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Dandelion flower

The cheerful dandelion’s many uses and virtues

Food & Garden / By

Dandelions are considered a herb by some and a weed by many but the sunny yellow flower with fluffy silver seed heads welcomes the beginning of spring and has many qualities, benefits and culinary attributes.

The plant, which is native to Europe is thought to have evolved more than 30 million years ago and was initially introduced to America as a food crop. They can now be found growing in the temperate regions of North America, South America, New Zealand, Australia, Southern Africa and India and commonly colonise disturbed environments.

The common name ‘dandelion’ comes from the French words ‘dent de lion’ meaning ‘lions tooth’. Some believe it’s in reference to the plants spikey leaves while others believe it refers to the plants long tap root, which is difficult to remove from the ground. The perennial plant produces one to ten flowering stems of up to 40cm in height. The dandelion flower is actually a bouquet of more than 100 very small flowers collected together into a composite flower head and each flower is a perfect seed producing component.

The dandelion’s bright yellow flowers are visited by many types of beneficial insects. They attract pollinators and provide an important early food source for bees.

While the plant has many benefits, it also has interesting characteristics. The flowers open during the day when the sun is out and close again in the evenings. They also close on dark overcast days when pollinating insects aren’t flying. The flower stems stand erect until later in the season when they bend towards the ground to protect the seed head while it ripens. The flower stalks then stand up again and the head opens ready for the seed to disperse. The attractive seed heads often attract children who blow them into the air believing it helps fairies travel and they can then make a wish.

Dandelion plants have been used throughout history as a herbal medicine across Europe, China and by indigenous Americans in an attempt to cure various ailments including skin problems, heartburn, liver and kidney disease, upset stomach, abscesses, fever, diabetes, reduce eye inflammation and provoke diuresis.

The plants are rich in nutrients including protein, calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C. The leaves, which are high in vitamin C, have more iron and calcium than spinach.

While dandelions are popular as ornamental flowers, the flowers can also be used to make dandelion wine, dandelion jam and jelly. Some people deep fry dandelion flowers in a light batter for a tasty snack.

Unopened dandelion buds and young leaves can be eaten raw in salads and have a slightly bitter taste similar to mustard greens. The leaves need to be picked before the plant blossoms so they aren’t too tough or bitter. Older leaves can be cooked, steamed or added to soups and stews. Some people add sautéed chopped onions and a small amount of garlic to the leaves when cooking them.

Dried leaves can be infused in hot water to make dandelion tea. The washed roots of the plant slowly roasted in the oven on a very low temperature or put in a food dehydrator if you have one, can then be ground up and brewed into caffeine-free dandelion coffee.

Removing the plants from the ground with the roots in tact can be done more easily with a kitchen fork. When picking dandelions make sure they are from your own garden so you know they haven’t been sprayed with any chemicals or visited by pets.

‘Dandelion and Burdock’ is a drink that has been popular for a long time in the United Kingdom. It was originally a type of mead made from fermented dandelions and was consumed during the middle ages. It’s believed both plants help liver function. The fermented drink has since evolved into a carbonated soft drink that is still commercially available.

Dandelions are also used in Saison ale called Pissenlit made by Brasserie Fantôme in Belgium. The French nicknamed the plant Pissenlit, which means ‘wet the bed’ due to its diuretic effect.

Some species of dandelion produce a milky substance that can be used to make latex or natural rubber and were used as an emergency source of rubber during the Second World War. The Russian dandelion Kok-Saghyz gave the best yields producing up to 200 kg of rubber per hectare.

The dandelion is also symbolic and throughout history, the plants characteristics and it’s happy, sunny yellow flower has been the subject of many poems, songs painting and stories.

It seems the dandelion seen to many as an annoying weed actually has many virtues and uses. Before mowing them down, consider the many ways they can be used and if you do mow them, perhaps wait until later in the season when the flowers drop to the ground and the seeds are ripening, so bees and other beneficial insects can make full use of them first.

 

fats and oils

Let’s chew the fat about oils

Food & Garden, Health & Family / By

fats and oils

I’d like to demist a few of the fallacies surrounding fats and oils, more particularly what’s great to use cold and what’s good to cook with.

Too much information often leads to confusion and thus we sort of just give up and grab whatever’s closest, which may not be healthy. We all know fat and oil makes food taste great. It gives flavours more depth and enhances them like nothing else does and finally, there’s scientific proof that fats and oils can be good for us! HOORAY for modern day science! However, many health professionals including myself will still suggest using everything in moderation and to always be mindful of the quality and source of what you choose to consume. The quality and source of fat and oil is very important especially if you’re heating it or using it in your baking.

