Hi there

It’s almost goodbye to autumn again, that sure went fast didn’t it - but our vendors still set up rain, hail or shine proving them a hardy lot even in last weekend’s downpours!  Thanks to our loyal regulars who still made it along too!  Lynley & Mark at Waikouaiti Gardens will have the last of season this weekend, so stock up on their seedlings & produce as they won't be back till next season.  Adam & Jo Ann from Matheson & Roberts are now here every 2nd week for the next little while.  You will still find plenty of varieties of coloured vegies & goodies to keep meal times exciting throughout the week.  

If you happen to have any spare shopping bags (not plastic bags) you want to offload, feel free to donate them to our free bag library at the Market caravan.  Likewise, if you have spare any material that could be sewn up for produce bags let me know or any volunteers who would like to spend an hour or two whipping some up on the sewing machine.  1^st July means everyone will need to remember their own produce bags as vendors can’t provide compostable or plastic bags for you to fill your own any longer and everyone will need to be responsible in remembering to bring their own – which if you are reading this you most likely are!

Look out again for this month’s 20^th Anniversary Goodie Bag Giveaway filled with produce from the Market.  It will be on our Facebook & Instagram pages from Friday morning and the winner will be drawn 7pm Friday night – must collect from the Market this Saturday morning after 8:30am. 

Otago Farmers Market have put our support behind this EAT NZ initiative – you can have your say too in election year.  "In the face of food insecurity, a cost-of-living crisis, a climate emergency, growing geopolitical instability and some of the worst food-related health burdens in the developed world… a domestic food system that feeds New Zealanders well is more important than ever.

Help us tell the people with the power that we demand action to create better food future for our people, our farmers, growers, fishers, food producers and future generations of New Zealanders. 

Our relationship with food is one of the most important we have. The way we cook and eat, the way we feed ourselves and the people around us, and where our food comes from provides a deep vision into our society and how it works. Right now, we’re blundering.

Aotearoa New Zealand has a celebrated reputation as world leaders in food and beverage exports. But the lack of ambition and leadership in protecting our local food security and sovereignty undermines the future health, wellbeing and livelihoods of New Zealanders. And it is beginning to erode trust in our export offering too. It’s time for a big, brave push to protect New Zealanders’ access to the incredible food we produce here".  https://www.fixourfoodsystem.com/

Thank you to everyone who has participated so far in our Customer Survey.  As part of our 20^th Anniversary celebrations, we want to hear what YOU think.  We hope you will let us know in our customer survey link below.  It can be anonymous, or you can enter your details to go in the draw to win $100 worth of Otago Farmers Market vouchers to spend with any of our many wonderful vendors. 

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 vendors.  If you want to BORROW A PLATE or CUTLERY for ready to eats just swing by the caravan for a clean one (& return back there for cleaning & sanitising), we also have bags you can borrow for produce or shopping too if you forget. 

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

Shop your way around Otago this weekend…. at the Market! Thanks for stopping by.

Ngā mihi

Michele

Market Manager

Header Image: Waikouaiti Gardens

This Week in the kitchen

Beef and stout stew with dumplings

Produce from Princes St Butcher Oamaru Organics Ettrick Gardens Waewae Permaculture Caithness Farm Ltd Catlins True Brew Holy Cow

PEANUT BUTTER, HONEY, AND COCONUT BLISS BITES

Produce from Bennie's Honey Blueskin Bay Honey Ginger Fox Foods

Waikouaiti Gardens – last time this season!

This week we have the following produce available for the last time this season…..

Tomatoes Cherry, Heirloom & Red tomatoes

New Potatoes Freshly dug Desiree

Winter Vege plantings… We have good selection of vegetable plants available for planting now so you can have produce ready to pick in early spring!

Lynley & Mark would like to advise that this weekend will be our last market for this season and we would like to thank you for your continued support of our stall and the Otago Farmers Market. We will be returning to the market in early Spring with fresh seedlings for your spring and summer gardens. Hope you all have a safe, warm winter and we look forward to catching up soon. Best wishes. Mark & Lynley Hunter

Ettrick Gardens Market Specials

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

JALOPENO, XTRA HOT & CAYENNE CHILLIES CHECK OUT OUR BIG BAG SPECIALS THIS WEEK!

Green and Red Cabbage Spray Free ‘ONLY $3.50 each’

Frost sweetened parsnips

Lots of spray free pumpkins – grey & green

Jerusalem Artichokes – spray free

Broccoli, Cauliflower, large Leeks, Daikon & Spinach - all spray free

Silverbeet & Brightlights to brighten up your meals – spray free

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

CAPSICUMS are nearing the end – get them in the freezer for your winter needs!

