EarthFair Food Market

Earth Fair Market will be on on Wednesday 21st at Tokai from 3-8pm and on Saturday the 24th Dec from 9-2pm. The last trading day for 2011 at St Georges will be Thursday 22nd Dec.

Tokai will reopen on Saturday 7th January 2012 and St Georges will reopen on Thursday 12th January.

We thank you all for your amazing support and look forward to seeing you in the new year. Have a blessed Festive Season and remember you deserve some time out!

Liz and emerging farmers

Liz has been at Earth Fair from day one and she is a tireless and dedicated organic farmer. We would like to share her story…

Liz Eglington is the Farmer and owner of Buffelshoek farm in the Klein Karoo which she bought 15 years ago as a dusty and destroyed piece of earth, through over grazing and chemical fertilizing.

Using organic, permaculture and biodynamic farming practices she planted olive trees and breathed new life into this land. She then witnessed the miracle of nature healing the ecosystems and bringing
vibrant life where there was none. In 2001 the farm became the first certified organic olive and chilli farm in South Africa under the trade name “Blue Sky Organics”, and now has a range of 24 products, the latest being olive leaf tea.

The farm became the catalyst for sharing with hundreds of farmers who went to learn how to farm sustainably and ethically.

Through her experiences and lessons on this farm Liz was drawn to share these experiences in the following ways:

• Training and workshops: Liz has given extensive talks and held workshops on organic farming and sustainable living practices all over South Africa. For Country Life over a period of 6 years, the Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch for 3 years, various garden clubs in SA, and many farmers groups. There is an enormous need for
  information and assistance to farmers, smallholders and consumers to
  understand the harm that our broad agro-chemical corporate farming
  practices have had and are having on our eco-systems, the quality of our
  food and water and the impact on our health and environment.
• Director: SAOSO (South Africa Organic Sector Organisation). Mission: To establish South African standards for organics. To regulate the industry and all role-players. To promote organic farming in SA and educate the media, retailers and the consumer about the importance of healthy, nutritious and ethically grown food. To assist emerging farmers to get back onto the land, to grow their own food, and to become economically empowered and
  independent. To ensure there are affordable and equitable certification systems on all levels to satisfy local and export needs.
• Director:
  PGSSA (Participatory Guarantee System South Africa): Mission:  To establish and provide an alternative and affordable certification system for farmers and producers in SA. Our present formal certification system is very expensive and onerous in
  resources required and effectively prevents small producers and farming enterprises as well as emerging farmers from participating and benefiting
  economically. We have succeeded in including the PGS system in the Organic
  Policy document and there are already 6 PGS systems in operation in SA
  with many more applying.

Awards:

• Woman Farmer of the Year (Sept 2005 to Aug 2006)
• Finalist 2009 Most Influential Woman in Agriculture
• Finalist 2011 Eco Angel awards

Media exposure:

• Radio slot with Soli
  Philander on Cape talk. (4 sessions)
• SABC TV programme
  slot on “The Power Within”.
• SABC TV programme
  slot on “Me Time”.
• Top Billing slot
  • Several articles in
    magazines about Liz and the farm in Farmers Weekly, Landbou Weekblad, Odyssey,
    Simply Green, Longevity, Country Life.

Workshops and Journalism:

• Past 6 years doing
  workshops and lectures for Country Life on different aspects of organic and
  olive farming.
  • Regular contributor
    for Simply Green and Odyssey magazines.
  • Regular workshops for
    different groups of farmers on organic farming and sustainable living.
  • Regular lectures for
    various groups, horticulture institutes, Dept Agriculture and
    organisations on sustainable living, organic farming, nutrition, climate
    change.

Chic Mamas Xmas Crackers

It is very important to us to give back to the community and this year Earth Fair Market will be making handmade Xmas crackers containing delightful treats and vouchers donated by traders at the market. All the proceeds from the sale of the crackers will go to Chic Mamas Do Care which is a Non-Profit Organization. They are an amazing bunch of ‘Mamas’ who are extremely concerned about the children of South Africa and their future.

They have created a chic, fun and ethical way of fundraising, to support education and educational projects in underprivileged areas of this beautiful country.

The crackers will be on sale at the markets leading up to Xmas as well as at the Xmas Market on the 16th Dec… but first we have to make them! We need your help please. Join us at the Tokai market every Wednesday and Saturday where there is a table set up and help us make the crackers. We also love you to bring bring toilet rolls, buttons, bits of fabric, feathers, shells or anything that we could use to decorate the crackers with. This is a fantastic way to get to know us, to become involved in your community and to do your bit. For further info, please email info@earthfairmarket.co.za

See you there!

We will be hosting a free Grow Your Own Workshop with Matt Allison on the 8th October at 10am. Matt is a well respected urban farmer, eco advocate and blogger and he will be doing a hands on workshop showing us how to grow our own veggies organically. For more info on Matt, check out his blog http://www.imnojamieoliver.com/

Many people are seeking more eco friendly ways of living and also (at the risk of sounding…airy fairy) to feel their connection to the earth. On a recent trip to Crete to visit my mother, I discovered that in many parts of Europe growing your own veggies is very much a part of day to day life. The pride in watching your butternut squash grow to maturity or your tomatoes run rampant is something that cannot be underestimated.

There seems to be a very encouraging explosion of intrerest in urban farming and grow your own in Cape Town and around the world. Matt will give practical tips on how to start and establish your own edible garden and will be able to answer any questions that you may have after the workshop. The workshop will be held at Earth Fair Tokai at 10am - under the stretch tent at the front entrance. All are welcome. See you there!

We are celebrating big time this Saturday. The Spring Equinox is on the 23rd and Saturday is our Spring Market. Shake off the winter slumber and turn over a new leaf with us. Floral dresses, summer frocks and hawaiian shirts greatly encouraged! The Marimbas will be playing their lovely tunes from 11-2pm.

To celebrate our Heritage we will be firing up the braais outside the market. Pick your choice of special sossies from Rudi’s Deli and bring them to the fire. Add salads from Saladlover, chutneys from Amelia’s and chilli sauces from More, real beer from the Laughing Crocodile and life is good. See you there!

PS Kiddies, don’t forget the Mad Hatter Tea Party!

We have decided to add lots of fun filled programmes to our kiddies corner so that you can shop in peace and the kids can have loads of fun. We will be kicking off with ‘gogga’ making on Wednesday so bring the kids to unleash their creative talents! On Saturday we will be having another Mad Hatters Tea Party! The first one was so much fun that we decided we had to do it again. There will be a dress up box with hats and scarves and gloves, iced tea and cucumber sandwiches to munch on. Remember – no grownups allowed!!!

We will be showing the rugby on the big screen tomorrow at 8am – WITH SOUND this time. Join us to support the Bokke and enjoy some Moer Koffee and brekkie. The traders will be unpacking and setting up for the usual 9am trading day but we have asked the brekkie traders to set up a little early! See you there!

It is getting really chilly in the late afternoon so for the rest of Winter we will be closing at 4pm. See you there!