A simple a rule of thumb is: ‘If it’s solid at room temperature it’s safe for cooking,’ with very few exceptions. The reason for this is solid fats or oils are more stable at higher temperatures.

Let’s go through a few fats and oils used for cooking: coconut oil is perfect, vegetable oil – there’s enough scientific research to support avoiding this one for most uses. Ghee is  fine, lard is  great, olive oil is okay for some cooking, extra virgin olive oil – maybe not, avocado oil – maybe not.

Let’s roll back a little. Why a maybe not for avocado oil and EVOO? Avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil (especially) and other similar oils have many health benefits at room temperature but may not be as good for cooking as we’ve always thought. Although they have been popular for a long time and the food and health industries have promoted them as the healthy fat that can be used for everything, new research has shown that heating some oils over specific temperatures can break down or oxidize it. This is what those ever-so-loving antioxidants that you consume work so hard to clean up and we want to help our antioxidants out as much as possible, which we can by avoiding oxidized oils.

To do this, choose the right oil for its purpose, and base it on source and smoke point. If you’re cooking above 160 degrees Celsius, choose a fat or oil with a high smoke point like Ghee (Clarified butter) or coconut oil. The smoke point of the oil is normally easy to find if you do a quick search and most products will have the smoke point on the label. Save the Evoo and other delicate oils for more gentle low heats or even after plating your food, they’re great as a salad dressing or a last minute drizzle on your fresh food to enhance the flavours while keeping the nutrient value of the oil true.

I always encourage clients and people I help to do a little research into what they’re using and eating so they are empowered with knowledge that helps them make healthy choices and I strongly encourage readers to as well.

By Holly Kendall of Holly Kendall Organics   http://www.hollykendallsorganics.com.au

Holly Kendall’s Organics, provides families with easy access to fresh, seasonal certified organic produce sourced from Australian farms where it is grown free of chemicals or pesticides and hasn’t been subjected to any long term storage. The business is operated with the help of her family, from her small organic farm in the hills of Wandong, Victoria.

Making bread

Deliciously simple home baked bread and a few variations

Food & Garden / By

Deliciously simple home baked bread

Real bread made from a few natural ingredients is a wonderful basic food and so easy to make. It has a delicious flavour, requires little more than a dab of butter and one slice is substantial enough to quell any hunger.

When I was young, my father told me that during the course of history, all cultures throughout the world had what he called a gut filler. He said meat and vegetables were expensive and gut fillers always carried the food further. Italy had pasta, Asia had rice, for others it was potatoes and for some it was bread. Bread was our family gut filler and it was served with fresh home-grown produce from the garden.

I now think sitting outdoors with freshly baked bread from the oven, a glass of wine or home-made lemon cordial and some fresh home-gown produce from the garden is so enjoyable.

You’ll love this 1, 1, 3, 3, 3 recipe. All types of flour can be used and all sorts of seeds or grain can be added. Personally I like just plain unbleached white Australian flour.

Dry ingredients for bread

BREAD
1 kg of plain white flour (unbleached white or stone-ground wholemeal or ½ of each)
1 level dessertspoon of dry yeast (use good quality yeast)
3 level teaspoons of ground sea salt
3 cups of warm water (body temperature)
3 level teaspoons of raw sugar

proven bread dough

Put flour, yeast and salt into a large bowl (stainless steel is best, it’s light and easy to clean). Dissolve sugar in the warm water. Add to dry ingredients and mix into a dough. Knead the dough in the bowl a few minutes (sprinkle with more flour when dough becomes sticky.) Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it to rise until it doubles in size.

Knead the dough a few minutes, divide it into two parts and put into two small greased bread tins. Cover with the damp cloth and leave it to rise until the dough reaches the top of the tins (double its size). Bake in preheated oven approx. ½ hour at 200˚C.  The bread is cooked when you knock on the bottom and it sounds hollow.

Taking baked bread from the oven

VARIATIONS:

PIZZA
After the bread dough has risen once, roll it out thin and flat and place it on greased trays. Spread a tomato or garlic sauce on the top and then your favourite finely sliced or chopped vegetables and/or cooked meat. Bake in preheated oven approx ½ hour at 200˚c. (This makes enough pizza for a family of four. If you are cooking for less people, use half the dough for pizza and the other half to make one loaf of bread).

