Welcome to winter

It’s been really hard to judge the seasons over the last nine months, with so much rain and fluctuating conditions, it’s been hard to find a seasonal pattern. But the chilly mornings, and early sunsets we’ve had recently have definitely let us know that winter is well and truly here.

In a lot of temperate climates, farmers will stop growing in the winter, and focus on resting up and preparing for the next year. With the Illawarra’s climate being subtropical, we have the luxury of growing all through the cooler months. This is just as well, as our customers still need their veggies through winter! While we don’t get a ‘rest’ during winter, the pressure valve does get released in these months, with fewer weeds and pests to deal with around the market garden. This gives us time to work on the jobs that we’ve been looking at for the past nine months and saying, ‘we’ll get to that one day’.

Stay tuned for an invite to a veg box winter gathering we are planning, where we’re really looking forward to getting our customers together for some soup and some laughs!We’ve extended our chicken area, and added another one, to accommodate some new laying hens – which is good news for those who want eggs in a month or so when they’re laying. We are extending and improving our fencing so we can make more use of the goats and sheep to control weeds around the farm. And what’s really exciting, is that we’re preparing an area of our food forest to grow large crops of perennial vegetables: asparagus, rhubarb, artichoke yacón and turmeric.

Enjoy,
Cal Champagne
Green Connect Farm Manager

In your box:

What’s that in my box: bok choy deliver one of the highest levels of nutrients per calorie compared to other foods and has also been proven to help prevent cancer. This vegetable also reduces the risk for conditions like heart disease thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. You can keep bok choy in the fridge for up to a week but its best to eat fresh to ensure you’re getting all of those nutrients. there’s no end to what you can do in the kitchen with this veg and your options include, sautéing, frying, steaming, shredding, pickling, grilling, or eating it as is! For more information on how to store & cook any of our vegetables, visit: https://draxe.com/ and type in the veggie you’re looking for.