Hi there

It’s been a great week of National Farmers Market Week celebrations around the country with the theme ‘where does our food comes from’, our Big Ugly Cheese Competition proved popular with many of you last weekend.  Eva was the lucky winner getting it exactly correct at 6.52kg.  And our goodie bag giveaways on Facebook & Instagram were very popular, we love hearing who your favourite vendors are & it’s always good to see what a great array of vendors we have.  We also did our annual gate count (although for awhile back there we were counting every week last year) 5771 of you through last weekend although it felt way more, thanks for visiting. 

This weekend the Pauley family will be up on the platform with the 2^nd crop of figs which is always something to celebrate.  Many of you might be getting away for our long Otago Anniversary weekend, drive safe, take care & stock up on supplies at the Market before you hit the road!  I will miss seeing you all, as covid has finally found me after evading it all this time, so I am laying low at home & our brand new assistant manager Jamie is certainly hitting the ground running this week, but she’ll be fine, thanks Jamie!  I have just found a secret stash of Gilbert's rye bread in my freezer so it's the small things that get you through! 

If you have been thinking of going to our special 20^th anniversary Long Lunch then this is a final days to book a table!! I have just got off a zoom call with Precinct Food & the menu is sounding blimmin delicious!  They are sourcing produce & product from so many of our vendors for the day like Rosedale Orchard, Dunford Grove, Oamaru Organics, Evansdale Cheese, Waewae Permaculture, Wild Dispensary, Princes St Butchery, Blue Mountain Butchery, Coko Lounge, Moturata Gardens, Hazelnut Estate and lots more to be confirmed (or that I have missed!).  Liz & her talented team are having fun creating our menu and say it's a been a treat for them to work on such a great project.  So sort your reservation today!  (See further down in the newsletter for the link).

For those of you who maybe isolating or homebound we have a few vendors that can deliver to your door during the week, Brightside Microgreens, Gilberts Fine Foods, Ettrick Gardens (vege boxes), Waewae Permaculture (vege boxes), Ronia & Pippi, Agreeable Nature Eggs, Blue Mountain Butchery, Tartan Sari, Dunford Grove, Evansdale Cheese, Oamaru Organics, Port Larder, Harbour Fish, Havoc Pork, Blueskin Bay Honey, Ginger Fox Foods Peanut Butter, Wild Dispensary, Judge Rock Wines, Hazelnut Estate, Matheson & Roberts, Bennies Honey, Whitestone Cheese, Waitaki Orchard, NZ Nuts, Breads & More, Dunedin Craft Distillery, Princes St Butchery & others.  You can find their details in the ORDER NOW button on our website or in the vendor profiles.

Bring CASH as some of our vendors are cash only.  And remember your containers, produce bags, berry punnets, plant pottles, jars, bottles, keep cup, etc look for the ReUse posters on vendors that accept packaging back.  Remember to try to return the correct packaging to those that you brought off if you remember (e.g. supermarket branded strawberries punnets can’t be reused by some of our vendors).  And borrow a keep cup from our cup library or coffee / chai / hot choc vendors.  If you want to borrow a plate for ready to eats just swing by the caravan for a clean one (& return back there for cleaning later), we also have bags you can borrow for produce or shopping too if you forget. 

Slice of Heaven & Hazelnut Estate will be back next weekend. 

Remember, that only all our authenticated, verified Otago Farmers Market vendors are all within our gates who have our tick of approval.  Make sure you support them inside the Market carpark & platform & you will get a quality product.  We thank you for your loyal support!

Please respect everyone’s space & feel free to wear your mask.

Shop your way around Otago this weekend…. at the Market!  Happy Otago weekend!