FRUIT LOAF
Add to dry ingredients:
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of mixed spice
2 cups of dried fruit
Add ¼ cup of raw sugar to the warm water (not 3 teaspoons).

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato sauce

Turn your tomato glut into traditional Aussie sauce

Food & Garden / By

Tomato sauce

For more than 100 years, tomato sauce or ‘dead horse’ has been a staple in many Australian households.  Many people are now growing their own tomatoes, so we decided to search through history books for the true Aussie traditional tomato sauce recipe (without ‘Ezy Sauce’ but with the same flavour). Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL AUSTRALIAN TOMATO SAUCE
9 kilograms of tomatoes
1.5 kilograms of finely chopped onions
115 grams of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1.5 kilograms of raw sugar
140 grams of salt
375 millilitres of vinegar
1 teaspoon of cayenne
2 tablespoons of allspice

Dip tomatoes in very hot water to pop the skins and peel them off.

Boil the skinless tomatoes, onions, garlic and ginger for 3 ½ hours. Add sugar, salt, vinegar, cayenne, pepper and allspice. Simmer until thick enough (approx 1 hour) and pour into sterilised bottles with lids that seal.

(Add a very small amount of flour mixed with a small amount of cold water if you want the sauce thicker)

 

Elizabeth Maskiell

Elizabeth’s raw harvest takes care of nutritional and dietary needs

People & Places, Food & Garden / By

Elizabeth Maskiell

Elizabeth Maskiell is a nutritionist with a passion for healthy food. She is the founder of Raw Harvest, an online enterprise that provides nutritionally-designed, deliciously simple snacks, treats and meals fulfilling all types of dietary requirements and using only the best, local and organic produce. She then added another arm to her business by opening the Raw Harvest Café in Newborough in Regional Victoria and said the response has since been incredibly positive.

“The first week was crazy,” Elizabeth said, “We had quite a strong online presence; particularly in social media, which really helped it take off. Letting people know we were opening reached 25,000 people overnight on Facebook, which was amazing. The first few days were a little overwhelming because we didn’t really know how many to prepare for but it’s all worked out perfectly. I think I was running on about two to three hours sleep a night for the first week but I still turned up loving it every day.”

Elizabeth loves sharing the food she creates with the community and catering for dietary requirements and nutrition. She likes to see people who genuinely suffer food intolerances or people who haven’t made choices not to be able to eat something, come out and enjoy eating in a safe environment with their family. “We do a lot of celebration cakes for the same reason,” she said.

The entrepreneurial nutritionist is herself celiac and lactose intolerant. She comes from a family with autoimmune issues where there have always been some food intolerances, which she said was what drove her to becoming a nutritionist. “I have worked with clients who struggle to go out and enjoy their food due to the need for specialised requirements and I do think it socially isolates people.”

Seeing the need to cater for specific nutritional requirements and a gap in the market, Elizabeth set up her online business in 2014 and has operated it successfully since.  She supplies other Gippsland cafes with healthy alternative treats and provides pre-pared meals. “The meals are a bit like ‘Light and Easy’ sort of thing but made using local organic produce,” she said. “We focus on local as much as we can so we use Gippsland Jersey Milk, Hope Farm Bakery Bread and other locally produced items.” Another focus in the business is hiring staff that have either been unemployed for a while or are wanting to upskill with more training.

Raw Harvest Cafe

Elizabeth purchased the pre-existing café business in the building she now leases and rebranded it to fit into the present Raw Harvest business. “It was a café with lots of bright punchy colours,” she said, “but I wanted to bring in the more mellow tones. The idea was to make it a space where people could mindfully relax and enjoy social time with their friends and family, and I think we’ve created a space that does that.”

She said many people have questioned why she chose an out of the way place like Newborough but it’s where she grew up and where she now lives. “It’s also only a few minutes off the highway and it’s central to Traralgon and Warragul making it a reasonable distance either way for customers collecting our wholesale products. People are also leaving five minutes earlier in the morning to come into Newborough to pick up their morning coffee and lunches from the cafe.”

Elizabeth gained a degree in nutrition at Latrobe University and for a while afterwards, she worked for Latrobe Community Health Service as a nutritionist. Later she took a break from the industry and worked in other areas in Gippsland and for a few years she worked in Darwin. She said now its Raw Harvest and it’s worked out perfectly for her. “I love it.”

