PRECEDE
It’s quickly become a tradition of the GourMay month of celebrating food in the Mary Valley, that has just completed a successful third year. ERLE LEVEY was at John Tidy Organics at Amamoor as part of the sought-after Sunrise Breakfast held on the high point of the avocado orchard.
BREAKOUT QUOTE
“We are so lucky to be in a beautiful part of the world, with beautiful food, friends and family … what more do you want in life?”
There’s nothing quite like a mile-long hike up a steep slope at 5.30 on a chilly May morning to start the day.
Yet that’s what 36 of us did as part of the GourMay month-long food festival in the Mary Valley.
We had met at John and Julia Tidy’s farm at Amamoor, ready for the climb to the high-point of their property just to the north of the town.
The reason we were out of warm beds at this, perhaps the coolest time of day, was the promise of a hearty breakfast from one of the best vantage points in the valley.
John and Julia run an 80-acre certified organic avocado farm and their sunrise breakfast is highly sought on the GourMay calendar.
Apart from the spectacular views and the chance of an inspiring sunrise, there was a mouth-watering menu of produce from like-minded farmers, artisans and local providers within about a 25km radius of their property.
We had gathered by torchlight for John’s welcome and set off up the track through the avocado orchard.
“Follow me,’’ he said, then pointed to a small flock of sheep huddled together under some trees.
“There’s Spot, the sheep … he was at GourMay’s Festival Day for people to guess his weight.
“Perhaps we should call him Lucky.’’
Our group was bunched at the start but started to thin out into two lines as we found our individual pace, chatting with those next to you.
John and Julia bought the original 50-acre property in 2003 and have since added to it and made 80acres.
“This is half way,’’ John announced.
What? I thought we must almost be there.
There are patches of light creeping between the clouds in the sky. Off to the south is the glow of street lights in the town.
It’s noticeable how there’s not so much talking now, as at the start.
Soon you see the silhouette of a pine tree up ahead and the light from a campfire.
Then the smell of sausages and bacon cooking, of brewed coffee. The clean, fresh country air heightens your sense of smell … and the feeling of anticipation.
And we are there.
Everything had been set up on the ridgetop by family and friends the night before and brought up in utilities. Then they were preparing the breakfast at 4am, while most of use were just getting out of bed.
The setting is magnificent – the outlook is like something from ages ago. Peaceful, tranquil, serene.
You can see the mountains against the colours of the morning – Pinbarren, Cooran, Cooroora, Tinbeerwah – and right the way up towards Wolvi and Rainbow Beach as well as to the south down the valley
There was herbal tea and coffee, sparkling wine and orange juice.
The tables were beautifully laid out and a camp fire was burning. Bacon, eggs and sausages were cooking on the barbecues.
Sensibly delayed from the week before because of rain, the breakfast was perfect. Old friends chatted with new, ideas were shared, experiences re-lived.
Julia Tidy welcomed everyone and paid thanks for getting up so early.
“It is certainly an interesting experience walking up here,’’ she said.
“I want to share with you how I see our farm.
“The thinking in today’s society is that we are causing harm to our world.
“In so many ways toxins are used in our food, in our cosmetics, cleaning products, packaging and in many types agriculture.
“Unfortunately many think of Earth as being a resource we can use and abuse. We think it is going to last and just be there for us.
“If we were to change our thinking and regard it as a living being – as Mother Nature – it will continue to be abundant and always there to provide.
“Think that way and we can change behaviours. Let it be a nurturing and life-giving resource.’’
Julia marvels at the magic of nature – to look at a plant and understand how one little plant can grow and grow, and provide for more plants.
“By being organic and biodynamic, we are trying to give back to nature and care for Mother Earth … care for her and not live against her.
“We’ve found it works for us here.
“A few years ago I looked at our farm and said to John it looked so scruffy.
“You look around at other monoculture areas, mowed to perfection, and this looks scruffy in comparison.
“John told me to sit in the orchard and have a look around.
“The abundance, the amount of insect and plant life. There is this beautiful buzz of energy and I thought you don’t get that when sitting on a mown piece of grass or in a monoculture field.
“So I sat there and watched the birds, the bees and insects.
“Knowing where your food comes from – that it’s safe – you feel really good when you eat it.
“My wish is that this is not just a delicious breakfast and a beautiful view but hopefully you have made a few new acquaintances and friends.
“In today’s world we need to think about our choices and what products to buy.
“Aim to buy products that will support good farming practices, and products that will work with nature.’’
The breakfast menu was created using produce from the surrounding area.
Herbal tea by Heart Therapeutics, coffee from Montville Coffee, sparkling wine from Dingo Creek Winery, sourdough by Jeremiah’s Crust, bacon from Mary Valley Smallgoods, breakfast sausages from The Beach Farm.
The free-range eggs were from Bunya Grove Farm, goats cheese from Gympie Farm Cheese, rosella and rhubarb jam from CC Diaz-Petersen at Woolooga Farm Kitchen, avocados and honey from John Tidy’s Organics, mushrooms from Frog Hollow Mushroom Farm, yogurt from Kenilworth Dairies and homemade granola by Julia Tidy.
The whipped goats cheese was on the table to be enjoyed with the honey that had been infused with truffle oil, and spread on bread or toasted baguette. The honey had been created by bees from hives on the farm that had been pollinating the avocado blossoms.
John then let us into his secret: “I’m very passionate about growing avocados and following organic and biodynamic principles.
“We are so lucky to be in a beautiful part of the world, with beautiful food, friends and family … what more do you want in life?
“Talking to a medical practitioner around the campfire, he said If people had this in their life they wouldn’t need him.
“This good living would be a cure.’’
John said he first took the beautiful walk up the hill in 2003 and has loved it ever since.
“We have a wonderful community here at Amamoor.
“We started repairing the ground when we moved here and luckily there were not too many chemicals used before us.’’
The reason John went organic was seeing the way other produce was treated with chemicals.
That was his turning point.
“Organic means spray-free,’’ he said. “Certification is the only way for us.
“The issue is we pay each year for a license to say we don’t use chemicals.
“When shopping for convenience we should be asking how the produce is treated and grown.’’
Biodynamic plants are grown in living soil – farms that generate their own fertility through composting, integrating animals, cover cropping, and crop rotation.
This provides a quality of health and nutrition argued to not be possible with chemical fertilisers or hydroponic growing.
As well as being active in the Mary Valley community, John and Julia are members of Slow Food which encourages good, healthy and fair food for all, produced in a sustainable way.
The sunrise breakfast at John Tidy Organics summed up what Slow Food is all about and at the same time highlights the essence of what GourMay is about … a celebration of what beautiful produce is available in the immediate area.
The breakfast encouraged a sense of community – that good, fresh food and conversation could be shared in such a healthy and inspiring environment.
