Community—food “The SAGE Farmers Market is essen>al to a small-scale opera>on in our area, as it gives an outlet directly to the public. There’s no middle man. This market has sustained us financially from Day 1.” Tim and Tobie, who have two young children, are taking a break from commercial vegetable growing, partly due to the physical impact of farming life and partly due to the unpredictability that comes with Vol 16 September 15thcondi>ons. 2017 changing clima>c Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018
“The kids have fi@ed in really well to the garden business. They usually love spending >me in the garden with us,” said Tim. “The decision to change careers is based mostly on the demands on our bodies as we age. It’s becoming harder and the weather ever more challenging.” There is also the balance between remaining small-scale but genera>ng enough income. “It’s very hard to make enough money to employ people without ge:ng bigger,” said Tim. He is hopeful that market gardening will flourish in the Eurobodalla area and that customer demand for fresh produce will con>nue to grow. “I’m not sure what will happen with small scale agriculture in the future with land prices going up and up. I hope people can s>ll make it viable as the demand for healthy, quality produce is high.” It is not the first >me that Tim and Tobie have re-invented their working lives. The couple first made their mark as chefs in the Eurobodalla as successful co-owners of The River Moruya restaurant, which secured a chef’s hat in 2007 under their opera>on. Their love for producing acclaimed fine dining menus featuring local fresh produce eventually led them to the farming world. “Being chefs previous to farming we had a passion for food and in par>cular high-quality produce,” said Tim. “We were ini>ally inspired by Stuart Whitelaw, by the vegetables he grew at home, and then on a bigger scale by Kirs> and Fraser. We wanted to stay close to the food industry, albeit one step back in the food chain.” Although they are leaving behind their market gardening involvement for the >me being, Tim and Tobie are firmly entrenched in the Eurobodalla. “I think what brings people here is the natural beauty, but what keeps them here is the amazing community,” said Tim. Tim and Tobie plan to work in the educa>on sector and will con>nue to grow vegetables for their family.
beagle weekly : Vol 228 October 8th 2021
21
