Let's round off July with a nice little SHOUTOUT! (can you hear us???)

Mick @ Orange Grove Market

Harriet @ Kings Cross Market

Cathy @ Frenchs Forest Market

Mia @ Marrickville Market

JAD @ Hornsby Market

Organic Rules @ Chatswood Market

Dairy_Queen @ Riverside Market

i-only-eat-green-stuff @ Double Bay Market

Paleo Food

We have recently noticed a "new" trend of cooking or food preparation called Paleo, which is gaining more and more momentum.  But what exactly is Paleo food we wonder.

Wonder no more.  Fortunately for us we do have someone who can help us (and that means you too!) understand this phenomena.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Paleo Cooking with Simone.

What is Paleo

Paleo (or Primal as some call it) is a modern way of eating based on the principle that our bodies evolved over millions of years to eat certain types of good and that our bodies have not evolved to eat foods introduced within the past 10,000 years or so, when agricultural took over from traditional hunter-gatherer practices.

The basic principles of Paleo are:

• Eat fresh whole foods and avoid packaged/processed food
• Eat organic/pesticide free fruit and vegetables (avoiding potatoes if you have blood sugar problems)
• Eat organic or grass fed/pastured meat
• Eat wild (not farmed) seafood
• Eat healthy fats which include coconut oil, duck fat, ghee, lard, tallow, olive oil
• Avoid seed oils including canola, sunflower, cottonseed, any oil labelled vegetable or rice bran oil
• Avoid all grains/cereals (including corn which is a grain)
• Avoid legumes (including soy)
• Include in moderation nuts and seeds
• And for some it includes avoiding dairy

For many people, ditching the modern standard western diet full of processed food, additives, sugar, seeds, oils and grains has had a life changing effect.

Most experience weight loss and many long standing health problems are resolved.  For me, my dermatitis is all but gone, my skin is clearer, I no longer have aches and pains in my knees and my sleep quality is fantastic.

I also had long standing issues with panic attacks and anxiety which have disappeared and only come back when I cheat by bringing back some old eating habits.  My husband who became Paleo by default (as I do most of the cooking) has lost nearly 20kgs, arthritic pain in his fingers has disappeared and he no longer snores.

I like to think I have eliminated all the food (or food-like manufactured goods) that my body was never designed to ingest or process.  I am definitely eating my way to better health! 

How well does produce purchased at Orange Grove Market fit into the Paleo world

Shopping at Orange Grove fulfils nearly all of our weekly shopping.  I can get an amazing array of organic/chemical free/pasturised produce and except for a couple of the coconut products I source from another market.

I do about 95% of our weekly shopping here (ie. at Orange Grove Markets).  We are the couple lugging around a couple of granny trolleys every Saturday filled to the brim!

It actually is the highlight of my week and it has made me purchase much more seasonal produce as well.

How easy is it to produce a Paleo meal

Much easier than you would thinking looking at all the above exclusions!

It's just good whole food using spices and herbs for flavour.  At the moment in our household breakfast could be an omelette with bacon, mushrooms and spinach.

Lunch is normally leftovers or a salad of tinned tuna, and dinner could be anything from slow cooked lamb shanks with steamed red cabbage to a green chick curry served on a bed of cauliflower "rice" or a grilled pork cutlet with salad and sweet potato chips.

I tend to just stock up on what is seasonally available and base my cooking around that.  If you search on the internet under "Paleo" you will find an amazing range of delicious recipes and ideas.  There is usually a Paleo version of most of your favourite meals as well.

Do's and Don'ts

Do do your research.  Some great websites for beginners are Mark's Daily Apple, Robby Wolf and also my own Facebook Page (see below for links) which you can find giving hints, tips and photos  of what I cook on an almost daily basis.

Do leave your fears about saturated fat and what the loss of grains in your diet will do to your rear-end.  

The websites mentioned above have bucket loads of scientific research showing how the low fat/high carb western diet is killing our bodies with record levels of obesity, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's to name but a few.

Don't think of this as just another "fad" diet.  It's a way of eating that you can follow to maintain a healthy, thriving body and mind for now and in to the future.

Don't over think it: try it for 30 days and see how you feel!

How has Paleo cooking changed your overall lifestyle

It's made me think a lot more about how our food is made and where it comes from. It's also really made me question a lot of nutritional information fed to us that is based on the lobbying by big agricultural companies.

I try to buy seasonal locally grown produce and cook based on what is available.  It has also spilled over into me thinking about the products we put on our skin including "facial cleansing" products.  Most of my make up/skin & hair care is now organic and as chemical free as I can get.  

I only clean my house as chemically free as I can get using bicarb soda, white vinegar, eucalyptus spray, clove oil and other non-toxic ingredients.

In many ways my life is now much simpler

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Incredibly informative and to Simone thank you for enlightening and educating us and encouraging us to give it a go.  

Useful links (as referred above) are:

• Paleo Meals by Simone click "here"
• Mark's Daily Apple click "here"
• Robb Wolf click "here"
• Balanced Bites click "here"

We're FAMOUS

There are times in our lives when we simply have to shout it from the rooftops!  We are always incredibly excited to see when we get print media coverage so we thought we would pick some of the best, if nothing else than to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done!

