National Organic Week arrives in September and there’s no better time to turn to local Macedon Ranges growers for fresh fruit and vegetables.
The week runs from September 12-18 and is designed to increase awareness of the benefits of organic produce and farming, and to encourage wider adoption and consumption.
The owner of Wildwood Organics in Bolinda, Ben Dunn, has been running his one-acre certified organic vegetable garden for about a year and loves selling his produce to locals.
“I just feel better as a grower being able to sell my vegetables to people in my local community, who I see face to face every week at the farmers’ market,” Dunn said.
“When I sell vegetables to them, it makes me feel good to know that they bring home very good quality, fresh and healthy products.”
He said that right now, with the skyrocketing cost of non-organic fruit and vegetables, it was a great time to switch to local and market shopping, rather than big supermarkets and chains.
“Traditionally, certified organic fruits and vegetables were more expensive than conventionally grown vegetables, but for the first time in history, if you shop at your local farmers market or buy directly from a local farmer, Certified organic vegetables are cheaper,” he said.
National Organic Week is led by the Center for Organic Research and Education (CORE) and its president, Eric Love, believes that organic production systems will likely one day be the only way to sustainably feed the world.
“The benefit is that organic farming can be profitable and organic food appeals to consumers as both a healthy and ethical choice which also results in many climate actions and ecological benefits,” Mr. Love.
Elsie Lange
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