Erle Levey
It was a matter of the country coming to town at Sunshine Beach last week.
Alex Thompson-Welch of Eastwell Farms at Kin Kin, and Scott Andrews of Tagigan Road Produce at Wolvi presented their produce at a Noosa Slow Food lunch at Embassy XO restaurant in Duke St.
Eastwell Farms produce grass-fed beef and gourmet mushrooms at their property in Moran Group Road while Tagigan Road Produce specialises in mushrooms.
Both producers are Noosa Slow Food members, along with James Wu of Embassy XO.
As such they follow a clean, green, fair philosophy of growing or presenting food.
Eastwell Farms and Tagigan Road Produce will also be open to visitors for the Cooloola Farm Trail on September 10-11, a chance to meet the farmers of the Kin Kin-Wolvi-Goomboorian area.
As well as seeing working farms and food outlets in operation, it will be a chance to talk with producers about farm gate-to-plate principles.
The Slow Food lunch at Sunshine Beach was highlighted by beef and mushroom patties as well as sausages.
For the Cooloola Farm Trail – visitors to Eastwell Farms will be greeted by a mob of cattle including the distinctive Nguni breed from Africa.
“It will be a real farm experience,’’ Alex Thompson-Welch, of Eastwell Farms, said.
“As well as getting up close to the cattle we will be having run-throughs about mushrooms – talking through the whole process.’’
Scott Andrews, who will be a Slow Food Noosa delegate at the Terra Madre Salon De Gusto in Turin, Italy, next month, will be holding mushroom growing workshops by prior registration on the Tagigan Road Produce facebook site. There are a limited number of spots available.
Scott is looking forward to the journey to Turin for the International Slow Food festival, with delegates from more than 160 nations.
He will co-present with Sunshine Beach school teacher Di Seels about Snail Kids – an innovative learning experience for children in local schools, which promotes the benefits of eating local, seasonal, and fresh food.
Scott also wants to learn from other speakers and bring back initiatives.
“It’s about sharing that knowledge, bringing it all back.’’
The Cooloola Farm Trail includes Noosa Black Coffee at Kin Kin, Cooloola Berries and Purity Essential Oils at Wolvi, and Beenham Valley Passions – passionfruit growers on Beenham Valley Rd.
Fraser Grill at Goomboorian is a new producer, where you can literally see the paddock from your plate at the roadside cafe.
They join established Farm Trail producer Rossmount Nursery, wholesalers of exotic fruit trees, persimmon and olive trees at Ross Creek.
Details: cooloolafarmtrail.com.au/
