Going Organic - April 2016

Going Organic

with Eleesa Zlatic of the

 Lemon Farm Organic Market

(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - April 2016 edition)

 

Dearest Community, I want to sincerely thank you for all your support.  I am always so humbled by the kindness, consideration, and help that my family and I are given.

By the time this goes to publication, our inaugural Macleay Island Red Tent will have occurred, with its theme of ‘Find Your Tribe’, where women come together to share their stories, laugh, nurture and connect with their Sista’s.   Whilst this is a women’s circle, I have to say that living on the Island for me as been a case of finding my Tribe.  A community of enchanting, colourful individuals, who are living their sea change lifestyle with a village feel, and I feel blessed and grateful to be a part of this shared journey.

We recently held our Autumn Infinite EarthFest, and it was ‘lovely’!  Very home grown and heartfelt.  A loving thankyou to everyone who attended, and to all the stall holders.  I am grateful to everyone who helped the work experience folk for their help with creating some great activities on the day.  Running Wild and Jam for Jams made some noise with their Funky Junk workshop, and the kids had a fabulous time banging out the beats on recycled containers, pots and pans, and drum sets. Mike and Bojan from Homeless Yellow pulled the sounds together, and it was great to listen to! Thanks also to Cassie for your beautiful smile, and volunteering your help on the day.

The Insect Hotels (or should they be called Motels???) Workshop was incredibly popular. There will be some very happy insects moving into funky new houses in local backyards very soon. If you missed out, we will be holding these workshops again in the future!  Thanks to the team from Running Wild for getting all the materials organised, and Brendan and Dillon for running it on the day.  This workshop supports our ‘Chemical Free Islands’ campaign, encouraging people to stop spraying pesticides, and to allow Insects to do their thing for the environment.

A fantastic way to get rid of rags is to make them into a rug mat using a toothbrush! This free workshop was run by lovely Eileen in her very cool retro tent.  Lots of people contributed to the communal mat being made, or bought a kit to get started at home. It is such a great way to use up items of clothing that would normally be tossed.  A perfect example of upcycling! Eileen will be at our next ‘Infinite EarthFest Winter’, if you would like to get involved and learn a new skill.

Infinite EarthFest Winter Solstice: Saturday 25^th June

Infinite EarthFest Spring Equinox: Saturday 24^th September

Infinite EarthFest Summer Solstice: Saturday 17^th December

Please mark these dates in your Calendar, and contact me if you have a stall that fits the criteria of environmentally friendly, organic, recycled, upcycled, spiritual and arty. We are also looking for home grown musicians and entertainment, particularly with an earth friendly, world music feel.

Ok now for the latest news…. HOW EXCITING! The Organic Market now has a Coffee Bar!  Come along and try an organic coffee, tea, or a delicious organic Fairtrade hot chocolate. There are plenty of treats to enjoy with it, raw treats, gluten free cookies and chocolate truffles to name a few… yum!   I must say the feedback so far has been great.  We have been ever so kind, and have solved the dilemma of which cup size to choose by having only medium! But not just any medium size cup, ours are an eco-friendly compostable and biodegradable cup! … which we recycle into plant pots (when you’re finished of course) or you can take them home and pot something up for yourself. Nothing should go to waste, so our coffee grinds are being used in various ways on the farm too.

Now for those of you who get picked up from the Ferry each week, we now have a BUS!!!… yes, that’s right, it is comfort all the way to the farm now. No more alleee oooops up into the Blue Landy any more, just a comfortable step into being chauffeur driven for your organic shopping pleasure.  

If you can’t make it to the market, or want to make a commitment to your healthy eating plans, just contact me and we can arrange a box for you each week. We deliver to the Ferry for pick up on the other Islands or Mainland​. Have a beautiful week!

Infinite EarthFest (Autumn Equinox)

The first of our mini festivals for this year is the Infinite EarthFest (autumn equinox) coming up this Saturday 26th March held alongside the regular Saturday organic market. It runs from 8am to 2pm

Some of the stall holder goodies will include plant sales (edibles and ornamentals), upcycled and recycled clothing, upcycled jewellery items, natural makeup, arts and crafts, local honey, handmade soaps, fairy gardens, upcycled vintage linen, worm farm products, preserves, community info stalls etc…

And some fun things happening throughout the day will include...

