Its been a hard year for so many organic producers and we are no exception. So many things went wrong just before we were about to leave that we really didn’t know if we would get there or not… the organic feed was late arriving, the bank account was almost bare and the automatic transmission went on the car to mention just a few. But with the support of family and incredibly generous friends we were able to make it.
It was great to see so many exhibitors at the organic expo though. Here is Jack and Jamie J (remember she is the one that raised Lucy) on the stand talking about and selling our certified organic Ham, Bacon, Chorizo and Vienna, and sampling the organic fermented Fennel, Chilli, Truffle and French salumi.
What a weekend! We were absolutely exhausted by the end, but also exhilarated by the Hugely positive response from the the public and the retailers/cafe owners/restauranteurs. Melbourne loved the products, which made us very proud, because Melbournians are well know for having great food, and if they loved ours… well it just made us feel like the long hard road has been worth it.
There were so many others asking about the way that we raise our animals, and is it really free range. Well, I don’t think it gets any freer than the way we do it.
Do they really eat pasture? Do they really live outside or do you just put them out on the paddock for the photos? Could we really visit your farm if we wanted? Yes, yes and yes. There really is no way we could hide what we are doing anyway as you could just hop on Google Earth and check our farm out.
It was great to be in Melbourne (apart from the very chilly breeze) and it was a great chance to get out to the farmers Markets to talk to other producers. I met Anne-Marie from Holy Goat and would have gone out to spend a day working on her farm, but the cold and the long hours took their toll and by Monday Morning I was incredibly fluey and really didn’t want to share whatever I was suffering with others, so I decided it was a day best spent collating all the contacts that had given us their cards.
I am still away from the farm and will be attending the Food Challenge Awards tomorrow night so hopefully it goes well!!
As always, thanks for your support. Your seeking out and buying our organic pork products makes it possible for us to give pigs the kind of life they have on our farm… a happy one, full of running about, grazing, playing, digging and living a full, piggy life. We wouldn’t farm any other way, and would have to stop farming if it wasn’t for your purchases. THANKS!!
Mim and Jack
