CELEBRATING LOCAL FOODS AT URRBRAE MARKET

It took me all of 7 minutes to get to the Urrbrae Agricultural High School's produce market this morning. Situated only 10 minutes from the Adelaide city centre, this substantial piece of land is home to hundreds of chickens, both egg-laying and meat hens, dozens of sheep and goats, several cows, pigs and alpacas and no doubt some other animals too. It also has orchards, olive groves, a vineyard and vegetable growing areas. Not only is this a working farm, it also has facilities for wine making, olive pressing,wool spinning, jam making and too many others to name.

Here, school students learn to become farmers, agricultural researchers, water use specialists ..... everything and anything to do with the land. What's more, they learn the business skills to help them succeed and they take part in their very own monthly market, selling vegetables, meat, wines, value-added things like jams, oils, pickles as well as manures and compost. Some entrepreneurs have their own stalls too, selling produce from home such as herbs, vegetables, pies and tarts.

 

Today Maggie and I could not resist Daniel's sausage rolls. Sadly I have no photos.... as soon as they arrived, hot from the oven, they were snapped up. Luckily he saved us some and I am pleased to say they were the very best sausage rolls I have ever eaten. At the next trestle was another lad whose name I do not know, but I bought one of his lemon tarts, after testing a sample piece.... where do these kids learn to cook like this??  On Wednesday you will meet Daniel, as he is coming on our seedsavers day out!

 

 

Maggie and I both bought a frozen chicken, I bought some Sundowner apples which are one of my favourites.... 3 for only 50c....and some marinated goats fetta, and Maggie bought some goat sausages. The fact that all this was grown and made only 7 minutes from my home and less from Maggie's as she lives opposite the school, and it is teaching thousands of teenagers to do it too, bang in the centre of the suburbs, is a credit to someone somewhere in our dim dark history. Actually anyone can have a stall there.... so if you have some herbs or produce you'd like to sell, give them a call and ask for Maxine.

You can wander around and see a lot of the farm and school and so on and when the school is open, there are tours you can go on too. During school hours you can buy produce from the canteen.... I have lined up at recess time and bought some eggs and vegetables, and the kids don't bat an eyelid.

On the way back to Maggie's for a coffee, a rainbow showed the way and I swear it was ending right at her front door.... and you know what? Maggie and Bob are the best pots of gold I would want to find at the end of any rainbow.

This is all you are going to see of Bob today but their garden is THE best vegetable and herb garden I know, anywhere in the world ..... and I should know.... I've been around.... and around.... and soon to go again..... for good.

 

But that's another story. There are lots more photos here.