Funky Junk Music Making Workshop (FREE) runs from 9am to 1pm - This is a Running Wild event as part of their school holiday program. The facilitator of this workshop will be local musician Mike (Homeless Yellow) and is sponsored by the Jam for Jams project. The Running Wild team will be there on the day so if you'd like to sign up for the Easter school holiday program just look out for the folk in the green Running Wild shirts! 

Oriel Mirage Belly Dancers will be performing at 10am

Make a Native Bee / Insect Hotel - runs all day (or until material supplies run out) A $10 donation is asked for this activity. 

Native Stingless Bee Talk with Brendan Veitch at 10.30am

Rag Rug Making with Eileen Lawson - runs all day

Bay Island Learning & Care - Autumn Crafts and Face Painting - runs all day.
    
The market coffee bar will be serving up organic coffee and teas and will have some delicious locally made raw treats available. And of course the Organic Market will be trading as usual for all your fresh produce, dry goods, dairy, deli and snack items! 
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Going Organic - March 2016

Going Organic

with Eleesa Zlatic of the

 Lemon Farm Organic Market

(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - March 2016 edition)

Oh how I have been looking forward to Autumn arriving… and here it is! After the heat that February brought with it, we will all be embracing a more pleasant temperature. The Equinox in March symbolises a point in the year when the nights grow longer, the days grow shorter and it heralds a cooler change leading into Winter. Traditionally the pivotal points in the seasons were honoured, they marked the major changes in the Seasons, and this year to celebrate the Equinoxes and Solstices we will be hosting 4 micro festivals called: Infinite EarthFest. 

Our first is an extended market to celebrate Autumn and will be held on March 26^th 8am – 2pm. It will focus on green living, health, creativity and sustainability. We will be working in conjunction with the Artists at Work held the same long weekend. A free bus will run from the Artists at Work, via our Festival and onto the Arts Complex.  Please like THE ORGANIC MARKET MACLEAY ISLAND Facebook page for more details.   

These are the dates for the festivals:

Infinite EarthFest

Autumn Equinox:  Saturday 26th March

Winter Solstice:  Saturday 25th June

Spring Equinox:  Saturday 24th September

Summer Solstice:  Saturday 17th December

We are looking for stall holders with a point of difference, if you have eco-friendly products, create recycled goods, have crafty pre loved items, or art to sell, we are interested.  Are you a musician who has a world music, environmental style?  Do you create Healthy food or snacks?  If you would like to be involved text or email me please. There will also be some interesting workshops that you can attend.  

We have recently been accepted as a Land for Wildlife site, which is super exciting. We dedicate over 50 acres of land to natural vegetation and wildlife. This program will help us with regeneration of the bushland and wetlands, and will give the local wildlife species the chance to increase in numbers. 

The Work Experience program at the Organic Farm is going well.  It is such a delight to hear laughter, and good spirits as people work alongside each other to achieve the goals that are set. We are harnessing everyone’s natural talents and skills, and as an observation everyone is thriving.  The Training program has just begun, and everyone has the opportunity to achieve a Level 1 in Construction. This program is also available to the general public at a nominal fee, so let us know if you’re interested.

Boxes… on my goodness, you are all legends! We are happily making up boxes filled with love, oh and chemical free fruit and vege each week for lots of lovely folk.  If you would like to make a commitment to your health and support what we do, just email or text me and we can arrange a box package to suit your needs.

I mentioned texting me as I have a smartphone which is clearly smarter than me! I somehow miss some phone calls, so please text or email me for the best results. There is a lovely lady who contacted me last month via msg, and required some help with her diet. I apologise to you, as I can’t find your number to call you back.  If you read this please ring me again, as I would love to help.

Find Your Tribe is the first gathering for the Macleay Island Red Tent, on April 10^th … you're invited to come with an open mind and a willing spirit ready to connect with a new community of aware and awake women. Island women can come together in a beautiful space to be accepted unconditionally as themselves, to share their life journey, and nurture not only themselves but their kindred sista’s.  For more details, please like and share our facebook page: Macleay Island Red Tent.

Well as you can see life has been incredibly busy, but wonderful! We promised a Coffee Bar and we are getting closer. It was suggested to me that I should tell everyone that the start date of January 2016 was actually a misprint and I meant 2017...! Mmmm!  I am hoping it will be up and running by the time this article is printed. 

