CELEBRATING OUR LOCAL FARMS

Words by Emily A. Francis

For my column this month I am going to expand beyond one food that is in season and do a celebration of more than two years of interviews with the local farmers and fishermen of Malta and Gozo.

I have been given the greatest gift of getting to meet such incredible people; most notably the farming community. I often describe the backbone of the island as being made up of the farmers and the heart of this island beats straight from the fishing village in Marsaxlokk. Malta is a small island that is filled with so much heart and soul that from the inside, it doesn’t feel small in the least. Even for someone such as myself who comes from the United States, the energy of this island and its local people feel so much more colourful and vibrant to me than anything ever has. By meeting these extraordinary people and getting to do these interviews for this magazine, my life expanded in a whole new delicious way. I learned the true value of what it means to eat locally, seasonally and mindfully.

That is how I came to put it all into a book! The Taste of Joy: Mediterranean Wisdom For a Life Worth Savoring, releases this month all over Europe including my beloved Malta. In honour of my book release that is built upon the wisdom of my local farmers and fisherman, I want to introduce you to all of those that made our Oh My Malta food community so incredibly special. Consider this article, my love letter to this magazine and to all the local food growers who invited me in and made all of this possible.

Mellieha Homemade Jam (Tony Borg, Prickly Pears and Figs)

Malta Sunripe (Joseph Muscat, greenhouse tomatoes, carob syrup)

Xwejni Salt Pans by Leli tal-Melh (Gozo Sea Salt)

Karwija Farm (Paul Zammit, Potatoes)

Wardija Extra Virgin Olive Oils/Ghajn Rasul Co. Ltd. (Sam Cremona, Olive Oil Pressing)

Ta’ Salut Farms (Aaron Camilleri, strawberries, flat peaches)

Ġbejniet tal-Kejken (George

Attard, Gozo Ġbejniet)

ROMAN Fresh Fish (Venunzio Gafa, Natasha Gafa, Andre Grech, Lampuki)

Popeye Farmers (Marjon Cini, artichokes, globe and Jerusalem)

Ta’ Marija Restaurant (Ben Muscat, Rose Borge and Michael Cassar, Ravioli)

Corradino Correctional Bakery (Svetlana Muscat, Ronald Bugeja, Bread)

Vincent’s Eco Estate (Gloria Camilleri, Pawlu Debono, lettuce, melons)

Malta Chocolate Factory (Neil Hitchcock)

Grima Family Olive Oil Orchard (Immanuel and Joseph Grima)

Beehive Confectionary (Robert and Mari Caruana)

Local Gozo Honey (Joseph DeBrincat)

I hope that through my book and through the continuation of this column, you will gain the benefits that have been offered by all these incredible people.

If you are in Malta on 11 March, we are hosting a festival open to the public to celebrate our local farmers and sell their signature products. I will also be there selling my new book and doing a book signing. We will be at Vincent’s Eco Farm from 11-5 selling products. This will give everyone the chance to meet the farmers together in one place and try the foods and purchase the products that we have selected for our articles. We hope to see you there!

To find out more on each and every producer, watch all interviews with Emily on www.ohmymalta.com.mt