The café is open five days a week. Elizabeth also works 16 hours a week for ‘ReActivate’ a not-for-profit organisation in the Latrobe Valley and through it, she runs two 50 Mile farmers markets a month and is part of the ‘Get Stuffed Project’, a new Latrobe Valley food network. “Through the organisation we are showing people with job losses and income insecurity that they can grow things in their back yard, produce goods or sell produce on and bring in an income through local food networks. We work a lot with farmers and food producers both primary and secondary.”

The food for every part of the Raw Harvest business is cooked in the new café. The wholesale treats are delivered to cafes throughout Gippsland on Tuesdays and Fridays and the pre-prepared meals are collected from the café on Tuesday evenings. “Some are distributed to a few local fitness clubs as well and collected by their members,” she said. “It’s an arrangement that brings a bit of business both ways and it’s really nice to be able to collaborate with other like-minded people.”

Raw Harvest

Nick is the café barista and someone Elizabeth has known for a long time. “We went to school together,” she said. “Dillon also works in the café and the other gentleman is my dad James who hasn’t been working for a while. It’s nice to have him helping out and he does most of my deliveries.”

She also employs a few weekend staff who are wanting to train or have left school but haven’t found the jobs they want. “One of the girls we have working for us is studying to be a personal trainer so she is looking forward to learning more about nutrition and it’s nice to be able to share that knowledge with someone.”

On the wholesale side of the business Elizabeth employs one woman who works in the kitchen helping her on the days they cook the pre-prepared meals and treats. She said in the future she would like look at a few more collaborations with more artists and health conscious people.

pre prepared meals

Main Image: (Right to left) Nick, Elizabeth’s father James, Elizabeth and Dillon in the Raw Harvest Café.

http://rawharvestcafe.com

 

 

Holly Kendall

Simple ways to add lots of nutrition to your diet

Health & Family, Food & Garden / By

Over the past few years, ‘Superfoods’ have gained a lot of attention in media and culinary circles due to their high level of nutrition and the health benefits of adding them to your diet. Some superfoods like kale, turmeric and blueberries are well-known and wonderful but I find many people overlook our very easy to get ‘normal’ fruit, vegies and herbs, some of which are packed with just as much, if not more nutrition and can be easily grown in your own garden.

Silver beet

Firstly, consider old-fashioned silverbeet. I find many vegie gardens are often bursting at the seams with (usually self-sown) silverbeet, which is great for those who want to make sure they’re getting nutritious greens. The humble leafy green silverbeet is very high in essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients including calcium, iron, vitamin A and C, which promotes healthy skin, eyes, bone health and immune function. If you’re not a confident gardener, this is one vegetable most people can comfortably grow well and it will always be a very healthy and nutritional addition to meals.

Growing a leafy vegetable that you can pick and lightly cook soon afterwards is something I highly recommend. It’s when you will get the most nutritional value from it. You can easily steam it, mix it into your salads raw or even pop it in your fresh home- made juices and get a healthy dose of chlorophyll. It’s a natural blood cleanser that helps the body detoxify and clears out any nasties that may be lurking around our systems.

Parsley

Next consider the normally prolific growing herb, Parsley. It’s one that doesn’t gain a lot of attention for its nutritional properties or health benefits but always steps up to the plate (no pun intended). Parsley is a humble little herb rich in the important Vitamins A, K, Folate and energizing B Vitamins. Its health promoting benefits range from protecting our DNA through to providing antioxidants. Its high levels of iron and calcium assist with anaemia, improve our digestive health and is a natural diuretic, plus much more.

Adding MORE of these naturally nutritious foods to some of your meals during the week is a simple way to provide your body with the essentials it needs to improve digestion and feel more energised.

There are so many delicious recipes available you can try that include these ingredients. It’s an excuse to get in the kitchen, experiment and become excited about preparing healthy meals.

By Holly Kendall of Holly Kendall Organics   http://www.hollykendallsorganics.com.au

Holly Kendall’s Organics, provides families with easy access to fresh, seasonal certified organic produce sourced from Australian farms where it is grown free of chemicals or pesticides and hasn’t been subjected to any long term storage. The business is operated with the help of her family, from her small organic farm in the hills of Wandong, Victoria.

 

Heather-Gillespie-Organic-Flower-Grower

Growing organic godetia flowers

Food & Garden / By

If you want a spectacular garden display for early summer then you can’t go past the beautiful Godetia (Clarkia Amoena). It’s silky, satiny petals are gorgeous and hence it is sometimes called the Satin Flower or Silk Flower.

