This year, 2020, has been a long and difficult one for everyone.  Throughout the dark days of lock downs and all manner of restrictions, our farmers have been supporting us with their produce and it is now so important for all the community to support them by sourcing our fruit and vegetables from our local farmers.

Over the years I have written much about Rod and Boris Ostini who weekly bring their fruit direct from the Orange region down to outer western Sydney to sell at the Parklea Market.  Every week without fail, they have continued to bring their fresh apples, pears and many seasonal fruits and selected vegtables to us.  We are very thankful for their continuing service.You haven’t tasted a crisp fresh apple or savoured the flavour of a fresh apricot or cherries straight from the farms where they are grown, till you have tried the fruit that Rod and Boris bring us each week.  It is so important to eat fruit in season when it is at its healthiest and most nutritious and straight from the farm rather than supermarket storage.  

It is nearly Christmas and Rod and Boris will be here on Sunday as well as Wednesday and Thursday next week.  Then they will be taking a well deserved break for the Christmas weekend and return the following weekend as usual. We look forward to their other summer fruits still to come.

Today they had a wide variety of apples, apricots, plums and many varieties of cherries and other fruit as well as potatoes.

If you want the freshest fruit for your Christmas celebrations brought to you direct from the farms of Orange, seek out Boris and Rod at Parklea Market. They are the only farmers selling their produce direct to the public. Let us get behind them and thank them for their efforts.

You can find Rod and Boris at stall 257. Look out for this banner:

Merry Christmas Rod and Boris. May you have a wonderful break with all your family. With many thanks from your customers and all those who appreciate what you do for us every week, come sun or rain or Covid19! You are the heroes of these dark days and we wish you the best for a better year in 2021.

So, readers of this site, no matter where you live, make a positive choice to support your local farmers.

Just for your Christmas table and using the beautiful cherries, plums and apples that Rod and Boris have brought us, here are some recipes for you to try:

This is a delicious Christmas cherry tart:

Find the recipe at this link: https://granthamgarden.org/2016/01/04/dominiques-cherry-tart/

Also do try this Apple and Plum Pie:

Find the recipe at this link:  https://granthamgarden.org/2015/12/26/plum-and-apple-pie/