FARM GATES
Seek out locally grown produce direct from the farm gate or have it delivered right to your doorstep
Fresh flavours from Tasmania’s glorious growers and prime producers
Purchasing fruit direct from growers in spring and summer is a ritual many Tasmanians look forward to. Strawberries are for sale at farms from October; blueberries, cherries and raspberries from December; and blackberries and stone fruits from January. But it’s not just fruit that’s sold at farm gates and honesty-box roadside stalls. Increasingly, in the Huon Valley and elsewhere, out-of-the-way farms with more diverse offerings, including seasonal vegetables, honey, jams, saffron, lavender and hot and cold-smoked salmon, are selling direct to the public.
Lisa Britzman and her partner David Peck, have a farm-gate stall (open on weekends or by appointment) at their 21ha farm, Campo De Flori, at Glen Huon, where they grow saffron, olives and three varieties of lavender for culinary use.
The couple, keen sailors who left their home in Seattle, US, in 1999 to circumnavigate the world in a boat, bought the property seven years ago.
“We ended up in Queensland and when the 9/11 [terrorist attacks] happened, we decided we’d stay in Australia,” says Britzman, a ceramic artist and former interiors architect.
“We initially came to Tasmania to watch the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race as we’re sailors, and we fell in love with the place.”
Their farm vision included planting 150 olive trees to produce olive oil, an acre of crocus for saffron, and an acre of lavender. The couple have also built a home with a ceramics studio for Britzman, who grew up on a farm in Iowa.
“My husband had always wanted an olive orchard, so we put in an orchard, and we were initially contract growers for Tas-Saff. We have done a lot of hard work and this is the first year the farm can be what we dreamt it would be,” Britzman says.
“We were one of the Sprout Tasmania scholarship recipients this year, and that’s helped us get our products sorted and given us the knowledge we needed in regards to food safety and labelling laws. It’s also connected us with other producers in the area which has been great because you can otherwise feel a bit isolated.”
James Hutchinson of Longley Organic Farm, which is situated halfway between Hobart and the Huon Valley, likewise has a diverse farm-gate offering.
Though the focus is on seasonal vegetables, there’s a range of products for sale at the roadside stall, including raw honey, jams made from certified organic berries, Ruby Gold apples and seedlings.
The farm also offers weekend yoga classes, which began a week ago and a vegie box program.
“Farm gates are a part of the culture here,” Hutchinson says. “We want to be able to offer a whole range of different foods year in, year out.
“The vegetables are seasonal, of course, and because we are situated at the back of the mountain, our season starts a little bit later than everyone else’s. “We’ve got broad beans, baby carrots, Asian greens, herbs and radish on now, but most will start coming on from midJanuary. From mid-December there will be raspberries, and blueberries will come on around Christmas.”