DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM

Well, only 3 more sleeps until Christmas Day...hard to believe another year has flown by so quickly.

A lot has been going on at the farm lately even though I haven't been writing to you much (that's why not much blogging has been happening!). We're still cleaning the new season's garlic bulbs in earnest and a lot of time over the past week has been filled with harvesting and other preparation for farmers' markets, doing our wonderful market stalls (bumping in!), packing up (bumping out!) and then returning  to the farm, unpacking the van etc and then doing it all again. It's a vibrant time of year and many vegies (& many more weeds...) are growing rapidly with the regular warmth and the blessed regular rain we've so luckily had.

Last Saturday morning we did our first Hawthorn Boroondara F.M. and rushed back home to do the Daylesford Xmas Twilight F.M. from 4pm. Our inaugural Boroondara F.M. was a ripper! Very busy and very welcoming...we had a great day. So lovely to see some regulars from our other Melbourne f.m.s and to meet lots of new people, passionate about locally grown, good quality organic produce, especially real, un-messed Australian garlic.

  

Our stall at the Hawthorn Boroondara Farmers' Market last Saturday.

  

The Daylesford Xmas Twilight F.M. was pretty laid-back and not really busy but we did get to catch up with and exchange Christmas greetings with our fellow stallholders and a number of local friends, which was a very nice added bonus. Plus, Santa rode in on the Daylesford CFA No. 1 fire truck, which all the kids loved and to be honest it 'tickled me pink' too! Some of the French WWOOFers who helped us clean garlic the other week were helping out on Don & Sue's stall and we commented that Santa's fire truck entrance was a uniquely Australian Christmas event and they thought it was great!

 

Our stall & Tim at Daylesford Xmas Twilight F.M.  

 

Tomorrow arvo / evening (Wednesday) is the super-dooper Slow Food Xmas Twilight market in the grounds of the gorgeous Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, between 3pm & 8pm. It's promising to be smashing, with loads of great stalls (including us!)...great Xmas fare and gourmet gifts and a festive Xmas vibe :).  Come along if you can and join in the fun.

I won't blog you until after Christmas now, so from us to you and your families and loved ones, WE WISH YOU A SAFE & BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS. MAY SUMMER BE A GOOD & RELAXING TIME FOR YOU & US, FREE FROM FIRE DANGERS & MAY 2010 BE A PARTICULARLY FABULOUS YEAR FOR US ALL! :)

Best wishes from Deri-Anne, Tim & Billy