Aussie Owned & Made Tomato Sauce

I bought this tomato sauce by Berenberg Farms in the last shop and cracked it open for the first time.

It was wonderful! Just the right blend of tomato, tangy vinegar and salt. I was in tomato sauce heaven.

I was also happy to know I was buying Australian Owned and Made in a glass bottle.

My mouth, the environment, the Aussie economy. All winners today.

Truly Supporting Local

I really want to support local farmers. A few of the reasons are:

• to boost the local economy,
  
• help out Queensland farmers rather than those in California,
  
• support the smaller guys rather than the corporate giants like Coles or Woolworths (often owned overseas),
• to reduce the 'carbon footprint' by cutting down the distance my food has to travel for me to eat it.

I have already stopped shopping for fruit and vegetables at the big supermarkets and instead attend fruit and veg markets. However, it was disappointing to realise that a lot of the food sold there is not local.

So I was very happy to discover Food Connect, a company which was started in the Brisbane area but now seems to have developed sister companies in Adelaide and Sydney.

These guys connect with local farmers around Brisbane (or Adelaide/Sydney if using their sites) who meet certain organic growing standards. They collect the produce from farmers, drop it to a city support family/person who subscribers can then visit to pick up their order of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, eggs, drinks, meat, cheese etc.

I already make my own bread and yogurt (more about that on another post!). I hope soon to get laying chickens and get some vegetables and fruit trees working in my little garden. I also want to learn someday how to make cheese. In the meantime this seems like a good option for buying things like cheese from Malaney or the odd piece of meat (which I don't eat that often anymore). Even the fruit and veg is very reasonably priced for what you get - considering all the growers they use must meet organic standards. Buy all that organic produce at a supermarket and you'd pay a small fortune.

I may give them a try out and do a review on here - once I get my life in order post wedding.

Ladybird Ladybird fly away home!

Ladybird! Ladybird! Fly away home.
Your house is on fire and children all gone.

Ok! So now I'm really excited!

I haven't looked at the 'City Chicks' website for a long while, since I first wanted chickens, just over a year ago. Tonight I went to have a look at what coops they have for sale and (oh happy day!) I found they'd expanded into vegetable gardening and other sustainable goodies.

Now that's not what got me clapping joyfully. No indeed! Something MUCH better!

These blessed souls sell insect kits. Ladybird eggs. Lacewing eggs.

I look to the aphid tortured oregano in my backyard and give a wicked grin. Your time has come my little nasty aphids. It's CAT'S TURN NOW! Whahahahahahahahahaha.