Chemical carrots season is just about to kick off. Imagine if the chemicals used in the production of carrots were listed on the pack, would that change our sentiment about purchasing those carrots?
In Ireland we are lucky, we have some great carrot growers such as Philip Dreaper from Coolnagrower organic farm in Offaly who will be supplying all our main crop carrots in a week or two. On our own farm just this week we have started harvesting our first fresh bunched organic carrots and the smell and taste takes me back to when I was a child and carrots tasted like carrots.
People often tell us that the taste and flavour of our “dirty” carrots take them back to a time when fresh fruit and veg actually tasted of something, back to when carrots tasted like carrots.
Coincidentally during the week, I was talking to my sister, and she mentioned she bought a turnip in a supermarket and it tasted of little. (whereby we had a heated discussion that the Irish turnip is actually a swede)
How food is grown has a big impact on flavour and taste and there really is no substitute for healthy food grown in well fertilised soil without the use of chemicals.
All our potatoes right now are coming from Cameron in Battlemount organic farm near Athy in County Kildare, and they are beautiful and taste amazing.
These are just two examples of a whole host of gorgeous Irish organic produce that we are harvesting or sourcing and it is top of its class.
There are so many great growers both organic and conventional right across Ireland all trying to produce good healthy food, and it has been a challenging year. There is no question that man-made climate change is bringing further challenges to our doorstep.
We have been growing and selling sustainable organic produce direct to customers for 20 years now and there have been plenty of tough times and some good times. I find it hard to believe it has been 20 years, I am not sure where the time has gone, but it has passed.
I would like to extend an invite to you all to come and join us on Saturday the 12th of September to celebrate our 20 years of growing and being in business.
But more importantly to celebrate with some amazing people how we can change our relationship with food to help ease the burden our food systems are putting on our planet.
We started Green Earth Organics with a view to protecting biodiversity through growing sustainable food. Now as we see the impact of synthetic chemicals and manmade climate change on our planet, organic farming offers a system that may help us move the needle back in favour of working with nature rather than against it.
Come and celebrate with us and reconnect with the true meaning of real food. There are just 50 tickets left I think and you can get yours here.
For all of those of you who are already planning your day I cannot wait to meet you all. Thank you for all your support over the years through thick and thin it means a great deal and there is little doubt we would not be here today if it wasn’t for that.
Kenneth
PS Our festival is a not-for-profit event in the unlikely event the costs fall below the ticket sales we will be donating any surplus to Friends of the Earth and Hometree charities.