Maggie's Place

Maggie's Place

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Posted 2013-10-08 by Douglas Sutherland-Brucefollow
You may, as you go bowling down Gnangara Road, perhaps on your way to your daughter's dance recital or your son's violin practice, have noticed a modest building tucked away on Edgecombe Brothers ' land.

This is , a Farmer's Market haven for the dedicated locavore.



A locavore for those that are unfamiliar with the word (as I was) is someone who wants to eat locally produced fruits and vegetables, increasing their enjoyment of the food and helping the environment by reducing the distance foodstuffs have to be trucked.



At least one definition of 'local' indicated anything within a hundred miles. That seems to me excessively generous. For example, if Maggie wants to source the best available asparagus, she walks less than a hundred yards to Edgecombe Brothers for all she can carry - a carbon footprint of zero.

Maggies Place is the brainchild of Maggie Edmonds, a charming lady of a long-established farming family who together with her husband grew olives and passionfruit.



As well as her agricultural efforts Maggie was involved in promoting agriculture in general. She was heavily involved in the foundation of the WA Olive Festival and her efforts were rewarded by the WA RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year Award in 2008 and runner-up in Australia.

The award came with a modest bursary expected to be expended in promoting some form of rural activity.

And so she started '', on the land owned by Edgecombe Brothers, long time family friends.



is devoted to fresh and to local, consequently the foodstuffs are exceedingly seasonal.

In this season of early spring around the Swan Valley, farmers and small-holders are growing celery, cabbages, caulis, broccoli, lettuce, kale, beetroot, pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, turnips and silverbeet as well as some magnificent broad beans.

Coriander is growing well and lots of it is for sale with other fresh herbs. Celeriac is also around if you can find it.

Fruits in season include strawberries, mandarins, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, apples, pears, rhubarb and passionfruit. Also walnuts and fresh pistachios from Toodyay.

Every Friday morning Maggie zips around the coterie of trusted producers she has built up over the years and collects what has been newly gathered and harvested. She then lays it out ready for opening at 1:00pm.

This, the freshest of the fresh, then stays on sale over the weekend until 4:30pm on Sunday when it is given to the fortunate sheep in the adjoining farm.

Maggie's has been open every single weekend and public holiday since the stall opened in 2008.

As well as the fresh green produce Maggie's stocks a range of locally made honey, home-made jams, relishes, chutneys and olive oils.



Producers such as Bumbak's extensive range preserves, sauces, relishes, dressings and marinades (they specialise in the so-called 'bumburner's chilli', gluten-free and sugar-free products) and Bare Crush.

Bare Crush is a local company that produces, among other things, Mango Chutney and Mango Chilli Sauce, which I have tried and found delicious.

If even that's not enough to tempt you, Maggie's has genuinely free range chicken's eggs as well as duck, quail and the occasional goose egg. And on Sundays Maggie brings in a supply of Bindoon Bakehaus loaves and breads.

Best of all Maggie's has a tasting shed tucked around the back where most of the produce can be test-driven.

So if you want to support local producers, reduce your carbon footprint, do something constructive for the environment as well as enjoy excellent fruit, flowers and vegetables, you can do no better than visit on Edgecombe Brothers.

Very highly recommended indeed.

#food_wine
#herne_hill
#raw_food
#swan_valley
%wnperth
172371 - 2023-06-15 10:28:51

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