIC of all things for us and being a 'small holding' farm enterprise). We have dreamed for decades in a number of ways, about becoming premium, artisanal producers, prior to starting Angelica Organic Farm 5 years ago, like our heros in France and Italy, like Maggie Beer and many others here, who have inspired us for such a long time. To be also doing it by biological/organic means is very dear to us. During my early 20s, whilst I was working in Sydney restaurants, I read a book called 'The Chef's Table: an Australian gourmet in the great restaurants of France' by Aussie chef Barbara Ross. In her book Barbara journals her working holiday around France, for which she organised in advance with a number of top restaurants (often Michelin Star or 'hatted' restaurants), volunteer cooking positions, so she could learn from and experience the best chefs and produce France had to offer. The anecdotes about the regional produce and growers and the respect with which the chefs utilised it just made my heart 'sing' and has inspired me forever more. Watch out France when we get over there!!

Thanks to everyone who has supported, encouraged, taught, respected and believed in us - family, friends, colleagues, competitors, customers, local business groups such as DMP and the local community in general. It is cherished and of great help as we 'rock on' into the future with our little farm, lovingly growing our natural produce.



This is just the 'tip of the iceberg' from us folks...we've got a lot more 'in the tank' to come and we can only get better at what we do!


One of the beautiful displays at Circa for the awards.




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Organically-minded Master Chefs

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
We recently received the latest newsletter from BFA / ACO, our organic certifier and amongst other articles of interest, was a small piece about the growing curiosity top chefs are showing towards organic produce. We know from our own experience that more and more chefs are trying to source local, organic produce and where possible the colourful, tasty array of heirloom or heritage varieties that some of us small scale artisan producers are growing. 


Rainbow Chard varieties - open pollinated heirloom plants
 A member of the Swiss chard family, (so is 'silver beet'),
rainbow chard comes in several different colours and like all the most
colourful vegies, is rich in antioxidants and more glamorous in our daily meals.

'Russian Red' Kale - - open pollinated heirloom plants

On the June 18 episode of MasterChef, award-winning baker, Michael Klausen, used Kialla Pure Food organic flour as his preference for his demonstrated creation and it seems, according to Holly Vyner, BFA's general manager,  that Australia is "following a trend identified in the US by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) earlier this year, which revealed organic produce would be one of the “hottest” fine dining trends in 2010 because of better taste, nutrition and environmental sustainability". Apparently, 73% of the 1,800 professional US chefs voted in support of this. 


Some of our other heritage veg. on display at a farmers' market
- Scarlet Globe radishes, purple bok choi & baby caulies.
 
Like other small-scale organic growers we talk to, at Angelica Organic Farm, we grow these unconventional varieties as much as we can because these traditional food plants retain the fullness of flavour inherently acquired over the ages of their existance. They look beautiful, are enjoyable to cultivate and eat and of course we are helping to conserve genetic diversity. The more colourful and shapely vegies and herbs do look so inviting on the dinner plate for sure, whether you're a home cook or a professional!


Angelica O.F. open-pollinated lettuces

The mass produced hybrid varieties most commonly grown commercially, are bred to prioritise 'perfect', predictable shape, size, and toughness for ease of packing, extensive transport and often long term storage. They are often picked green or bred to ripen slowly as well. All of these forced genetic manipulations come at the expense of diversity, good flavour and optimal nutritional value. Poor soils and synthetic fertilisers and pesticides also do nothing to enhance flavour and health giving properties!




Purple Opal Basil - heirloom herb

Also sited in the BFA article, the 2009 Sydney Morning Herald Chef of the Year, Justin North of Becasse restaurant in Sydney, favours the quality and flavour of certified organic produce over conventionally grown food, organic food satisfying changing consumer preferences, as observed in his professional experience. ``As a chef, I have the responsibility to choose ingredients carefully [and] it is still freshness and quality that has driven us to source organic produce,’’ he said.


A mosaic of our heritage tomatoes grown last summer/autumn.

A long time personal favourite of ours is British 'wunder kind' chef Jamie Oliver, who has been championing organic, artisanal, heritage foods and cruelty-free-reared meats for yonks now. A little while ago, I read a BBC biog. on Jamie on the Organic (Lmt) site and Jamie was quoted as such: "I am a great lover of organic food, and always try to give my kids organic food as I want the best for them, like so many parents" and "I want to cook with the best ingredients and have food the way it should be: healthy, tasty and grown with nature." We have also heard his Melbourne Fifteen restaurant source as much local, organic produce as they can. Thanks again for your ongoing leadership and inspiration Jamie and crew! :)

The spectacular Quay restaurant on Sydney harbour, really puts their 'rubber to the road' where organic, heirloom produce is concerned, reported as growing much of the restaurant's premium produce on their own organic farm in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. Quay also sources ethically grown rare breeds of pig, lamb and chicken. These animal species would actually die out if not bred for consumption. Quay's world renowned chef, Peter Gilmore is inspired by a nature based philosophy to cuisine, which is centred on the idea that we can save and protect diminishing or rare plant and animal species by eating them - it sounds a bit ironic or odd perhaps to some but in reality this attitude is a very effective way to fight back against the greedy multinational 'food Nazis' and protect natural diversity of species and our birthright to food choice and safety!  (I went to primary school with Peter...after all these years, I recognised him on MasterChef...I was gob-smacked to see him and delighted to see he'd done so well AND is an environmental conservationist to-boot!!) 


