Going Organic
with Eleesa Zlatic of the
The Organic Market, Macleay Island.
(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - January 2017 edition)
Hello 2017! What do you have in store for us all? The past year certainly brought some big changes with it! A few people have commented to me that it was a horrible year for me, but it honestly wasn’t. The end of the year was the most difficult time I have ever had to endure, but throughout the year I had some of the most amazing experiences of my life. The common thread seems to be change coming in and creating new experiences. I must admit with my partner of 23 years passing over, I have not been very happy about the notion of change, in fact I was downright angry about it occurring, plus the incredible sadness that seems to overtake your whole being.
During the last months of the year, it was the
generosity and kindness of our island community that gave me strength. I can’t
imagine living anywhere else. I have lived in various places during my life,
and have never found a community like this one. I am sure there are lots of
lovely communities out there but I never resonated with the ones I lived in.
Here it is different, it feels like living in a big extended family. There are
so many good-hearted people living on the Islands, and I feel honoured to know
them.
The offers of help, the messages of support, and
the genuine caring shown to my children and I has been overwhelming in the most
positive way. We are very grateful to everyone. It hasn’t just been people we
know, I have met so many new people who are showing their support by
volunteering and helping at the farm. You are all amazing, beautiful
people!
Thank you to everyone who supports The Organic
Market, your commitment to the cause, and your beauty shines through each
Saturday. It is such a lovely place to gather, there is a genuine feeling of
love resonating in that space each week. I have stepped out of the market for a
time while I heal emotionally, and am very grateful to the beautiful team of
goddesses and friends who run it. I still lend a hand, and love to be there on
a Saturday, but am honouring myself with some much needed time out, to be gentle
on myself.
At this time of year, the New Year’s resolutions
are made, and many of them include becoming healthier. I am the first to admit
that mine includes this. I am going to commit to a box of organic fruit and
vegetables each week, to ensure it is in my fridge and easy to access for meals
and snacks. Our ‘box creation goddess’ puts a lot of time into each box
ensuring it has a good variety of organic and chemical free produce in it. The
right combination of things to make great meals and salads throughout the week.
The fruit and vegetables are seasonal, so the box contents change to suit what
is available locally. Apart from what we grow at the Organic Farm, we also
support local Redlands Farmers and your box order may include locally grown,
eggs, mushrooms, kale, lettuce, eggplant, avocadoes, mangos, lychees, cucumbers,
beetroot, paw paw and leeks (to name a few). How good does it feel to support
local farmers, doing the right thing by growing chemical free produce and not
poisoning our beautiful Redlands, Islands and Moreton Bay… now that is a good
investment! I am very passionate about the concept of spending money on the
things you wish to support, and our health is the first priority, followed
almost equally in importance by the environment… as it’s health runs hand in
hand with our own. What a great legacy to leave our grandchildren.
I feel blessed to be able to access this quality
of food on the Islands, and to be able to do a majority of my shopping at the
market. I know with every bite that the food is chemical free and the produce
tastes so much better than conventional chemical laden produce.
This year I wish for us all, perfect health,
abundance, and love. That everything we do is filled with joy and that we follow
our passions in life until our heart sings! I look forward to seeing you at the
market this year.
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