Garlic Harvest

Discussion in 'Business Showcase & Feedback' started by Lizzie, 29th Aug, 2015.

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  1. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    groan ... :confused:
     
  2. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    We're all adults Lizzie.

    All fully groan.
     
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  3. Ben Chifley

    Ben Chifley Well-Known Member

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    Very interesting to read about your success with garlic, I've heard it's a fickle thing to get right. Also amazing to hear of someone with a small acreage making a go of herb farming - just wondering if you might have looked at anything else as a serious prospect before going with garlic? Friends of mine on a small acreage in country Vic have looked at several different things including saffron but have decided on agistment for the time being.
     
  4. moyjos

    moyjos Well-Known Member

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    Yes Lizzies garlic is much stronger than the super cheap Chinese stuff. Prior to last years stock of "Pokolbin Purple" I would buy the Aussie garlic from our local green grocer. Lizzies garlic is even better. I am guessing it is the fact that is so damn fresh. I bought my kg as soon as Lizzies opened the store last year, so it was just out of the ground. We learned pretty quickly to cut down on the qty we were using. In fact the "stab the leg of lamb and poke with whole garlic cloves" is way over kill. We got overly garlicky bits of lamb. Now we will cut each glove into 2,4 or even 6 for the huge ones and stud it into more holes for a better balanced flavour.

    As much as I LOVE espousing the magnificence of Lizzies garlic, I don't want to miss out :)
     
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  5. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    • @geoffw How many garlic growers does it take to change a light bulb?
     
    Last edited: 14th Sep, 2015
  6. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Yep - we also grow wine grapes (at a loss) so when we bought the property hubby wanted to make some money out of the land rather than just running horses and grapes.

    First hubby suggest more grapes - but I knocked that on the head as just more loss.

    Then he suggested olives as "everyone was doing it" - but research showed that they were labour intensive, fickle and difficult to find a market for, so no to that as well.

    Looked into saffron - but a couple of factors turned me off. The market for saffron in Australia is basically controlled by a Tassie company, who sets the price and distributes it for you - so no control over your product or market and decided I didn't want to hand over control - then recently saw a Landline segment where the company lost the control to it's largest retailer and nearly went under, taking everyone with them, so my thoughts were justified. However, the deciding factor for me was that the flower has to be picked before the sun hits it in the morning - and I ain't getting up before dawn for no flower.

    Next on our list was garlic - and it ticked all the boxes. Intensive really only for planting and harvesting (6-8 months apart) so could fit around outside work. Relatively easy to grow if everything goes right - although I know several people who have lost entire crops due to factors such as to much rain causing rot, disease (controlled by rotation), or poor control methods. Long storing with no special facilities. Ready market. Can post. We've planted 3 varieties that harvest a month apart each, so up to 2 ton can be handled by two people easily. No specialised equipment as anyone handy can make it themselves. plus plus plus.

    I'm also planting some boutique pumpkins (single serve, bright orange) as a rotation after the garlic and then the field will be left fallow ... as ticks all the long store, easy to manage, ready market boxes.

    Other crops we have looked at in interest, but don't have time, would be horseraddish, fresh turmeric, Jerusalem artichokes ...

    All niche products in hot demand ... good luck
     
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  7. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Only bought half a kilo last year, but will buy probably one kg this year. I have been using the chinese one and supermarket bought one and the one in glass jar in the meantime - none of the are strong enough :-/ admittedly the jar version is easy and convenient.
    I'm thinking of making a bulk "cooking ready version" like the one in glass jar as now I finally have a blender. Any recipe for that @Lizzie?
     
  8. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Google is your friend :D :

    https://www.google.com.au/?gws_rd=ssl#q=making+minced+garlic+in+a+jar

    ... although - BIG WARNING - if you preserve the garlic in oil, you must keep it in the fridge. When garlic is kept in a oxygen-free environment, at room temperature, botulism can form ... in the fridge is fine assuming you don't want to paralyses anything
     
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  9. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    I eat them more than anyone at home, so no, no paralysis please :rolleyes:

    Thank you Lizzie
     
  10. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Of course. Imagine all those pets that don't get painted if you're paralysed!
     
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  11. Ben Chifley

    Ben Chifley Well-Known Member

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    Hi Lizzie, thanks for that very detailed answer. I wasn't aware of that situation with the saffron marketing board (or whoever they are!) but I'm just an observer with boutique herbs at the moment. Certainly garlic has also received some publicity recently, I read an article recently about Coles wanting to add fresh Aussie garlic to their fresh produce year round because they said their customers were asking for it. I prefer Aussie garlic it as a consumer - I really agree with you about the 'real' flavour - but (as an inner urban dweller) I usually need to go to one of the produce markets to find it.

    Lucky you didn't go with grapes, I've heard the market for nearly every variety is very poor because there's simply too much out there.

    The only other thing I've heard of that's not readily available yet is Australian capers - I knew some people in the Adelaide Hills some years ago who were experimenting with a native caper for the local restaurant market in SA but I'm not sure how they went with that. South Australia has the best climate possible for them apparently as they die fairly easily if the water doesn't drain away readily and they thrive in the dry heat.
     
  12. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    A capers ... yes ... heard there was a demand for them but didn't look to closely as they don't grow well here. Success on a small scale is basically finding something that is in demand for any unique product that isn't mass produced, and selling direct.

    I'm on the board of the Australian Garlic Industry Association and we're involved with the Coles futures plan - one of our growers is switching varieties for the project as Coles want to source Australian garlic year round - but we won't get involved personally. We don't have enough land for the quantity they want to grow but, more importantly, they would lock the growers in at a fairly low (but survivable) price of around $10/kg. We get $30/kg selling direct.

    However, we will harvest only around 1 ton this year - hoping to move to 2 ton next. If I had 10-15 ton to sell then I'd be interested.

    Coles are spending $50mil over the next 5 years on upscaling and investing in Australian farmers to grow produce, which is great news and exciting for the local industry.
     
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  13. moyjos

    moyjos Well-Known Member

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    One for Lizzie :)
    On another forum we were discussing how much added sugar is in packaged food.
    Someone said, "who would have thought the 2nd ingredient in minced garlic is SUGAR!!"

    So I had to look..this is what I found
     

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  14. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Crazy isn't it - suspect the sugar is partially a stabliser and preservative ... but would much rather eat fresh :D
     
  15. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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  16. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    That's a lot of garlic!
     
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  17. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    We're on :D ! Early harvest Italian Pink with it's typical teardrop shape ... but loving the colour from our clay soils ... busy week ... then a month of grace WP_20150928_013.jpg WP_20150928_015.jpg before the Italian Purple comes out
     
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  18. BennEznElle

    BennEznElle Well-Known Member

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    Hey Lizzie, I presume you can't ship to SA for quarantine reasons but is there any way that we can get some of your 'real' garlic as opposed to the stuff that comes in a jar?
     
  19. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    You can ship in from WA, SA and Tassie - darn quarantine restrictions - and there are a few growers in each state.

    Best bet might be from Tassie "Tasmanian garlic for sale" as hard to find any online in SA or WA
     
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  20. moridog

    moridog Well-Known Member

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    How do we buy some from you and what is the minimum you can ship to WA or maybe there are a few over here who want some and we could do a bulk order?