DISPATCHES FROM THE FARMRSS

2010 Garlic Harvest Round 1- Rosie Red Rocambole!

Friday, December 17, 2010
Howdy All! Phew...finally a breath and some time to post you a blog on the new season's rocambole harvest...

  
As most of you will know from my website updates and our subscribers from the e-newsletters, the 1st harvest of the garlic for the 'early season' red rocambole started on Dec. 3rd and we had it all picked and hung for curing by Dec.6.


The Rocambole Garlic hanging to cure or dry before full cleaning and trimming.

It is all fantastic quality and we can assure you it tastes absolutely delicious...such a treat after a number of lean garlic weeks in the kitchen leading up to the harvest! We've gone a bit mad, including it in pretty much everything we cook...Daylesford/Glenlyon locals can probably smell us coming from 20 paces! (Oh well :-))



After a couple of 'ordinary' weeks here on the farm, dealing with what has seemed like endless rain, the precursor for some washed away seedlings/new crops, delayed plantings, humidity, fluctuating temperatures, slow growing vegies and last but not least locusts, we have been enjoying a couple of sunny days (before more rain...) and a welcome 'up' vibe as we also realise the fact that our beloved garlic IS curing/drying very well, even if slowly, despite the ongoing damp climate - yee haa! It's a nerve wracking time, those first few weeks of our 'newborn' garlic's life as we harvest and see if everyone's plump and healthy and nurture it into the above ground world through it's curing phase and then onto giving it it's big clean up ready for online order dispatch and market sales. 


Some clean and un-cleaned bulbs...

We literally clean all garlic that's for braiding (i.e. stems kept intact) and selling as loose bulbs by hand with toothbrushes!


Braid stems in prep...

Cleaning has begun...

AND we also celebrate the 'Plait-o-pussies' (me and the lovely Cheryl) heralding our 2010 garlic braidorama festival!


Angelica O.F. Braid-o-rama is underway!



We will begin posting out your online garlic shop orders after Xmas (once somewhat more cured and when all is clean, braided and dry enough to pack and post safely).

AND we will have early, fresh, juicy AND pretty little garlicy gifts for Melbournites to purchase from us at the HAWTHORN BOROONDARA Farmers' Market this coming Saturday (tommorrow, Dec 18th, 8am TO 1pm) AND at SLOW FOOD Xmas Twilight Farmers' Market on Wednesday Dec. 23, 3pm to 8pm.

We'd love to see you this week at the Farmers' Markets!
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Slow Magazine - Late Summer Has Arrived

Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Although yesterday was supposedly the first day of autumn, in these parts it is really 'late summer'.

March 1, 2010 gave birth to the new late summer edition of Slow Magazine ...


Featuring a really well written article about us and our beloved garlic...



...Jacqui Mott, the editor of this fairly new but unique and very classy publication, took great efforts to get this article 'right'
and we are delighted with the final results. We extend our thanks to her for her commitment to quality journalism and for her warm and genuine manner.



The piece even includes a tried and tested recipe for my French garlic tart...yum, yum!

As I said it is a unique magazine, and is interestingly formatted, with clever and useful features. It is very attractively designed/presented too. Slow Magazine is based in Castlemaine, just 30 mins. up the road from Daylesford but draws on the wordly strengths and experience of its creators I think.

Slow Magazine is available from Borders bookshops and good newsagents or you can visit their website and set up a subscription. 
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2009 Garlic Crop- harvest to dispatch and Christmas farmers' markets!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Hello there! Our 2009 garlic was harvested about 3 weeks ago now. It was perfect weather-wise (dry and not too hot) and we had a fabulous small team of casual farm workers to help us get it all done in a timely manner. With their help we got it harvested and hung for curing and could already see we had a pretty fine crop on our hands.

 
Tim bunching some just picked garlic in the field.

 
The trailer getting filled with garlic bunches to be transported back to the drying shed and out of the sun.



Piles of garlic bunches awaiting their spot on the hanging rack!

  
Fresh 2009 garlic just hung for drying and curing, Glenlyon dirt intact. 

 
First lot of garlic stems cleaned for plaiting. 

 

Let the plaiting begin...plait-meister Cheryl in action (not just another hand model!). Cheryl is our dear friend and occasional farm hand. A lady of many talents, a fellow garlic and fine food groupie with the biggest heart who is my plaiting guru/buddy. She also brings a large dollop of love to our mix in Angelicanian creations!

 
Plait-o-rama well under way (...and already 'sold out' online!) .

  

Then last week we were blessed with the French and Italian 'Connection' for a day to help kick off the garlic bulb cleaning festival! Our mates Don and Sue from Timber Benders shared their  WWOOFers (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) with us for the day, which was a great help and good fun. 


Fozia, Ouen & Jonathan - 3 French groovers.

Billy got spoilt with loads of extra love and cuddles! Unfortunately my dream of taking him out for dinner in Paris was dashed when the guys broke the news that it wasn't likely to be able to happen in reality- oh pooh! 

We got our first lot of online garlic orders posted out the other day and all has reached its destination in good shape and with fabulous feedback coming in- thank you :)

And back on the 'ranch' the garlic bulb cleaning continues in earnest....

The Daylesford (1st sat.) and then Collingwood Children's Farm farmers' markets have been fantastic the past couple of Saturdays (sorry no pics!). It's great to be back in the f.m. 'saddle' for the new season.

Please come and visit us this coming Saturday at the Hawthorn Boroondara Farmers' Markets (8am-1pm) or the Daylesford Christmas Twilight Farmer's Market (4pm-8pm) and maybe pick up a gorgeous garlic braid as a Christmas present to-boot?! :)
      
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Garlic Harvest Hooray!

Friday, December 11, 2009
Hello All! Here is a wee preview of the 2009 garlic crop.

    

As you will see from the various website updates, THE GARLIC IS IN NOW...woo hoo!!


I do apologise for no blog posts for a couple of weeks...but we have been flat out harvesting then attending to the post harvest care of your garlic - curing, cleaning, braiding, trimming, weighing, posting...I am still 'under the pump' but anticipate posting a decent length missive for you after the weekend.

Thanks for your patience :)
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