Angelica Organic Farm Produce April 2010

Australia's small producers, who are committed to innovation and environmental conservation are also now being nationally recognised and celebrated in the food media. The ABC Delicious Magazine Produce Awards (formerly Vogue Entertaining & Travel Produce Awards) have encouraged Australian small producers, premium food regions and seasonal food produced with integrity since its inception in 2005. We feel proud to be rated as finalists with our beloved garlic for this year's award, and it is nice to be recognised in such a forum as judged by widely revered chefs and food critics, who are broadcasting their genuine value for food provenance and growing methods. We are also rapt to 'fly the flag' for organics within a national competition and up against top conventional producers - we sincerely hope it helps make sustainable food production mainstream.
  


The winners of the 2010 Produce Awards will be announced in the August issue of ABC delicious magazine released on July 20, 2010. We will be attending the presentation night at Melbourne's much celebrated Circa next Monday evening. Matt Wilkinson, Circa's head chef, is another very creative chef who really 'walks the talk', supporting local Aussie farmers directly, he loves to use the best each season has to offer and seeks the top producers for their unusual, ethically grown, premium ingredients, as well as incorporating heirloom herbs and vegetables grown in the restaurant's own kitchen garden. We are very excited about visiting Circa, as it's been on our list for a while now.

I have to wonder whether Australia is "following" the US or whether our interests merely pop up on the radar once a "US trend" is noted in the media? In any case, there are many more quality chefs with an increasing commitment towards supporting Australian farmers, particularly organically grown, non-factory farm raised food, too many to mention here.
Several we've met and supply express their excitement about reconnecting with the real seasonality of food and the direct source of their 'stock in trade'...they find organic, in-season, heritage ingredients inspiring to work with and to be able to offer their guests. They tend to also see their use of these products as a means to contribute positively and meaningfully to society, environmental conservation and future food security.  

Even though we realise restaurant dining and culture isn't high on everyone's priorities and by no means is the be all and end all of 'good food' or the enjoyment of quality food, it does have a far-reaching audience and influence, often even with those who do not frequent acclaimed eateries. For this publicity we are greatly pleased, as it is partly generating growing awareness of and movement towards reconnecting with our food sources, promoting sustainable food production and fair trade with our farmers, authentic consumer choice and hopefully the preservation of a healthy, diverse food culture for future generations to grow up on and enjoy. 

I even read in last Sunday's (July 11 2010) article by Wendy Hargreaves for the Sunday Herald Sun's 'Sunday Food' section that channel Ten's top-rating MasterChef program is being credited with inspiring children to cook AND to eat vegies, as well as more at-home family cooking and shared meal times- if this is so, it's one  very positive spin-off effect, effecting a very wide audience potentially. 
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Roo loose in our top paddock!

Saturday, June 19, 2010
We've had a new crew member with us on and off the past month. A local grey kangaroo (marcropus giganteus) has joined team-Angelica from the neighbouring Wombat Forest.



I've nicknamed him Regi. He's been grazing around the property (they eat grass and native herbs) and inside our currently vacant polytunnels (as above), which I imagine he finds nice and cosy on some of these rather wintery days and nights we've been having.

Tim was in one of the polytunnels last week cleaning up the spent tomato plants, just working away minding his own business as he moved along the corridor, when he got the shock of his life from a sudden growling/grunting noise...Regi was just saying "Hey dude, I'm just here, mind yourself!". Tim hadn't seen the roo, camouflaged amongst the grass & old tomato plants. 

We think he's an aging male, out cast from his mob for some reason (maybe a younger more dominant male muscled in??), as sometimes happens in kangaroo society. In any case, we are happy to share our space with him (Billy our dog may not be so keen or at least a bit confused and defensive if Regi is still around come spring when Billy will be on-farm more), so long as he doesn't bound on top of the garlic! Unlike wallabies, who are a nuisance, eating every plant in sight given the chance. 

Male kangaroos are colloquially called boomers, bucks, jacks or 'old men', whilst females are known as flyers, does or jills and of course the young ones are known as joeys. The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob, troop or court.
 
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Gourmet Garlic Shop  Provenance & Organics   

FARMERS' MARKETS 
END OF SEASON...
We'll be back  around November 

Daylesford F.M. - 1st Sat./Mo. 9am-1pm 
Collingwood Children's Farm F.M.- 2nd Sat./Mo., 8am-1pm
Hawthorn's Booroondara F.M.- 3rd Sat./Mo., 8am-1pm 
Slow Food F.M., Abbotsford Convent - 4th Sat./Mo., 8am-1pm 

PRODUCE AVAILABLE NOW...

2009  garlic is SOLD OUT
The shop will re-open late November 2010 (approx.). 

N.B.: We are NOT able to supply bulk planting garlic orders.

Produce available from our farm gate:
Farm gate sales are now CLOSED for winter.
Watch this space (or call Tim) to be kept up to date
on new late spring/early summer produce when it emerges.
(DURING the SEASON- Farm Gate by appointment
- Friday arvo BEST time usually)

Restaurants & Provedores who love our produce

Frangos & Frangos
Koukla
Cliffys Emporium
The Perfect Drop
Sault 


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