Your one-stop shop for Certified Organic Produce
One thing that often comes up with our customers at Market, is where to find the best organic Market produce. We have so many organic options on offer, and we are more than happy to help.
This month we introduce you to all the certified organic options at the Market – all in one place. With such a large range of stockists and producers, we hope you find this helpful for your next visit to the Market.
First up, you might be wondering what it actually means to be certified organic and well, there is a lot more to it than just the label.
The Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS) BUD logo is what you might spot on all sorts of organic products across Australia, and it is an easy way to identify certified products. ACOS explains that to receive this certification, it is about being more than just “chemical free”. It is a whole system or holistic means of growing and handling food. To gain the highly sought after organic BUD logo, every step of the process must be audited according to the Organic Standard.
Another certification you will see around the market is Demeter Bio-dynamic which is a certification provided by the Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI) and covers organic and bio-dynamic farming practices. Bio-dynamic practices are focused on producing healthy, living, well-structured soil. Healthy plants and animals are a result.
To make it easy for you, to help identify organic produce at the Market be sure to keep an eye out for our Purple Farmers Market signs. The purple sign means that we have checked that the producer is certified organic and is our tick of approval so you know you can trust what you are buying.
At the Capital Region Farmers Market, we are proud to host a number of Australian Certified Organic Standard producers across a wide range of foods, so let us introduce you to some of them.
Owned and run by Sue Armstrong and Greg Oliver, Greenhill Farm has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2008. Sue and Greg produce all sorts of organic vegetables including tomatoes, turnips, carrots and many more, as well as various cuts of biodynamic organic beef from their property in Bungendore which can be found at the Market year-round.
Ingelara is a biodynamic and Australian Certified Organic farm run by Tobias and Beatrice Koenig in Michelago. Ingelara is an established producer and supplier of organic potatoes and garlic, as well as a range of seasonal vegetables that you can find across the seasons at the Market.
Windellama Organics is the organic farm of Lyn and Russell Farr based in the Southern Highlands of NSW. With a large range of items including organic fruits, jams, pickles, finishing vinegars, organic teas, and food wraps on offer, be sure to check them out at the Market on your next visit.
Rita’s Farm is a family-owned farm that has been in operation for over 15 years. Producing healthy, fresh, and organic vegetables is the main motivation behind Rita’s Farm. With offerings of more than just your standard vegetables and herbs, but also specialty and heirloom vegetables such as Chicory, Daikon and Red Amaranth that are rarely seen commercially sold, Rita’s Farm are just one of our many unique organic growers.
Loriendale Orchard is a certified organic boutique orchard right here in Spring Range, just over the ACT border established by Owen Pidgeon. Loriendale produces over 155 varieties of apples as well as stone fruits, nashi pears, berries, vegetables and free-range eggs.
Wagonga Coffee is a small, family-owned coffee roasting business established in 2000. Stocking a large range of coffees from around the world, including a range of certified organically grown beans, water-processed decaf and specialty micro lots, be sure to try out their different varieties of coffee each week at the Market.
Naturally Grown Potatoes are producers of Certified Organic Potatoes grown in Crookwell NSW. As a seasonal producer, Naturally Grown Potatoes brings different varieties to the market each week depending on the temperature and weather. Their varieties in include Sebagos, Coliban, Kipfler and more. Naturally Grown Potatoes are seasonal and we expect them back at the market later in winter. Keep an eye out!
Moorlands Bio-Dynamic Lamb provides award-winning, high-quality, and environmentally sustainable lamb to the Canberra community through Capital Region Farmers Market on a monthly basis. Vince’s practice farming processes are certified through the Demeter Organic and Bio-dynamic certification.
Come and visit all our stallholders:
As seasons change and produce varies, be sure to keep your eye on the This Week At The Market page to keep up to date with when our different organic stallholders will be in on each given week.
