Your (99th) weekly market report, plus the waste audit, plastic-free dreams, goodbye daffodils, hello olives at Harvest.
We’re right in the thick of it now. The fog of winter has set in and conditions are noticeably damper at Harvest of late. The tide of daylight has turned though, minute by minute the sunset lingers longer. It won’t be long now until we see the first shoots of daffodils and rhubarb. Certain harbingers that spring and warmth are on their way. Analogies that conveniently lead us into the market report. Away we go.
This week at Harvest
Following up on our daffodil analogy, this week is the last for Donna and Tas Daffodils‘ season. The bulbs are sprouting, beginning their push toward spring. They need to go into the dirt. If you’ve not picked some up yet, if you’re planting new ground or expanding your horticultural repertoire, it isn’t yet too late. But make haste. Truly the emergence of daffodils is most people’s yearly marker that spring is nigh. They’re beautiful and fleeting and aromatic and super easy to grow. We always love having Donna around the market for a brief few weeks each year. We bid her a fond farewell, and wish upon you healthy flowers in the springtime.
Also experiencing their last Harvest for the season are Nic and Em at Sweet Wheat. A season for a bakery we hear you exclaim!? Well not strictly, but it’s a convenient turn of phrase to describe an extended break that Nic and Em are taking. Jetting off to Europe for R&R, bakery research, plenty of eating and drinking and, we’re certain, a metric tonne of fun. Yes, we’ll miss them a great deal until their return in early September. But two amazing young bakers heading off to improve their skills, business and lives? We back that 110%. Every day. We wish them the very best. Besides, we’re not jealous at all here at Harvest, *grits teeth* not even a little bit.
Excitingly, we’re in for a third week running of hand-caught, fresh as fresh can be, pure Tasmanian tuna from Andrew and his Wild Tas Fishing Co-op. At Harvest, we’ve been feasting on otoro sashimi with Tassie wasabi, and also meaty tuna steaks seasoned with ginseng, with rice and bok choi and ginger. Bliss. We challenge the general assumption that to cook tuna is to waste tuna. Truffle season continues to delight us all. Plus, some and soon-to-be-all of our olive growers are back with new season’s stock. Rob and Jen are already here, welcome back Martin, and Allen will be joining us soon too. Your favourites like Delicious Little Things, Georgetown Seafoods, Sandy’s, Yang’s and All Things Cherry, Tamar Valley Pastured Eggs, plus many more will all be eagerly awaiting you at the opening bell too.
The Waste Audit
You may have noticed we’re being real fussy about waste lately. Because waste auditing, along with separating recycling from organic or compostable materials, plays a crucial role in understanding our waste output. As we strive towards a market that has a wholly reusable system of plates, cups, and cutlery and aims for a waste-free or waste-neutral environment, we’re asking for your help.
Help us by ensuring that the right waste goes in the right bin so we can count it. Our brilliant volunteers-cum-waste-educators are there to help you help us too.
Waste auditing involves analysing and quantifying the types and amounts of waste generated by our organisation and community. By conducting regular waste audits at Harvest, we gain valuable insights into our waste management practices, identify areas for improvement, and further develop our plan to minimise or end waste generation in the market.
These audits help us understand the composition of our waste stream, enabling us to make informed decisions about waste reduction and diversion.
Your help is super valuable here: while you separate, we count. Once we know what we’re up against, we can enact our strategy for change. But we must measure it before we can manage it.
Ultimately, transitioning to a waste-free or waste-neutral market is a fundamental objective in our pursuit of environmental sustainability. By prioritising reusable alternatives over single-use items, we will significantly reduce the amount of waste generated.
Ok. Enough proselytising, we know you’re onboard Launceston, and thank you muchly for your assistance.
Thanks for reading, see you at the market x
PS
This, it turns out, is the 99th ‘At Harvest’ Newsletter that Rhys has penned. A meaningless yet somehow significant milestone. Here is what it looked like last year. And on the 7th of August 2021 – the first from Rhys. How far we’ve come. Yay nostalgia! 😉