Ngā mihi

Michele

Market Manager

Header Image:  Pauley Family Figs

Insert Image: Pablo from Evansdale Cheese

This Week in the kitchen

Fig and Blue Cheese Bruschetta

Produce from Whitestone Cheese Evansdale Cheese Bennie's Honey Blueskin Bay Honey Dunford Grove Willowbrook Orchard Breads & More

Dunedin Craft Distillers

We will have our Lime Gin for you to try. This is a limited edition gin exclusive to the Otago Farmers Market, and our Distillery on Robert Street. We will also have our other spirits for you savour. We have had an exciting week - our 500lit still is just about ready for us to use. We have tried it with water, and once the final piece in the jigsaw arrives we will be able to do a spirit run.

We will look forward to seeing you on the platform.  Jenny and Sue

Ettrick Gardens Market Specials

Buy direct from the grower!!! Better quality at a better price!!

Fresh blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries!

Cauliflower Spray free 

ROMANESCO (a heritage vegetable, that has a lovely nutty flavour)

Beetroot - Round, Cylindra, Gold, and Candy - all spray free

Tomatoes - cherry, gourmet, table, all soil grown -spray free

Also, chillies & capsicums are IN SEASON now

Celery and parsley spray free

Shallots, garlic, and onions

Agria & Heather potatoes, spray-free and delicious 

Spray-free courgettes & zucchini

Red and green cabbage spray free

Cavolo Nero and kale spray free

Orange and coloured carrots - sweet and tasty 

Freshly picked - new seasons apples, pears, and plums

Walnuts spray free and shelled

Most of our vegetables are spray-free! Our courier service to your door is available anytime. Or “click & collect” from us at the Otago Farmers Market or our Ettrick shop. Email j.hpreedyege@actrix.co.nz for our latest order form and we can add you to our weekly update.

Ettrick Gardens: On your right at the main gate, or rapid 5104 Roxburgh - Ettrick Highway, State Highway 8, Ettrick. Central Otago. 03 446 6863 or 021 151 8203. 

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Dunford Grove

There’s a few trees at ours that get no attention at all and the fruit looks amazing! Speaking of neglect, unfortunately that’s what I’ll be doing to you all shortly. We’re out of oil for the season so this Saturday will be the last until around September. Remember your bottles for refilling this week.

We will have olio nuovo available when we start harvesting around mid May-early June. "Olio Nuovo", that's straight off the press cloudy olive oil. Not a long term keeper but an oil with stunning flavours. Those of you who are interested in buying, send an email to orders@dunfordgrove.com and we can courier to you.

A huge thank you to all who have supported us this past year, I do enjoy your company and will really miss my Saturday mornings at the market.

Did you know?

Each olive forms the stone first, then builds flesh, increasing in size as it does. Finally the oil content increases and we are super happy if this get to over 18%. Further north where there’s no risk of frost, oil content can be over 25%.  Sandy

Earnscleugh Orchard Co-op

Hi, we look forward to seeing you all at the market on Saturday. 

We have FREE TASTING of all of our fruit. Try before you buy, we welcome you to try all of the fruit. 100% paper packaging (Nothing in Plastic). Remember everything is packed at the market on the day, so super fresh. 

Where are we you ask? Look for the BIG RED VAN up on the platform under the roof.

CERTIFIED ORGANIC APPLES:

Royal Gala Apple, Honey Crisp Apple 

SRAY-FREE:

Hawera plum (similar to omega), Greengages (just 3 crates left), Royal gala apples

BLUEBERRIES:

Final weeks.... Aaaaagh, only 2 weeks to go, stock up your freezer NOW. (Remember- Blueberries freeze free-flow) 

STONEFRUIT:

Peaches Yellow flesh (so sweet), Peacherines, Golden Queen peach, Apricots - Mooreparks daughter, Yellow Nectarines 

PLUMS:

Freedom Plum, Amber Jewel plum, Fortune plum, Black Diamond plum

Plus:

Nashi Yellow 

It's that time to bottle or jam your fruit winter....if you want 2nds in apricots, plums, peaches or nectarines please text to ask what we have available and I'll confirm on Friday. Text 021 455341.