Godetia cut flowers

Common as a cut flower in Europe and native to Western North America, it is not often seen in Australia. I absolutely love them and I love the joy they bring when you hand someone a bunch of these beautiful flowers. This year I handed a posy of Godetia to a woman who was so taken with them she danced happily around the room like a little girl saying “they make me feel like a bride”. It made me feel fantastic that I had brightened her day so much.

Godetia was named after the Swiss botanist, Charles Godet and is also called the prairie rose because of where it occurs naturally and ‘Farewell to Spring’ because it flowers with the first of the summer heat.

Growing godetia fowers

Godetia is an annual growing about 30 to 50 cm high and comes in a range of colours such as pink, lavender, cerise, white and salmon. It is easily grown from seed and will self-sow if there is not too much competition.

Plant the seed in spring as the ground warms up. Godetia love the heat and will grow rapidly as summer approaches. Choose a well-drained soil with lots of compost. Dig in some good old chook poo, but not too much or they will grow lots of foliage and fewer flowers. Make a shallow drill and sow your seeds thinly and cover lightly with finely tilled soil. Keep moist but not soggy until they germinate. If conditions are right with warm weather they will flower in about 10 weeks.

Beautiful godetias

Then fill your house with amazing fresh flowers and sit back and watch with delight the joy they bring to everyone.

By Heather Gillespie, Organic flower grower

https://www.ridgeroadblooms.com

 

 

Beach picnic

Simple, classy alfresco Aussie dining

Health & Family, Food & Garden / By

If you’re going to eat fish and chips do it with style. One of the nicest places to eat is outdoors in a natural environment with a sensational view, particularly with children.

Summer dining at the beach or near a river can be simple, inexpensive and more enjoyable than going to a restaurant.

Pack a hamper with an attractive table cloth, serviettes, a cold bottle of wine and glasses, cold drinks for the children, plates and cutlery.

Make a home-made tartare sauce or delicious fish sauce (recipes below). Chill and put in a sealed container.

Prepare a simple shredded tossed salad using lettuce, tomato, spring onions or salad onions, cheese, parsley, rocket or whatever else you have in the fridge. Dress with a combination of olive oil and a light wine vinegar or lemon juice and place in a plastic tub with some tongs.

Find a quality fish and chip shop on the way and purchase some cooked fish… and the chips if you enjoy them.

Find a picnic table on the beach or near the river, spread the table and place the fish on plates with the salad. Dress the fish with the sauce and enjoy outdoor dining in some of Australia’s beautiful locations. Do it with real flare and style!

Fish and chips at the beach

Traditional Tartare Sauce
Combine 1 tablespoon of minced or grated red onion
1 dessertspoon of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of finely chopped gherkins
1 tablespoon of finely chopped capers
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
Combine ingredients and mix in enough Aioli or mayonnaise to suit.

A delicious Fish Sauce using purchased or home grown produce
2½ tablespoons of raw sugar
1 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of dry mustard
2 large eggs beaten
¼ cup of water
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped cucumber
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped celery
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped dill or parsley
1 heaped tablespoon of finely chopped asparagus
1 small clove of crushed garlic
A sprinkle of salt and pepper
Stir constantly with a whisk over a low heat until it thickens. Remove from the heat before it boils and chill. Makes approx. two cups.

 

 

Lemon Cordial

Make refreshingly simple lemon cordial

Food & Garden, Health & Family / By

This is a deliciously refreshing drink and so simple. The recipe was obtained from two French chefs who once operated a unique and distinct restaurant in Victoria. Other fruits may be used instead of lemons but less sugar would be required. Orange cordial for example would only need 1 cup of raw sugar.

You will need:
1 ½ cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ cups of raw sugar
1 cup of water

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil stirring. Allow to cool and then stir in the lemon juice. Bottle and use the same way as other cordial. (Pour a small amount in a glass and add cold water to suit taste). It will keep in the refrigerator for approximately a week.

Lemon Cordial

Holly Kendall

Young entrepreneur Holly Kendall and her organic enterprise

Food & Garden, Health & Family, People & Places / By

In 2015, Holly Kendall flew solo establishing an amazing scalable online business that provides families throughout Victoria with easy access to fresh, seasonal certified organic produce.

The intelligent and thoroughly charming young business woman based in Melbourne is also a healthy lifestyle advocate and a qualified nutritional therapist.

Holly Kendall at a community market

Her business Crisp Organics, now known as Holly Kendall Organics, is an online organic produce store with a daily delivery service that operates throughout Victoria. Customers can order all their fresh organic produce online and have it delivered straight to their door or community Co-hub.

