Dennis Bagnall has been growing veggies for most of his life and is as fascinated by soil as he is by the things that grow out of it. Only 1 hour from Sydney, his produce is as fresh and as local as it gets – he picks it the day before it hits the shelves. Growing a wide range of veggies from Asian greens, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, mustard greens, cabbages, tomatoes, radishes just to name a few, he is able to work with the seasons to stay productive. See our feature on Dennis here.
Mahbrook Organics farm 22 acres of picturesque, fertile soil at Albion Park, ninety minutes south of Sydney. Brothers Chris and Adam and their families specialise in growing leafy greens, lettuce, brassicas, tomatoes and cucumber. For more about Mahbrook check out our farm feature here.
Kurrawong Organics, near Bathurst, is the family farm of the Blands. Growing organics for over 12 years, they have earned their reputation for the best quality organic produce in Sydney . The Blands grow staple veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, beans, peas, Asian greens, potatoes, Brussels sprouts and more. Above Quentin Bland harvests a beautiful red cabbage.
Dick & Dora Roachford grow organic purple garlic near Tenterfield NSW. In a trip up there at harvest time, the Wholefoods House boys learned what a hard day’s work is all about. Garlic is harvested in one hit around September and stored. Its ability to store for over 6 months is because of its anti-bacterial properties, which also makes it a powerful medicine.
Situated at the confluence of the Colo and Hawksbury rivers an hour from Sydney, Anthony and Jeremy Wallis tend to the orange orchard that was passed down to them from their aunt and uncle. The navel oranges they grow are no doubt the best oranges I’ve (Eliot) eaten. In fact, I only really eat oranges when Colo River navels are in season between May and October. They have no cold storage, so they store their oranges on the trees until we place an order, then they get a few local school kids in to help with picking. The longer they are on the tree the sweeter they get.
Elke Haege is a horticulturalist who keeps bees on the balcony of her Woollahra apartment. She supplies ElkeHoney, a truly local product which she delivers to our Queen Street store in a custom-made cart! Read more about Elke’s operation here.
Joe and Antonia Gretschmann bought Elgaar Farm in Tasmania in 1986, but their pedigree goes back much further – Joe’s Bavarian family have been dairy farmers since the fifteenth century! Elgaar’s commitment to tradition results in the most delicious and healthful organic cheeses, yoghurts, butter and creamy, unhomogenised milk available anywhere. With a herd of cows known by name and returnable, reusable packaging they’re also the most ethically-minded, holistic dairy we know of and we’re very proud to be among their few Sydney suppliers. [Please note Elgaar are temporarily unable to supply us with their products. We hope they’re up and running again soon!]