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Please note:  The article mentioned hopes of the Coffee Bar to be up and running by the time of printing. We can happily report that it IS FINALLY up and running. So come on down and grab a tasty organic coffee on Saturday! Hurrah!  

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Going Organic Feb 2016

Going Organic

with Eleesa Zlatic of the

 Lemon Farm Organic Market

(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - February 2016 edition)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the box orders that have been rolling in. It is such a great thing not only for us, but to ensure you have a fridge full of goodness for the week.  It is a creative exercise to spend your budget on good quality food, and then to find new and interesting recipes to use it.  It forces you to make the most of the money spent, making sure you are consuming a larger quantity of produce so there is no waste.  The bonus is that you feel so much better.

If you don’t want to commit to a box, why don’t you try changing over to organics and chemical free foods gradually.  Just decide to exchange one type of food that you would usually purchase and make it organic.  Milk, Apples, Pasta, Flour, no matter what your choice it is a step in the right direction and apart from getting the chemicals out of your diet you will also notice that many items taste better.

There is such delicious tasting fruit available at the moment, the rockmelons have been yummy and in fact someone told me it’s the best melon they have ever tasted… and they were serious J.  The little grapes are the most divine grapes I have ever eaten, so good I don’t want to part with them! If you are a Fig lover we have beautiful chemical free figs which are locally grown.  Many of the varieties come from old Italian stock. Figs are not something I grew up eating but since trying these I am hooked; they are a precious tear drop with a delightful taste. There are plenty of other seasonal fruits available too.

As I mentioned in last month’s column, in partnership with Running Wild, a Work for the Dole program has begun on The Organic Farm and although in its infancy, it is steadily gaining momentum.  It has also been great opportunity to meet lots of new people from the Islands.

The group that have been attending so far have been nothing short of fantastic! Willing to give new things a go, working really hard to achieve the day’s goals, and keen to get involved with the creation of this project. The skills that many of the participants have are under used/recognised, and we are doing our best to harness their talents and nurture everyone into their passions. We have great Supervisors and Trainers so if you are eligible for a Work for the Dole placement, and are keen for hands on work experience plus the possibility of training, ask if you can be a part of our program. There are still some places available so get in quick. 

Coming Soon…...!!! Macleay Island Red Tent.  A space for Island Women to gather, share, communicate, love and nurture each other.  We are a branch of the group Red Tent Australia, a growing tribe of women who are gathering in communities around Australia. Like our page “Macleay Island Red Tent” on facebook for more details. 

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That Sugar Film

This Saturday 23rd January the Bay Islands Pop Up Cinema will be screening That Sugar Film. Gates open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start at The Organic Market, 27 Lonicera Street, Macleay Island. BYO chairs / blankets to sit on and there will be organic snacks and drinks available to purchase. This is a highly entertaining and informative Australian Documentary. 

Synopsis…

One man's journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as 'healthy'. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves. [written by Madman Entertainment]
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Going Organic Jan 2016

Going Organic

with Eleesa Zlatic of the

 Lemon Farm Organic Market

(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - January 2016 edition)

A new year has begun, and to honour the concept of being organic, for me it means allowing changes, letting go of all that is no longer needed in the now, and taking the leap of faith into the new.

2016 feels promising, it feels like a year to nurture new beginnings, and to step outside of our sense of me into a sense of oneness with other humans, and particularly the earth that supports us.

We took some time off over the holiday period to spend with our little family and our beloved friends. We took time to breathe and honour our lives. To contemplate the new projects, and lovingly plan for them to come to fruition.  

Although we all think we will carry on the Christmas spirit throughout the year, once the lives we go back to kick in, much of our intentions get forgotten. This year I feel urged to start, yes, a new campaign… called 101 Days of Love. And I did. It is a group on facebook which encourages you to take up the challenge to send a message to someone else that reminds them how wonderful, talented and loved they are. Every day for 100 days you send a note via social media, private message, or card/letter, or verbally to someone letting them know how valued they are.  Be as creative with the method of delivery, but take the challenge to open your heart and your thoughts to others for the 100 days. On day 101, kindly send yourself a note, praise yourself up, recognise your beautiful traits. There is no hierarchy of order, simply send a message to the person who is most in your thoughts that day, it may be friends, family, someone you admire, someone you meet and it is not limited to the Islands. I hope you join us.