PRE-ORDER so you don't miss out - Text 021 455341 by Friday 10am to order any fruit.

Feel free to mix SAME PRICED fruit to get a delicious fruit mix at the market and remember you can taste any fruit before you buy. 

Rob, Sher and family

Stonehurst Gourmet - Herb of the Week

LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis)

In 1696 the London Dispensary stated, "Balm, given every morning, will renew youth, strengthen the brain and relieve languishing nature". Lemon balm's virtue of relieving melancholy has been written about for centuries and is still used today in aromatherapy to counter depression.

The leaves can be finely chopped and added to salads, white sauces, poultry, pork dishes and mayonnaises for a lemony flavour. Add to fruit salads, jellies, fruit drinks or wine. 

Infuse fresh leaves, by themselves, or in a mix for a refreshing tea. Lemon balm tea is said to help give relief from chronic bronchial build-up, feverish colds, and headaches. It helps to "calm and uplift tension".

Infuse the leaves as facial steam and/or as a rinse for greasy hair.

The leaves dry easily and are often added to potpourri mixes but can also be used in a 'scent sachet' for inside pillows (dried leaves can be used as tea however, medicinal properties may be reduced).

The strongly scented leaves are a light green colour which can turn yellowish-green when in the full summer sun and grown in dry soil. Flowers appear during summer-autumn at the stem tips. A hardy perennial that will tolerate most sites except waterlogged soils - ideal conditions are full sun with middday shade, and moist soils. Lemon Balm can be grown as an inside plant when young. Ht 90cm (approx).  Cheers, Kate

LAST chance to book this week!

On Sunday 26 March 2023, join our single table under cover on New Zealand's longest rail platform and enjoy a specially created seasonal lunch showcasing the finest summer produce from many of our Otago Farmers Market vendors. (Think Central Otago stone fruit in delicate desserts, a delicious array of salads and dishes made with Otago's finest produce and ingredients).

Enjoy a three course lunch of shared platters prepared by Precinct Food.  A cash bar will serve libations from Otago Farmers Market vendors; No8 Distillery, Judge Rock Wines, Dunedin Craft Distillery, Catlins True Brew & Ronia & Pippi. Savour entrées of fresh late summer flavours from the Market, a main of Otago Lamb served Greek-style in parchment paper accompanied by seasonal Otago vegetables and a dessert selection featuring Central Otago summer stonefruit preserved at the height of the summer and lovingly prepared.  

Tickets are essential and can be purchased from TryBooking here.  Booking is $135 per person + booking fees. This includes a welcome drink and a delicious, leisurely three course lunch. The booking system allows you to add dietary requirements and note who you may want to sit with.

This is a wonderful opportunity to honour 20 years of Otago Farmers Market by taking a few leisurely hours to celebrate the best of life; friends and whanau and locally harvested, seasonal produce cooked to perfection!

No.8 Distillery

VOTE FOR US!!!

Are we still your most favourite farmers market this year?  We have won it 4 times previously!

Voting for the Coast Kiwis’ Favourite Farmers Market 2023 has begun and runs through until Friday 31 March. 

Go in the draw to win prizes!

The page for voting is here https://www.outstandingfoodproducer.co.nz/kiwis-favourite

Kiwi Harvest ‘Pay it Forward Crate’

The crate will be near the Market caravan at the main middle gate - look for a flag on top & if you feel like donating something extra from your shopping then Kiwi Harvest will collect each Saturday lunchtime & it gets distributed out to local charities for those in need this week.

Feel Free to Share this Newsletter with Your Community

Communities helping Communities

Support LOCAL Small Businesses

No Dogs allowed in the Market apart from care dogs.

No Fliers / Pamphlets to be distributed at the Market please.

Keeping Well

Everyone welcome but PLEASE STAY AWAY IF UNWELL (vendors & customers).

Please only handle food & produce that you are going to buy.  

Please respect everyone’s space & feel free to wear your mask. 

Please sneeze into your elbow.

Wishing you well!