Farewell from Kylie

I joined Green Connect in late 2017 after falling in love with this community-run enterprise that was kicking serious goals both socially and environmentally, and running businesses to do it. It was the holy grail for me – a true business for good.

I still remember meeting the team for the first time. It was a time of major upheaval, going through a demerger and a merger. I walked into a room full of talented, passionate, hard-working, and genuine humans who were putting everything they had into creating jobs for young people and former refugees, reducing waste, and growing fair food.

We tackled some big things in that first meeting, and we haven’t stopped since.

Leading Green Connect has been the best and hardest thing I’ve done in my career. The impact we have is real and I see it every day. The people I get to work alongside are extraordinary, from the young people with complex home lives, to the former refugees who have survived things that no one should have to endure, to the people that lead all the different parts of Green Connect, to our customers and funders and supporters. But the challenges are huge. Finding the funds to make it all work, meeting the support needs of our staff while delivering top-notch goods and services, negotiating with landlords and government departments and partners who can never quite find a box to put us in. Not to mention bushfires, pandemic, and floods.

As I reflect on almost five years of working alongside some of the best humans I know to create a cleaner, greener, fairer, kinder world, I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved, of what we’ve overcome, and of how we have done it together. And despite the craziness and challenges, I’m still as in love with Green Connect and everything we stand for today as I was five years ago.

I will be cheering the team on from the sidelines and look forward to seeing what the next five years bring. Thank you for being part of it with us. Your box is more than just fruit and vegetables. It’s a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. And believe me, a Green Connect world is one worth pitching in for.

Best wishes and happy eating,

Kylie Flament
Green Connect General Manager, 2017-2022

In your box this week:

Note: We sometimes need to make changes to what we pack in your veg box based on the quantity or quality of produce that we can harvest and source. If you have any questions about what is in your box, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Feature Veg: Red Mustard & Turnips

Red Mustard is a variety of mustard greens with rounded red-purple leaves and bright green stems. Young leaves, like the ones we are packing this week, are beautifully tender and succulent with a fresh, mildly nutty/peppery taste. Mature leaves become more robust both in texture and flavour. Red mustard can be prepared in a similar way to other mustard greens or Asian greens. It is delicious when eaten raw in salads but can also be gently braised or stir-fried.

Turnips are root vegetables in the brassica, or cabbage, family. When young, they are mild with a delicate sweetness and hint of peppery spice. As they age, they get a bit woodier and their flavour deepens. They are incredibly versatile and can be cooked like potato and then some. Try roasting them with other root veggies to bring out their sweetness, baking or boiling them into stews or soups, mashing them with potatoes, or steaming them lightly with a bit of butter and salt. They are also delicious grated raw into salad.