This morning I took my feverish but bored daughter for a walk across Sydney University and a quick visit to Eveleigh Farmers Markets.
http://www.eveleighmarkets.com.au/
Like so many food markets they are a mixture of stuff you can get at any top end deli and stalls selling produce from actual, you know, farmers. As my friend James (who has just moved up the street) commented, they aren’t exactly like the Victoria Markets or the Adelaide Central Markets, but they are a decent start.
Anyhow, I procured a baby chino with marshmallows from the Toby’s Estate stall to keep Sofia occupied as I poked around. Walking in front of one stall I heard a voice say to me “Your daughter has just tipped her drink all over herself”. Indeed she had and the observant individual was none other than the gorgeous Kylie Kwong.
I asked her why she was at the markets and she said she was there to help her friends from Perfect Pasture, who supply her with her pork for her restaurant.
It seems Kwong has had some bad experiences with pork suppliers in the past.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/good-living/how-kylie-kwong-got-it-wrong/2009/11/10/1257615040211.html
What a champ that she fixed the issue and now seems to be working directly with Perfect Pasture to spruik their offerings.
Anyhow, while my daughter happily sat in a pool of marshmallow froth, I chatted to the lady from Perfect Pasture – Miriam - about their farming processes and their wonderful produce.
The whole issue of how free range and organic gets marketed to consumers is a serious issue. (Note that in his book, How Good Are You? marketing journalist Julian Lee covers this whole issue in some depth).
It seems that the suppliers that take ‘free range’ and ‘organic’ seriously go to an enormous amount of effort and expense. Those who cut corners are damaging the image of the entire sector. They profit from the label and any good will around the issue. If they are exposed as not being truly organic or free range the revelation simply feeds strong consumer perceptions that they can’t trust food claims. This is sometimes used as justification by consumers to continue to buy conventionally produced foods or simply block out any questions or queries around how their food is produced.
We encounter these issues time and again in the research we do on food for Ipsos Mackay.
I still believe that organic, free and cruelty free products need to be supported. I buy as much of them as I can find, trust and afford. But we have to start asking more questions of the people who make and sell us our food to ensure integrity in claims about ‘organic’ and ‘free range’.
One of the great things about Eveleigh is now I have made a connection with a producer and when I see their products I can buy them without any niggling doubts about authenticity.
For more on Perfect Pasture see:
http://pastureperfectpork.wordpress.com
I bought $10 worth of the most wonderful fennel and pork sausage, which I sliced and served with apple paste and crackers, a side of roasted balsamic and thyme tomatoes and a salad of avocado, cucumber, lettuce, walnuts and orange segments.
When Daniel and I were in Florence – too many years ago – we enjoyed a very simply entrée of fennel sausage, pecorino and bread at a restaurant we stumbled across with our friends Pete and Sarah. This sausage came very close to that!
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