Wentworth Courier on Kings Cross Market

Wentworth Courier on Double Bay Market

The Village Voice on Orange Grove Market

Manly Daily on Frenchs Forest

The Northern District Times on Riverside Markets (Gladesville)

Hornsby Advocate on Hornsby Markets

Where Sydney Aug 2013 Marrickville Markets

Shout out Here a Shout out There...everybody loves a shout out

Most especially cause we simply want to say thank you to the hundreds of strammgers out there..we thank you and we are always but always humbled to see how much you love sharing your love of our markets

sarah @ marrickville market

jac @ frenchs forest market

murray @ double bay market

alex @kings cross market

crystal @ orange grove market

Ali @ Riverside

Jessica @ Kings Cross Markets

Smith's Organics

You know the saying "a picture is sometimes worth a thousand words"?  Well we figured we would let these photos of Smith's Organics do all the talking which should hopefully inspire you to get down, have a try and then not only buy but become a regular at each or all of the markets that they attend.

You can find Smith's Organics at the following locations:

Thursdays @ Double Bay (click "here" for details)

Saturdays @ Riverside (click "here" for details) 

Sundays @ Marrickville (click "here" for details)

Let's talk Fair Trade

As you may have guessed OFM is all about Organic, Buying Local, Sustainability and Fair Trade.  But what is Fair Trade?

Recently one of our traders at Marrickville Markets had a spread in Ciao Magazine. Which prompted us to think thus: maybe there are people out there who may not entirely understand what Fair Trade is.  

So we thought we would take some time and have a chat with Tony from A Sustainable Life and get the low down.

Can you give us a little bit of history as to a) how A Sustainable Life came in to being and b) your involvement with it

I have always been interested in food, it's production and trade.  However, the initial impetus for starting A Sustainable Life was when our children started attending child care and school.  These organisations would foist upon unsuspecting parents boxes of non fair trade chocolates to raise money for their organisations.

I was taken aback at the lack of awareness and the terrible irony that these organisations were raising money for our children at the expense of children in West Africa, where there is endemic child slavery.

So we set about sourcing fair trade chocolate to that could be used for school fundraising and in the process educating people about fair trade.

As demand for our fair trade products grew, we then decided to start up a stall at Marrickville Markets and bring our products to the wider community. 

For those who may not fully understand, what is the definition of "Fair Trade"

The Fair Trade system is an alternate trading mechanism that provides a minimum price for products that protects the farmers from downturns and provides stable and secure income.

In addition to this payment, an extra payment is made to the community so that they can invest in health, environment, education or infrastructure.

The Fair Trade system also pays a premium for producing organic products as a way of encouraging sustainable agriculture.

As consumers, what role can we play to ensure that the integrity of Fair Trade remains true to its core value

Always remember that as consumers we have the power to change the world.  Every day we make choices about what we buy or don't buy.

When you buy a Fair Trade product you are helping to change the lives of people in the communities where the raw materials are grown.

Buying Fair Trade is one of the most effective forms of aid as it empowers these producers to address the trade imbalance and lift their communities out of poverty.

Where do you source your products from

Our products come from many sources: from small family roasters to importers and distributors.  

All these companies have made a commitment to Fair Trade and sustainability.

You recently had an article written about you in Ciao Magazine (as seen above) which was sensational!  What has been the response from the Inner Westies at market, and do you think articles such as this will assist (albeit in tiny steps) in promoting not just awareness but provoke us as shoppers, in to thinking more about what we buy and not grumble if it "costs more" if the ends justify the means

The feedback has been great.  Education is part and parcel of what we do, so it is very important to us to raise awareness as much as possible, and articles such as the one in Ciao Magazine helps us to achieve that awareness.

What we have tried to do is keep the prices as low as possible so that more people will buy Fair Trade and of course increase the benefits back to the producing communities.

We all need to think more about how our food is produced, not just Fair Trade, but all our food so we can make the best sustainable choices.

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Food for thought both literally and figuratively.  So when you are out shopping take time to think properly about your choices, look to find the Fair Trade Symbol and know that when you do purchase Fair Trade merchandise, it may not appear to be a big deal to you, but it may just well be a big deal to somebody else in the best possible way.

Our thanks to Tony for giving us some thought provoking insight and to Ciao Magazine for allowing to kindly reproduce their article.

Hunter Street Markets with ShannonLeigh Organics

How long has ShannonLeigh Organic Foods been around and what is the basis for the name

We have produced and sold organic food under the name of Central Coast Organics since 1979.  We changed he name to ShannonLeigh Organics around 1991 with the thought that our son (Shannon Lee) could carry on when I am unable

You are now firmly entrenched in the Hunter Street Markets (which run Wednesday to Saturday 8:30am - 3:00pm).  Have you noticed a difference in the way that people shop, eg: are they becoming a bit more particular wanting foods that are not "enhanced" or covered with non-organic pesticides

Yes.  More people come to market every week wanting safe food with taste and goodness and following the trend to "buy local".  

We produce most of our fruit & vegetables on our farms on the Central Coast so we are not too far away.

When did the organic way of life start within your own home

I grew up with naturally grown food from a market garden at Mangrove Mountain and found that when I left home I couldn't tolerate food that was not produced organically so it's been part of my life for an incredibly long time.

Add that my wife has always wanted to be self-sufficient and eat naturally grown foods...a win/win for everyone.

What would you biggest sellers be according to season

Tomatoes, four varieties of Kale, Lettuce and our free-range eggs.

For anyone who is yet to discover the delights of Hunter Street Markets, how would you encourage them to "give it a go" in one paragraph

Call in to get the best tasting fresh fruit & vegetables at the best priced organic produce.  Come and buy some of the cheapest but beautiful roses from our resident celebrity "Dom"

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As you may know, OFM are staunch supporters of all things local and organic so all you Novocastrians out there, if you haven't already "give it a go"!

Every Wednesday to Saturday in the Hunter Street Mall is where you can get all this and more!

Hunter Street Organic Markets