Take a balmy September evening in one of Sydney’s historic locations, throw in uber-fresh vegetables and blood oranges as decorative props, lush green plots of peas, nasturtiums, radishes and rocket, deeply loved and used relics from colonial kitchens, stir with a collection of Australia’s most connected and innovative small-scale farmers and you have the ingredients to Speed Meet A Farmer.
The brainchild of wordsmith Barbara Sweeney, the event also launched The Field Guide to Australian Produce, edited by Ewan McEoin and colleagues providing the perfect introduction to the delicious festivities and foods ushered forth for the 100 guests to savour accompanied by biodynamic wine from Lowes Vineyard near Mudgee.
This event wasn’t just a gush-fest of food writers waxing lyrical about the latest food-fad to hit the streets; this was a gathering of farmers, academics, writers, cooks and deeply interested people who acknowledge and articulate their relationships with food.
The farmers in the hot seats included Paulette Whitney from Provenance Growers in Tasmania where she and her partner grow more than 500 edible plants which they sell at farmers markets and supply to cafes and restaurants.
After the introductions, the luscious and never-ending trays of lovingly prepared foods and the book launch, it was time for the farmers to take their allotted seats in the courtyard, and answer the questions thrown forth.
The farmers in the hot seats included Paulette Whitney from Provenance Growers in Tasmania where she and her partner grow more than 500 edible plants which they sell at farmers markets and supply to cafes and restaurants.
By using their polyculture and ‘”we love weeds” practices, Paulette believes farmers will save the world by working with nature, and not against it.
Michael and Cressida McNamara produce cheeses from their herd of East Fresian dairy sheep at Robertson in the Southern Highlands.
They value-add by making three styles of cheese and selling them at a range of farmers markets and retail outlets, mainly in and around Sydney.
Their Pecora Dairy recently won a gold medal with their Jamberoo Mountain Blue at the Sydney Royal in its first appearance in competition.
Andrew and Therese Hearn hail from the mid-north coast region of NSW where they raise pastured pork, chickens, eggs and vegetables, and regularly host on-farm events utilising their produce so visitors can explore the farm and experience the exquisite flavours from this multi-income-stream enterprise.
They have strong and loyal customer bases in Port Macquarie, Newcastle and Sydney and, through their on-line farm shop, provide a retail outlet for other natural farmers in their area.
John Susman is a self-described Jewish flogger of fish and old-timer of 30 years in this industry.
Originally from Port Lincoln, John has been deeply involved in almost every regulatory facet of the fishing industry and laments that aquatic protein is still a miniscule proportion of Australians intake of protein.
John Fairley from Country Valley Dairy and Pepe Saya of cultured butter fame are well-known as a double-act in the foodie scenes across Australia.
The Country Valley Dairy is now Australia’s largest privately owned dairy processing enterprise and a beacon of possibilities for other dairy farmers as an alternative to remaining bound to monster dairy processing companies.
Pepe uses Country Valley cream exclusively for his cultured butters, mascarpone, buttermilk and ghee which is now used in the highest rating restaurants and catering companies in Australia.
John and his other suppliers farm biologically with minimal use of any synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides.
This assurance of clean milk is one of the reasons his clientele keeps growing; the other is Country Valley supplies pure milk with no derivatives removed (except for cream in the Lite and Skim varieties).
The regime was to be two-minutes per farmer mixed with musical chairs but, that wasn’t the outcome.
Instead of quick-and-dirty superficial questions, the deep and meaningful conversations ensued very close connections between farmers and eaters with new relationships created and a deeper respect from knowing more about the care for soil, ecosystems and animals every farmer described in and on their enterprises.
Speed Meet a Farmer provided a novel yet profound opportunity for city people to get up close and personal with farmers representing many sectors, however, all bore similarities in that their business models are as price-makers providing the shortest supply chain possible to their valued customers.
