Olive oil awards, Beerfest, oysters, distillers and a battering (not the fried kind though)
As we attempt to be the little ray of sunshine against what has been a distressing and disruptive fortnight-ish, let’s channel a bit of Paul McDermott. Let us be ‘the rabid mongrel on the end of the market’. Sure, ‘the market’ he was referring to was a TV audience, but the phrase stands. We can’t sit idly by digitally sowing discontent, pushing gloom and railing against an undefined foe. Our name is not Rupert. Or Bolt. Or whoever. We must push on and bring you the good news and goings on at Harvest.
Grovers, Shuckers and Distillers
First up, olives. It is Friday evening last week, and we’re at the Australian Olive Association’s national conference in Devonport. And we’re about to hear the winners of the International Olive Awards (The Ollies?). To our, your and everyone’s delight, we hear that The Village Olive Grove has bagged a gold and a bronze, Lentara Grove a silver. Coronea Grove chose not to enter this year, but have received such awards in the past and are roundly commended for their product. So great to see all three of our oil producers represented at a national level. Join us in extending them all a big congrats! Also, buy some oil this week, it is officially some of the nation’s finest.
Next up, oysters and distillers. And a point of order here. New Norfolk Distillery have changed their position in the market space! More toward the Cimitiere Street end, next to Juice Press. Coincidence? No. Quite deliberate. We hate (love) to drop a Snoop reference (like it’s hot) but, gin (or rum, or whiskey) and juice yo. So don’t be fooled, New Norfolk Distillery is very much still at Harvest and looking forward to seeing you. Whisky Joy! Also oyster joy! Oysters and whiskey, are there two finer examples of Tasmanian gastronomic pleasure? Subjective sure, but we’re sure you’ll agree they’re a high bar. This week at Harvest, you’re able to indulge in both. We’re super stoked to have Bruny Island Oysters in for their first stint of the spring.
Beers, beers beers beers beers… hops!
Beerfest 2022! Certainly Launceston’s – probably Tasmania’s – premier NYE event is coming up fast! AS part of the whole shebang, we’ve teamed up with FermenTAS and Launceston Gastronomy to you a personal hop-blending and aromatics workshop, with some of this state’s leading brewing minds. Look, we admit now, we’re yet to thrash out the details, but the blurb stands, so simply keep an eye out on the BeerFest website, here in this newsletter or across the social media ecosystem for details soon.
A-salt a Battery
The single greatest name for a fish and chip shop of all time. Apart from this, the phrase accurately describes what has been happening to Tasmania’s primary producers for some time now. Assaulted by rain and floods, battered by unpredictability and uncertainty. Talking with these producers and with the general market-going populace, the consensus is that everyone wants to support the farmers, but feels powerless to do so. To some degree, we are. We retain, however, the power to vote with our feet, wallets and ballot papers. We’re certainly not flouting the a-political stance of Harvest, although we are suggesting that perhaps we should be strongly considering who we elect, and on what platform. Leaders that will support the physical, mental and financial health of primary producers are the leaders for us. Just sayin’.
All well and good, but what can we do now that will have an impact? Simple: shop at Harvest and support your local food economy. Put your money directly in the pockets of the people that have worked so hard, with such passion and dedication, to bring that food to market. Doing so will enrich us all. It is a simple formula, with no tongue-in-cheek comments and no obscure references. Shop at Harvest, eat better, feel better, and do better.
That is the good news. We’re going to leave it on that sunny piece of advice for today, before the maudlin rambling kicks in.
Thanks for reading, stay safe, keep well, and look after the people around you.