from bin to beautiful
I give ugly fruit and veg a new lease of life!
My husband, Mark, 47, phoned me from our home in Mypolonga, SA. “We’re going to have to divorce if you stay away any longer,” he quipped.
It was October 2018, and I hadn’t lived at home for three years, stationed in Adelaide as a Scouts Branch Commissioner. “You’re right,” I agreed.
e following day I handed in my resignation.
Before working with the Scouts, I’d raised my three boys, Blake and Craig, 23, and Luke, 20.
I was happy to move home, but with my boys grown up, I felt directionless.
“Why don’t you nd another job?” Mark said when I returned.
“I don’t like the sound of anything,” I shrugged.
at same week, I spoke to Cam who was living on the property next door and explained how I was feeling.
“You can help me out if you like,” he said.
Apparently, his farm had yielded a bumper harvest of peaches.
“I’ve dried most of them but haven’t been able to sell a thing,” he explained.
“I could dip them in chocolate and bring them to the market,” I suggested.
at weekend, I arrived at the local market with ve kilos of chocolate peaches. In two hours, they sold out! “ose peaches would’ve been thrown out if not for you,” Cam enthused.
“I should contact other farmers and see if they have produce to re-purpose,” I said.
A citrus farmer, Brian, gave me loads of lemons and oranges, that I dehydrated to make cocktail garnishes.
Before long, other farmers from across South Australia were contacting me, hoping to salvage the odd-shaped fruit and veggies that shops wouldn’t take.
As a scout leader, I often made dehydrated meals for overnight hiking.
Following the same method, I re-purposed the ‘ugly’ produce to make dehydrated meals.
My rst batch included mushroom risotto, minestrone soup, and curry, and sold out within hours.
I’m really onto something here,
I marvelled.
en a wholesaler asked me to sell my products in their store.
My hobby born out of boredom became Woodlane Orchard, a business operated from my kitchen table.
By 2021, I was unable to keep up with the demand, so Mark and my mother, Helen, 73, were roped in.
“You look tired, love,” Mark said one evening.
“I’m just overworked,” I assured him.
However, his comment lingered and I decided to go for a check-up.
Weeks later, my doctor called with devastating news.
“You have thyroid cancer,” she said gently.
e following month, doctors removed the tumour.
Despite being sick, I was reluctant to stop the thriving business.
Fortunately, in May 2022, a local pomegranate farmer o ered to let me use half his factory to create my meals.
Getting the business out of the house was great.
Two years later, I’m cancer free and we have moved into our own factory to cater for our 80 di erent products.
My food is now stocked in 60 stores Australia-wide as well as online.
I hope I’m helping people see that ugly fruit and veg aren’t so ugly after all.
In two hours, I had sold out
Although Tasmania is small, it sure does make a big impression. You’d be hard-pressed to nd a bad meal – everything is served up fresh and delicious – and Tasmania is where Australia’s natural beauty really shines. Enjoy the slower pace of life and soak up the fresh air, as you discover facts about our nation’s storied history. From cosy hotels to quirky museums, Australia’s only island state o ers the perfect intersection of eccentricity and elegance for those looking for a memorable short stay as the weather cools.