We will be doing some growing of a different kind at the Organic Farm this year, partnered with Running Wild, we will be the base for a Work for The Dole program, with the added benefit that each participant will have the opportunity to achieve accredited training plus plenty of hands on experience.  We are all committed to helping the participants to realise their potential, remember how valued they are, remember their passions, and create the life they have dreamed of. 

The Movie nights will kick start mid-January with the first film being ‘That Sugar Film’ on the 23^rd January…. It is a fantastic and humorous documentary. Well suited to our post Christmas sugar laden bodies, and our New Year’s resolutions to become healthier.  It is a delightful and eye opening way to have an Uh huh moment about the many foods that we consider to be healthy. I hope you will join us. 

Personally I am looking forward to the market starting up again and the fresh chemical free produce and wholesome dry goods being a major part of our diet.  Yep I indulged in foods I wouldn’t ordinarily eat over Christmas and am noticing the difference in how I feel. 

To honour myself and the time required to organise the market each week… (a labour of love)  I would truly appreciate it if my regulars or those of you thinking of eating healthily this year, could pre order a box each week.  We make up lovely boxes with a variety of seasonal fruit and vege each week.  Think of it as an investment in your health and a way of supporting what we do.  Generally, people nominate an amount they would like to spend each week, their food preferences, and we lovingly select the goodies to make your meals delicious.  Either drop in to the market to organise it or email/text.  Details are on the Ad.  We will still have plenty of deliciousness for sale each market day, but the boxes will get the preference. There are loads of other items that you can add to your order, including Organic Dairy, Organic Fours, Eco Friendly Cleaning Products, Soaps, Health Supplements, and gluten free products.

If you haven’t visited the market before, please pop in one day to see the large range of goods stocked. We pick up from the ferry each Saturday, and we send boxes via the ferries to the other Islands and the Mainland. We look forward to seeing you soon. 

Going Organic Dec 2015

Going Organic

with Eleesa Zlatic of the

 Lemon Farm Organic Market

(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - December 2015 edition)

I would like to thank all of our valued customers and friends for their support this past year. I can't believe another Christmas is just around the corner. On reflection this past year has been wonderful for The Organic Market, with lots of thanks to you. I am very grateful to all the beautiful people who volunteer to create the Saturday market, it is a group effort and treated very much like a co-operative. We are dedicated to bringing the best quality produce, dry goods, deli and garden products to the islands, all organic and chemical free of course... which supports your health and the health of our island environment.

The recent launch of the Chemical Free Islands campaign has been successful, with over 200 island members on the dedicated facebook group. Many of you are becoming increasingly aware of the toxic effects that the common herbicides and pesticides are having on our delicate environment and are doing your bit to make changes... good on you!


We have some exciting new things happening at the farm in the New Year, which includes the first stage of our organic cafe, so be prepared to enjoy fantastic organic coffee or tea while enjoying the relaxing farm vibes. Yes, we have been listening to all the requests, and fortunately the universe has delivered a gorgeous coffee machine! We will roll out more organic cafe experiences as the year progresses.

A few months ago we held our first extended market for "Fair Food Week" and got a great response from the stall holders and visitors. In 2016, we will be hosting some Micro Festivals in March, June, September and December. Our first in March works collaboratively with the "Artists at Work" event held over the Easter weekend. On the Saturday visitors to Macleay island will have the opportunity to visit the very talented island artsits whilst they showcase their talents, visit our micro festival and head down to the wonderful Macleay Island Arts Complex. So tell your friends and families that the Easter weekend on Macleay will be a great time to visit... after all we are just a relaxing ferry ride away!

With all that we have achieved this year, we have an exciting program of events planned for next year. This time of year always makes me ponder life, and with the events that have been recently playing on the world stage it makes me appreciate the fact that we live in a fantastic island community and beautiful enviroment.

This Christmas I wish for a peace filled world, a world where we all awaken enough to turn off our attention to the fear based reporting, the judgemental criticisms, and instead open our hearts to the light that shines within each one of us. It is this light that we need to shine, no matter what belief system we hold. We need to be compassionate to everyone's right to live their life, to focus on what we do want in the world, and to stop focusing on the negative people and situations. It starts with practicing love and forgiveness to ourselves first and foremost, and then to our families, our community and the world. Imagine the change we could make.

May love, health, happiness and blessings be yours this Christmas and all the years to come...
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