Spring XI: First Crop. Berries, peonies, oysters, early-summer produce and, how are those tomatoes coming on?
Do we even need to write a newsletter about this week now? The title says it all. To borrow a phrase: It’s business time. Late spring and into summer is, figuratively and literally, business time. The streets are busy, the hotels are fully booked, and the produce is bursting from the ground such that it is taxing to keep up. It’s that time of year when many Tasmanians make their hay. The sun, she shines, so let us make the hay.
This week at Harvest
Firstly, we have the premier appearance of our seasonal berry producers this week, with the irrepressible Stuart and BioBerries leading the charge! Each year we have a sweep of which berry producer will be first to appear. It’s usually a tussle between Karl and Brett from Sheffield Berry Gardens. What with the Westerway crew being based in, you guessed it, Westerway, meaning they’re sometimes fashionably late to the berry party. We’ve been hoping that the early berries and the late asparagus would cross over one another, and it seems we’ve got our wish. Joy!
Also making their first appearance for the supremely brief but much anticipated season are the wonderful Andrea and Heathermoor peonies. We post this photo every year when Andrea makes her first appearance for the season. It’s easy to see why, it’s brilliant. Who doesn’t love a good colour gradient? The fact that Andrea would take the time to style and take this shot speaks to precisely the passion and love for produce we consistently bang on about here at Harvest. Moreover, peonies are considered a cultural expression of general goodwill and joy, honour and beauty. So giving them as a gift to someone is quite meaningful. Long story short, peonies make you feel good.
Could it be? Are we seeing a return to fortnightly consistency from our friends Steven and Izzy at Bruny Island Oysters? Their appearance this week and our conversations with them give us hope. Certainly, we’re hopeful for more than just their wonderful presence and product at Harvest. We’re hopeful for the easing of their growing conditions, and we’re hopeful for the continued longevity of what is a pretty iconic Tasmanian industry. When you know a little about what it takes to grow an oyster, then get to thinking about climatic conditions and other environmental factors, you start to fear for businesses like Bruny Island Oysters, and people like Steven and Izzy.
This week marks one whole year since Shelduck Farm’s beginning at Harvest. Congrats to them! Georgetown Seafood is back. Wanderlust is out for the week, unfortunately. And, as always, your devoted cohort of weekly stallholders will be right where you left them last week. You know who they are and what they’re bringing to the party by now. Bread, eggs, cheese, honey, sweet treats, beers, juice, meats, fish and veg, greens and herbs. Plus, we can’t wait to see how Annette and Nev’s tomatoes are coming along. Keep an eagle eye out for our resident chef running around, catching up, and briefing stallholders on an upcoming film shoot… a tease to end!
That is all we’re writing about this week, although it is most certainly not all we have in store for you this week at Harvest. Nor is it even close to everything we have going on for you during November and December. As we said, it’s business time. Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading, we really can’t wait to get stuck in tomorrow. Crack of dawn.