#local Archives — Ooooby Blog

Q and A with Raymond Garb

Q and A with Raymond Garb

“A lot of effort goes into improving and balancing the soil so that veggies can have what they need”

Originally supplying produce to Ooooby Christchurch, Raymond Garb is one of our long-standing growers. Now located just a hop, skip and jump from Pukekohe on a shared plot of land, Raymond grows farm fresh organic produce exclusively for Ooooby Auckland and we think he is just swell. Get to know Raymond a little better by reading on.

Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?

I have always been interested in caring for the environment and I read some fascinating stuff on organic farming as a teenager.

I then decided to find a way to practice it and I have been growing organically for over 20 years now – first working for other people and then for myself.

Why organic farming over conventional farming?

There are lots of reasons:

Being a better steward for a small patch of our shared planet earth; producing food that tastes delicious and does not contain chemical residues.

Plus, using organic methods is more interesting and challenging!

Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?

Currently, Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach and Kale – They are the veggies that grow best for me in this particular patch. I like growing any veggies, but always want them to be able to be their best.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

There is no water to irrigate the veggies so growing quality organic veggies with no watering is an exciting challenge, but very dry summers are difficult.

There are also pesky pukekos and ravenous rabbits who love to munch on my organic veggie seedlings.

What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?

I try to use old-fashioned heirloom varieties whenever possible – for their nutrition and flavour.

A lot of effort goes into improving and balancing the soil so that veggies can have what they need to be as delicious and nutritious as possible. Being certified organic is a level of quality assurance that these veggies have been produced to official standards and are the ‘real deal’.

“The hardest thing to grow is healthy, living soil”

What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?

They are so great to work with that now I only sell veggies to them. In times past I have supplied many different outlets.

The Ooooby team are excellent communicators, prompt at paying their growers and even have interesting personalities!

What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?

There have been a few interesting ones: celeriac, kohlrabi, Florence fennel, Baby Bear pumpkins and dried lemon balm for herbal tea bags.

The hardest thing to grow is healthy, living soil where the veggies can thrive. But in the right soil, the veggies are happy and just do their thing.

“Being a better steward for a small patch of our shared planet earth”

What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?

I like to eat a wide range of fruit and veggies and a lot of them! My favourite veggie is beetroot, oven roasted in oil with rosemary until crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?

Some of the ‘Baby Bear’ pumpkins that I grew were very small – down to about the size of a mandarin.

I gave one to my little nephew, who loved and cherished it and even slept with it, tucked into his bed. One day I gave a larger version of this miniature pumpkin to his mother, who cooked it for dinner that night.

As they were eating she asked ‘So do you like the pumpkin?’

‘What pumpkin?’

‘This pumpkin we’re eating’.

He burst into tears ‘What! I can’t believe you could be so mean! How could you cook and eat a baby pumpkin!’

After that I gave them regular pumpkins for dinner. Nowadays, he proudly grows his own – but only the big ones.

Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?

Silverbeet and perpetual spinach can be added to virtually anything cooked, as a source of green. I like to eat them both cooked with kelp flakes, seasoned with salt and pepper, with lashings of melted butter!

Silverbeet also makes an interesting edible wrap for an umu (Pacific island hangi), in place of taro leaves. Kale can be baked into crispy healthy chips, added to a stir-fry, or simply fried with cashew nuts.
Rocket is a great salad ingredient. A little goes a long way in adding zing.

Raymond Garb has been growing for Ooooby for a number of years and is a brilliant farmer and is exactly what he states – he is a brilliant steward for the shared patch of planet earth.

To find out more:

Do you want to see which of the delicious organic produce from Raymond Garb is currently available through Ooooby?

Visit ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy.

Q and A with David Whyte from Zestos Organic Farm

Q and A with David Whyte

“I wanted to produce the most nutritious food for my own family.”

Choosing a life that does not fit the mold is not always easy, nor for everyone, but David Whyte from Zestos has forged his own path and is now producing some of the most delicious, nutrient rich citrus fruit available. Here is what David Whyte has to say about being an organic grower in New Zealand.

Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?

I fell into producing citrus by accident. We moved to Huntly from Hamilton, as we were in our early 30’s young kids, and couldn’t afford to buy in Hamilton. After a few years in a suburb that was ‘interesting’, we saw a lifestyle block that was very good value. We sold our house and bought it.

The bank in giving the loan, made us promise to cut down all the citrus trees, otherwise it would be a business loan not a home loan.

