Sharing our skills and knowledge of organic farming is a vital step towards encouraging self sufficiency and sustainable agricultural practices. It empowers people and communities to make informed decisions that will improve the environment and their own health. By teaching our skills we can play a vital role in addressing the global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. We can give hope to the younger generations that there are alternative ways to produce food sustainably and to improve health in our society.

At Lakeland Produce we are proud to share our knowledge and to empower others to create small farming enterprises that produce healthy, nutritious food while building biodiversity and resilience. We encourage self sufficiency and the ability to grow your own food and prepare it at home.

By learning to grow your own vegetables and prepare a meal, or preserve them for later use, we ourselves become more independent and less reliant on the supermarkets. We know exactly what ingredients we are eating and appreciate the value of the food we are consuming. 

For those who are unable to grow their own vegetables, farmers markets are the perfect place to purchase food. They provide the opportunity to connect with the farmer and learn how and where the produce you are purchasing was grown. Supporting your local markets creates a vibrant resilient community where exchanges in knowledge, skills and recipes are shared.

We are always happy to  exchange our farming knowledge. From soil microbes to farm animals, fruit and vegetables to trees, everything to do with growing, planting and cooking.

Did you know the banana tree is actually a flowering herb that grows from a sucker not a seed. It takes 9 months to produce a bell (flower) and a further 3- 4 months for the bunch to mature and harvest. Bananas are harvested all year round. Once harvested the green bananas are dehanded off the bunch  and left to ripen for a week. As bananas ripen they develop brown sugar spots, the more spots the riper the banana. Over ripe bananas are the best for cooking cakes. 

Easy banana cake recipe:

Method:

• Preheat oven 180 degrees
• Grease and line a small baking tin 
• Gently melt butter in a saucepan, don’t let it boil
• Take off heat and add sugar, egg and vanilla
• Beat well with a wooden spoon
• Sift in flour, don’t stir yet
• Add milk and mashed banana
• Stir until just mixed
• Spread evenly in tin
• Bake 30 minutes

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Papaya also known as pawpaw is grown from seed. The papaya tree flower can contain male, female or both types of reproductive organs depending on the variety. They take 12 months from planting to harvesting fruit. Papaya are harvested every week of the year when the fruit begins to turn from green to orange.

Once fully orange the fruit is ready to eat fresh or served in a delicious papaya boat.

Breakfast papaya boat recipe:

Ingredients: 1 papaya cut in half Natural yoghurt 1 passionfruit 1 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon chopped raw almonds

Method:

• Cut papaya in half
• Scoop out seeds
• Half fill cavity with natural yoghurt
• Spoon over passionfruit pulp
• Drizzle over honey
• Sprinkle with chopped almonds
• Serve

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On our farm we grow Panama passionfruit, a variety that suits the tropics. Its grown on a vine and planted from seed. It takes up to 6 months to bear fruit, and harvesting is usually between March and November in our area.  The fruit is picked when it turns a reddish purple colour and this is when it is ready to eat. Passionfruit can be eaten fresh off the vine or used to flavour cheesecakes,  ice cream, or yoghurt.

Our childrens favourite passionfruit cheesecake recipe:

Base: 2 cups plain biscuits, processed to crumbs 125g butter melted Filling: 500g philadelphia cream cheese ½ cup caster sugar ½ cup cream 2 teaspoons gelatine 2 tablespoon boiling water 5 passionfruit, pulp only

Method:

• Line pan with greaseproof paper or can be made into single serve glass jars
• Combine biscuit crumbs and butter
• Press into the base of the pan or divide equally into 6-8 glass jars depending on size
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes
• In a bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and cream until light and fluffy
• Dissolve gelatine in boiling water
• Mix gelatine into cream cheese mix
• Add passionfruit pulp and mix well
• Pour mixture over base
• Refrigerate until set 
• Can be topped with Lakeland Produce Papaya Passionfruit Jam to serve

Over the years we have developed our farm and learnt a lot along the way. We have learnt from nature to maximise our farms potential. We produce our own food knowing exactly where it came from , how it was grown and what we are eating. Being able to share our experience and encourage others to have a go motivates us and creates an optimistic future for the next generation.