Celery & Parsley - spray free

Shallots, garlic, and onions

Agria & Red Fantasy - spray free and delicious 

Washed Tiny Taties – many varieties!

Cavolo Nero & Kale – Spray free

Orange and coloured carrots - sweet and tasty 

APPLES – 14 varieties! Pacific Rose, Fuji, Braeburn, Eve, Granny Smith, Ballerat Cookers, Golden Delicious, Royal Gala, Pacific Beauty, Pacific Queen, Cox Orange apples, Pink Lady and Sturmer

Quince, Beurre bosc, doyenne du comice, winter nellis and taylors gold pears

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.

Earnscleugh Orchard Co-op

Hi, we look forward to seeing you all at the market on Saturday. Look for our RED VAN on the PLATFORM. FREE TASTINGS - TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING - 100% paper packaging (no plastic)

All fruit PACKED ON THE DAY, so super fresh. Straight from the cool store to you. 

At the market this Saturday:

CERTIFIED ORGANIC APPLES: Braeburn Apple, Fuji Apple, Royal Gala Apple, Honey Crisp Apple, Jazz, Apple, Koru Apple

SPRAY FREE: Asian Quince (almost all done), English Quince, Golden Delicious Apples, Walnuts 

PLUMS: Omega plum, Torwick plum, Angelino plum

APPLES: Nancy Fizz Apple, Granny Smith

PLUS: Nashi Yellow (Final weeks)

PEARS: Beurre Bosc, Packham, Winter Nellis, Taylor's Gold 

Plus we have Amazing HONEY: Thyme Honey, Runny Clover Honey, Comb Honey, Manuka Honey

RUNNING LATE TO THE MARKET? 

PRE-ORDER your fruit so you don't miss out just text 021 455341 by Friday 10am to order any fruit. We will pack and hold for you. Please collect by noon.

Feel free to MIX the SAME PRICED fruit to get a delicious fruit selection at the market. Plus remember you can taste any of our delicious fruit before you buy it. Thanks Rob, Sher and family

Stonehurst Gourmet - Herb of the Week

Aloe vera (syn. A. baradensis) aka The First Aid Plant!

This semi-hardy succulent is thought to have originated from the northern area of Africa and is more often found as a house plant this far south of the equator. 

The fleshy pale green blade like leaves are often spotted and have prickles along their edges.  Flowers are orange/red and are held above the leaves on tall stems.

This is the plant that many believed was the 'secret' ingredient in Cleopatra's beauty cream - even that far back in history this plant was known for its medical qualities as well as amazing skin care properties!

When the inner gel is applied topically to skin it helps with all types of burns (including nuclear!), blisters, ulcers and helps to reduce scaring - this gel also has sunscreen like properties. Aloe vera can also be applied to various minor grazes/wounds, ringworm and eczema.

When taken internally one has to be careful as the inner leaf also contains 'aloin' - this is a very powerful laxative & is commercially extracted for such use.   

The Aloe vera juice that is sold for drinking has had aloin removed and the resulting liquid is soothing to the digestive tract and helps to provides some relief for people who suffer from stomach issues, peptic ulcers and IBS.

Only harvest the outer leaves when needed with a sharp blade as the leaves do not store well when cut, peel the skin away and use the gel-like inner flesh topically.

This plant needs warmth and sunshine to prosper. Free draining, gritty soils or a cactus/succulent potting mix. Do not over water during winter. Frost tender.  Ht 30cm approx. Cheers, Kate

Dunedin Craft Distillers Mulled Gin

Winter is nearly here and so it is Mulled Gin time!

We will have our first batch of Mulled Gin at the market on Saturday.

This year we have been able to source the base apple juice from Central Otago and have blended it with our Dunedin Dry Gin plus a lovely group of warming spices. This is the perfect drink for a cold winters evening. 

We will be on the platform with a flask of warm Mulled Gin for you to try.

Bastien, Jenny and Sue 

No.8 Distillery Bluestone Vodka Wins Silver

We want to know what YOU think!

As part of our 20^th Anniversary celebrations, we want to hear what YOU think.  We hope you will let us know in our customer survey link below.  It can be anonymous, or you can enter your details to go in the draw to win $100 worth of Otago Farmers Market vouchers to spend with any of our many wonderful vendors. 

Complete our Customer Survey here: Otago Farmers Market Customer Survey 2023 (google.com)

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.

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!

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No Dogs allowed in the Market apart from registered Disability Assist Dogs.

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