She said after launching the business, it gained a lot of traction very quickly. “It’s an industry that is growing and people are becoming more aware of the benefits. I’ve found as people learn more about me, why I do it and the experience I have, a certain level of trust and reassurance has developed. I think being a nutritional therapist is something that reassures people as well because it’s all about promoting balance in the body and really supporting it naturally using healthy food. “

All the produce is certified organic and sourced from Australian farms where it is grown free of chemicals or pesticides and hasn’t been subjected to any long term storage. “I look for quality and I’m very strict on certification,” she said, “so I don’t take home grown or organically grown, it has to be certified so that both I and my customers have an assurance that it is legitimately organic.”

Holly tries to source the produce as locally as she can to reduce food miles so most of her suppliers are in Victoria. However, to avoid limiting the availability, she also sources some foods like bananas, sweet potatoes and foods that are out of season in Victoria from growers in Western Australia and Queensland. “A lot of my produce comes from the Mornington Peninsula, Thorpdale, Kooweerup and the Yarra Ranges. Some also comes from growers in Northern Victoria.”

She said basing the business online was an obvious choice. Her customers are able to obtain all the fresh, high quality produce they want and deserve for themselves and their families in the one place. It saves them time, money and the inconvenience of traipsing from one organic store to another and coming away feeling frustrated or disappointed. “Being an online shop and delivery service enables me to help many more people gain easy access to fresh, high quality food.”

Holly once did all the home deliveries herself but she now outsources it to a refrigerated courier company, which has opened the business to the whole state. She still does deliveries in her own inner suburban area and picks up from farms and suppliers.

Another arm to Holly’s business is selling her organic produce at weekend community markets. She has also started operating pop up shops, which she said is a bit like roadside trading. She has linked up with Parks Victoria for a site at Westerfolds Park in Templestowe. “I take my van and an insulated trailer (that will soon be refrigerated) to a designated place and set up for roughly four to six hours in one location. It’s to make it easy for people to grab an organic option as a snack while they are in the park or something for dinner on the way home.”

Holly also plans to become certified organic herself, which she said will give customers that extra reassurance and she’s growing some of her own organic produce (all heirloom, non-hybrid varieties from certified seed) that she will sell as well. “There are a few certification bodies around but mine will be with NASSA because I’m growing in my backyard and they have a domestic certification. I’ll then be able to go to Farmer’s Markets. The requirement for Victorian Farmers Markets is to either be the grower or be working directly from the farm so there are a few technicalities that prevent me from currently going there but once I’m selling what I’m growing then that will open up for me.”

Prior to finding her passion and operating her business, Holly had tried many things. Initially she completed the first year of a hairdressing apprenticeship before realising it wasn’t for her and decided someone else should have that opportunity. She then did factory work packing fruit and kitchen goods and became a courier. She left for a while and completed a few different courses including one in civil construction to get her heavy machinery tickets, a truck licence and learn transport logistics, which she said has helped her with organising deliveries. She then went back to factory work while deciding what she wanted to do with everything.

She said one thing sort of led to another. She’d eaten organic foods since her late teens because she had digestive disorders and someone she worked with had told her about organics and the research on what chemicals were doing to people’s bodies. After eating organic food she said her digestive disorders started to fall away and she felt so much better. Her anxiety reduced and her skin was much nicer. “There were so many benefits, I felt more balanced physically, emotionally and my thinking was clearer and I don’t get sick at all. I haven’t been sick for years.

“I started meeting people in organics and going out to farms and one day I thought while I’m doing this for me I could give other people the same opportunity to have access to amazing, tasty, nutritious organic food, it was a no brainer.

“Both the organic health community and business community are cooperative rather than competitive so they’re very supportive. It’s a very down to earth community with beautiful people who want the best for others and the older generation are particularly supportive of younger ones coming in.”

Holly has even more projects lined up. One area of interest is speaking and education – teaching children about fresh food, what it is, where it comes from and how it supports their growth.” I’d like them to take their knowledge home and grow and use fresh food with their families so they have a healthy way of doing things and a fun way of doing it.  There’s so much information on the internet about what is or isn’t good for you yet there’s such a disconnection. I’d like people to understand that when their food is natural they can trust it and even more so if they’ve grown it themselves.”

Holly Kendall’s business Crisp Organics is now known as Holly Kendall’s Organics, which she operates with the help of her family, from her small organic farm in the hills of Wandong, Victoria.

http://www.hollykendallsorganics.com.au