Rain, Glorious Rain
After a very hot and draining day yesterday we are being blessed today with our first real rainfall of the year. Nelson has a comparatively wet climate for Victoria but we are still in a Mediterranean Climate which means the majority of Summer is hot and dry. No matter how much we irrigate, the farm gradually dries out over a few months and it becomes increasingly difficult to germinate direct seeded crops, especially Carrots which require constant moisture over the roughly 2 weeks they take to germinate. Rainfall has the benefit of moistening the entire site as opposed to only our beds which fall within the range of our overhead irrigation.
We have just ordered a new and vastly superior irrigation system which simulates gentle and even rainfall across the whole market beds, but even that is no replacement for natural rain which contains atmospheric nitrogen and has a noticeably positive effect on plant vigor and growth.
This week we harvested our first ripe “Nelson Red” heirloom Tomatoes and they are incredible sweet and some are massive, see photo above. These Tomatoes are a real treat along with our Cherry Tomatoes and Green Zebra Tomatoes, all of which we are finally picking daily. Currently almost all of our Tomatoes are being purchased directly from the Farm so visiting us is your best option to enjoy these seasonal delights.
We are still swimming in Basil and Zucchinis, Green Beans are providing daily abundance and our Spring Onions are huge, fragrant and delicious. We have Green Capsicums on the vines and our Polytunnel Cucumbers have fruit set and will be available in 1-2 weeks.
We will be delivering to our Portland clients on Thursday and restocking the fridge at Food For Thought in Mount Gambier Friday afternoon.
Happy Tomatoe season everyone.
Our produce is available year round at Food For Thought in Mount Gambier as well as Willow & Bean in Portland who also feature our produce on their menu.
We also supply produce to the Bayside Cafe in Portland, the Parade Fish and Chip Shop in Port Macdonnell and the Nelson Hotel.
This Week’s Available Vegetables & Salve
Salad Mix 200g $5
Salad Mix 500g $10
Rocket 100g $5
Cherry Tomatoes 500g $10
Nelson Red Tomatoes 500g $10
Green Beans 200g $5
Celery 300g $5
Basil 70g $10
Spring Onions 250g $5
Zucchinis 400g $5
Carrots 400g $5
Beetroots 700g $10
Garlic 150g $10
Local Lemons $1
Happy Heart AM/PM $15
Pasture Raised Eggs $11
Nelson Honey 500g $15
Nelson Honey 1kg $25
Sunshine Salve Small $20
Sunshine Salve Medium $50
Notes From The Garden
At Rainbow OMG we recognise the centuries long tradition of Moon Planting. In short the different phases of the Moon correspond to growth in in different parts of plants with about 7 days for each phase. The order is Leaf, Fruit/Flower, Root and Stop. We find this cycle an excellent tool for planning and scheduling of all the regular tasks needed for a functional farm.
We are still in a Stop Week so have been tidying up the farm, house and yard, done a lot of computer work, including ordering our Seed Garlic for the year. We are going to plant double the amount of Garlic as last year as we are selling through last years harvest quite quickly.
Product Focus – Organic Basil
| 70g of freshly harvested Basil. We are very excited to offer Basil to our customers, it is one of our favourite herbs and it packs quite a punch when it comes to nutrition and health benefits including: Anti-Inflammatory Antioxidants Vitamins K, A and C Manganese Anti-Microbial including bacteria and viruses Adaptogen for stress relief Anti-Depressant Promotes Heart Health Supports Liver Health and detoxification Balances body pH to assist in digestion Natural Aphrodisiac Assists in controlling blood sugar levels Here are some ideas to get more Basil into your diet: Add chopped leaves to any and all pasta dishes Use whole fresh leaves as a pizza topping Make a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese Can be added to asian cooking as a substitute for Thai Basil Make frozen pesto bricks for year round basil. We make pesto in bulk and freeze in silicon muffin trays. We then bag up the individual portions and add them to meals as needed when cooking over Winter. |
Instagram Reel of the Week
| See what we have been up to this week at the Rainbow OMG micro farm. |
We look forward to serving you,
Evan and Jill Young