Fortunately, we only cut down enough to move a house and associated material onsite, we knew nothing about citrus, except for being lovers of trees in general.

Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?

Biological farming instead of conventional. No brainer! I am a researcher by trade (physics then opto-electronics then biotech / biochemistry and now into fungi) and wanted to produce the most nutritious food for my own family. So why would you not do this for others as well?

“Ooooby has enabled a healthy lifestyle for the family”

Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?

As I mentioned before, we inherited the tangelo and orange trees with the land. So had no other option! I do love the Washington Navels and would never have a place without them.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

To be honest paperwork. We have just paid a significant chunk last year to be properly registered and inspected as dictated by central governments 2014 food bill.

Coming down the pipeline will be compulsory accreditation for organic farms. Which means we either have to limit our production so we don’t go over the cap of turnover, which triggers accreditation or become accredited.

The problem with accreditation is that it will not remove any ‘bad’ stuff – since we don’t apply anything bad, nor add any value, but will increase costs.

Furthermore, it will stop innovation. Previously we purchased some biodynamic preparations. Although these are obviously organic, they were not accredited so are difficult to use in a certified organic system.

“we want to produce food that produces life, health, and vitality.”

What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?

Our produce has the full range of trace elements, which are often not found in citrus from elsewhere. We got rung up by the soil and leaf testing company when we ticked all the trace element testing boxes we did.

In horticultural applications, these trace elements are not required, but to us, it is important since we want to produce food that produces life, health, and vitality.

Although selenium, cobalt, and iodine are not required for plant growth, they are required for optimal human health. These elements were not in our soil, so we added them. Therefore when eating our crop you are getting a full range of trace elements that supports your body.

What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?

We have worked with Ooooby exclusively almost since inception and it has enabled a healthy lifestyle for the family, where we can maintain the work-life balance that is required for healthy living.

We used to attend farmer’s markets, however, my wife and kids were at work / school Monday to Friday. Then Saturday was spent picking, cleaning, packing the van. Up early Sunday and selling till lunchtime, arriving exhausted mid-afternoon back home. I was able to take Monday off, but the whanau were not. This wasn’t a healthy lifestyle and one that was very draining.

Ooooby has allowed me to do the picking during the week, then washing (and grading out substandard ones if required) as a family on a weekday evening. Then I deliver the product to Ooooby.

“kind of like a bit of summer snuck into winter.”

What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?

I really want to successfully grow are subtropical fruits, which is a challenge in the North Waikato were -2C frosts occur once or twice over winter. We are having some success with our first casimiroa (tastes like ice cream) fruiting this year. In time I would love to get Ice Cream Beans growing and fruiting at our place. We will see!

What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?

My favourite fruit is tree-ripened granny smiths. Leave them on the tree till at least late June, when they start to change color to get a yellow blush and taste sweet and juicy They are divine. With no summer fruits left, these apples are kind of like a bit of summer snuck into winter. I remember eating them as a kid like this, so no doubt some nostalgia in there too.

Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?

Tangelo wine doesn’t mature well! One year at the very end of the tangelo season I juiced a couple of litres of tangelo juice. Added yeast and wine nutrient and fermented it out. Once clarified I bottled up and put away for a month or two.

Typically a wine tastes quite harsh until 6 months of age, then slowly improves for some time after this. After about 3 months, my brother and I were doing some homebrew tastings and decided to see how the tangelo wine was going. It tasted pretty good, it had low body which the next batch could be corrected with tannins, but had good color, reasonable taste, so given it was still very young I was very pleased with myself.

I put it away again and pulled out 6+ months later expecting to have a pleasant wine. It was very unpleasantly bitter, so much so it got put down the drain. I was so gutted, and peeved that my hard work had come to nothing and that it got worse with age instead of better! So very unexpected.

Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?

My mother in law makes a wicked dessert that uses candied tangelo peel sprinkled on top of tangelo ice cream. I have no idea about the recipe but it is delicious.

To find out more:

Do you want to see which of the delicious organic produce From David Whyte is currently available through Ooooby? Click here – David Whyte Produce

You can pop on over to David Whytes YouTube channel to learn more about what they are doing on the farm: David Whyte YouTube

Visit https://www.ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy. Read here to learn more about boosting your immunity.

Q and A with Peter Poschl from Ohaene Organics

Q and A with Peter Poschl

“We want everything to thrive – the soil, biodiversity, people working on the land and those who consume our produce.”

