News Item
GIPPSLAND GROWERS JOIN COOK UP AT CWA STATE FAIR
March 9, 2011
The Country Women’s Association of Victoria State Fair which attracts up to 5,000 people has taken a culinary theme this year with speciality produce grown from Gippsland to be showcased.
ECG McMillan at Warragul hosted a visit recently from CWA State Vice President, Marie Vassallo, bringing a diversity of Gippsland growers together to exhibit at the Fair to be held in Toorak in Melbourne on March 5.
Marie Vassallo said in addition to the vast array of CWA crafts and culinary delights the Fair is renowned for, Gippsland producers will be a highlight of a gourmet cook-up and tasting precinct at the Fair.
“This year’s Fair is being held in conjunction with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival and we are excited to invite producers from west and south Gippsland for the first time from the goat meat, goat cheese, olive, fresh herbs, apple and potato industries.
“Freshzest from south Gippsland which produces fresh herbs for Woolworths is providing a chef who will cook up tasting platters showcasing dishes including goat cutlets, goat sausages, fresh goat milk, cheese dips and ice cream as well as olives, oils and fruit and vegetables.
“This is a great opportunity for city people and visitors attending the Fair from across the state to sample and purchase speciality Gippsland-grown produce that they may not have tasted before,” Ms Vassallo said.
Sandra McPhee from Tarago Goat at Neerim said while her farm supplied speciality goat meat to a number of local restaurants it was often difficult for smaller producers to gain access to Melbourne and state-wide markets.
“The CWA State Fair is a great platform to enable small Gippsland growers to combine resources and promote their produce collectively to a city audience. It is a great opportunity to get our names and our products out there.”
CapriLac which operates the largest goat milk farm in Australia at Trafalgar will be launching two new products at the fair – goat milk dips and ice-cream, while Freshzest will be unveiling three new herb and spice products. Darnum Park Estate will be showcasing its first crop of olives and oils. The Gippsland Fruit growers Association has a number of growers participating including Armours Apples, Battunga Orchards, Fankhauser Apples, Golden Apple Orchard, and Priest Brothers, while Jones Potatoes of Warragul will showcase spud varieties including Nicola, Royal Blue, Kipfler, Dutch Cream and Pink Fir apple potatoes.
ECG head of Rural Studies Babis Lagos said ECG was pleased to draw on its established partnerships to link growers from west and south Gippsland with organisations such as the CWA.
“In a competitive business environment marketing comes at the forefront of farm business viability. ECG is working with the local food industry to increase opportunities for growers to gain increased recognition from consumers and to raise awareness of Gippsland as a clean, green gourmet region.”
The CWA State Fair is a celebration of women’s arts crafts and cooking providing a family fun day of demonstrations, tastings, and activities and a chance to purchase preserves, handcrafts, sweet treats and speciality gourmet produce.
The Fair will be held at the historic property Umina, the CWA Residential Club, at 3 Lansell Road in Toorak from 9am to 3pm on Saturday March 5, 2011.
For more information on CWA Victoria visit: www.cwaofvic.asn.au
Front from left: Sandra McPhee of Tarago Goat Lisa Cairncross of CapriLac, Marie Vassallo CWA Victoria.
Back from left: Babis Lagos ECG McMillan, Birch Cavallaro of Darnum Park Estate, Jen Westphal of Freshzest.
For further information contact:
Babis Lagos
Head of Rural Studies.
Community College Gippsland
Ph: 03 5622 6000
Email: babisl@ccg.asn.au