Situated in the gorgeous Kauaeranga Valley in Thames, you will find the Ohaene Organics farm. Peter Poschl and his family have been growing beautiful produce on this land since the late 1990’s. We had a chat with Peter to learn more about farming organically in New Zealand.

Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?

We bought our land in summer 1996 because we always wanted to grow food. We started planting fruit trees in the following winter. In 2000 we moved onto the land and did some small scale growing of globe artichokes. We seriously started market gardening about 8 years ago specialising in potatoes and Maori potatoes.

Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?

Angelika’s parents back in Germany saw no alternative to gardening the organic way. They saw what damage chemical based agriculture did to land, people and the quality of food. There was never a question for us to do it differently. And we believe it is now more important than ever.

“we have a holistic approach”

Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?

We grow what we like to eat ourselves. We know how fruit and veggies should taste. “Favourite produce” – I don’t know. Potatoes perhaps – the act of digging out beautiful tubers is something very satisfying. Fruit probably Belle de Boskoop apples, an old variety from Central Europe and THE apple to make apple strudel

What are the biggest challenges you face?

There are some. The last years had prolonged periods without rainfall (as we all know). We are very lucky to have a reliable water source but still – nothing beats a good summer rainfall … The other is probably increased bureaucracy. Compliance with the Food Act 2014 is paperwork-intensive and costly (at times throwing up the question of viability)

“There was never a question for us to do it differently.”

What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?

That we have a holistic approach. We want everything to thrive – the soil, biodiversity, people working on the land and those who consume our produce.

What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?

We love the idea behind Out Of Our Own Backyards. We are glad we can contribute to it and are happy to accommodate our harvesting schedule to Ooooby’s needs as far as possible.

What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?

Carrots – we never had any luck with them but we won’t give up.

What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?

Beans, chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers – there is nothing better than the vegetable or the fruit picked when it is just right.

Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?

Well, it might be funny for other people – you plant several 100s of leeks only to come back in the morning to discover that half of them have been pulled out again with the culprits not far away: pukekos. So you plant them again and shoo the birds away. You go back in for your morning tea and when you come back to see some pukekos running away and lots of leeks pulled out again. Fish and Game, help me!

Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?

Yes, too many to list or prioritise. You can get excited about a simple bean dish, a fresh cucumber salad, patate alla borghese (boiled potatoes, reheated in butter, lemon juice and parsley) and of course apple strudel (real paper thin strudel dough, filling of Boskoop apples with raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and a little sugar, rolled up and once done served with whipped cream).

“there is nothing better than the vegetable or the fruit picked when it is just right.”

To find out more:

If you would like to see which of the delicious Ohaene Organics produce from Peter Poschl are currently available through Ooooby, click here – Ohaene Organics

You can pop on over to Peter Poschl’s Facebook or Instagram pages – https://www.facebook.com/ohaeneorganics/ https://www.instagram.com/ohaeneorganics/

Visit https://www.ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can be made into delicious meals. Read here to learn more about falling in love with soup.

Q and A with Southern Belle Organic Orchard

Q and A with Southern Belle Orchard

“Why use chemicals when you can harness nature?”

At Ooooby we are so fortunate that we get to partner and work with amazing farmers, local growers, and artisans. People that grow and crete the most incredible produce and products, such as the team from Southern Belle Orchard.

Merely a stone’s throw from the quaint town of Matamata, nestled in the shadow of the Kaimai Mountain range and only a short distance from the Waikato Plains. This is where you will find the Southern Belle Orchard. A beautiful oasis cared for and nurtured by the De Jong family and so now let’s get to know them a little better.

“It’s great to grow such a kiwi favourite!”

Why have you chosen to be a farmer and for how long have you been farming?

I used to work in a not-for-profit in Auckland in an office (which was fulfilling apart from being in an office chair all day), and my partner was working for the council in the CBD.

Then an opportunity came up to join my partner’s parents’ business in Matamata. We jumped at the opportunity to get out of the city and switch to a totally different lifestyle – that was 7 years ago, but the family has owned the orchard since 2003.

Why organic / regenerative / biodynamic farming over conventional farming?

It was already very important to my in-laws to grow produce in a natural, healthy way and this was in line with our beliefs as well. We just see it as the best and most logical grower method and it’s as simple as that for us. Why use chemicals when you can harness nature?

“We truly care deeply about the quality of what we grow.”

Why do you grow the products you do and what is your favourite produce to grow?

We grow feijoas outside in our orchard. Apart from being a massive feijoa lover myself, we find feijoas a very easy crop to manage in terms of low pest and disease pressure. It’s great to grow such a kiwi favourite! Do I need to say what my favourite produce to grow is? How could it not be feijoas!

We also grow capsicums and chillies in our greenhouses. This is a highly specialised crop and it’s certainly not easy to grow them. But we really enjoy growing such a high quality and tasty product and we have a lot of high-tech experience we can apply to keep improving all the time.

Red and Yellow capsicum. Available online through Ooooby from Southern Belle Orchards.

“Growing food is a really challenging, difficult and expensive business.”

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Feijoas: Trying to get the best out of our trees when the industry is too small to be able to fund research. Anything new we try (and we’re always doing that) can take 1-2 years to see the effect, and we still can’t be sure if it was another factor such as the weather at play.

Capsicums/Chillies: Managing pests! Growing naturally means you have to be preventative so constant monitoring is necessary – you need to apply the beneficial insects (to predate the bad ones) early before the problem gets out of control.

Overall: Increasing costs, such as wages, compliance, transport; but no such increasing grower returns! Trying to receive the premium we deserve for our high quality, naturally grown produce.

What do you wish consumers knew and appreciated about the food you grow?

Growing food is a really challenging, difficult and expensive business. We truly care deeply about the quality of what we grow.

What effect has working with Ooooby had on you?

It’s wonderful working with people who care just as much as us about good, natural fresh food.

“The awesome thing about capsicums is their versatility!”

What is the strangest / toughest thing you have tried to grow?

We tried beans once in our greenhouse over winter and it was an absolute disaster, every single baby bean had the little flower piece stick to it and rot 🙁

What is your favourite fruit / veg to eat?

Why feijoas of course!

Feijoa tree blossom. Feijoas available online through Ooooby from Southern Belle Orchard.

Do you have a funny story / anecdote from your time in the field?

Often after pruning feijoa trees, when I undress I have all sorts of sticks and leaves fall out from my clothes. The other day I found a tiny spider had made a home under my shirt! (How did I not notice it earlier in the day??)

Do you have any particular recipes or ideas for the best use of some of your products?

The awesome thing about capsicums is their versatility! You can basically add them into any dish you’re making. We love roasting them in winter and putting them on the BBQ in summer.

To find out more:

If you would like to see which of the gorgeous Southern Belle Orchard organic produce is currently available through Ooooby, click here – Southern Belle Produce

You can pop on over to their website: https://www.southernbelleorchard.com/, or find them on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/southernbelleorchard

Have a moment? Why not pour a cup of tea and watch them on this episode of Country Calendar?

Visit ooooby.co.nz to get all your organic food needs delivered to your home and don’t forget that all this great produce can help keep you healthy. Read here to learn more about boosting your immunity.

WIN 1 YEAR OF OOOOBY GOODNESS FREE!!!!

Thank you!

We would like to say a MASSIVE thank you for the support and patience you showed us during the craziness of lockdown. We REALLY APPRECIATE IT and we’re honoured to have been able to play our part in bringing you healthy local food. Hopefully contributing to keeping you healthy and happy at home with your bubbles.

Refer your friends and WIN!!

For every person that you successfully refer to Ooooby will give you $10 in Ooooby credit (using your own unique referral URL available from within your Ooooby account).

Your friend will also get $10 in credit. They too can enjoy a little “gift” from you. Who doesn’t love giving gifts…or receiving them?

On top of this, for every 5 friends you bring on board we will send YOU a FREE Box of Ooooby Goodness!

Still not fired up?

We want to take it one step further. For the next 3 months, every successful referral* you send our way will gain you entry into a lucky draw to win 1 YEAR FREE* of Ooooby produce!!!

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Guaranteed referral credit… a chance to win big… get more people eating healthy organic food… support more local growers… reduce plastic… protect landscapes… and give your friends gifts!

A little help?

To get through the past few months we really had to ramp things up. It wasn’t easy operating under lockdown restrictions. Things are now “returning to normal” and we don’t want to have downsize or lose anyone from our awesome hard working team.

We need nothing more from you than your kind words. Please tell people about us. If you like what we do and find value in our products, service, ethos and vision of helping to grow a resilient local food model, that supports organic small scale farmers and artisans, then please tell people. Point them in our direction, give them a nudge and get them to become part of the Ooooby family.

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