It’s September and Spring is in the air, the birds are returning, the bees are buzzing, the air is alive with their noises and the smells of pollen and nectar. The plants have had so much water this Winter, they look like they are going to grow at a phenomenal rate.

We will see. I hear the Summer is expected to be extremely dry.

With the weather starting to warm up, we are nearing the end of the potatoes and carrots. The warmer soil temperatures give the dormant plants the signal to grow – meaning that the potatoes will sprout and so will the carrots and any other root vegetables that have been lying around all winter.

It will be three or four months until there are young carrots and new potatoes at the market again. Greenhill Farm will keep bringing their absolutely delicious carrots and potatoes to the market for a couple more weeks, so get in now.

The stored garlic is all gone now too, but don’t stress Caroola Farm have young garlic already, so the market has had garlic available for the entire year!

Now is the time of year that young poultry start to lay eggs, and the older girls start to lay more frequently as well. You may have already noticed the increase of chicken and duck (and even goose!) eggs available.

Green things are becoming more and more abundant with soft herbs such as coriander and mint starting to be brought to the market. Kale, chard, salad greens and stir fry greens are starting to really take off, time to be eating lots and lots of these things. You can add some greens to almost any savoury dish.

The citrus is also going bonkers down at the Coast – the oranges, lemons and grapefruit are super juicy and a wonderful addition to salads, desserts and other meals. They also make great marmalade, cordials for summer refreshments and spicy pickles to team with curries.

Don’t worry too much about the end of the potatoes and carrots – because this signals the beginning of the asparagus and artichokes, how exciting! It’s been so long since we’ve indulged in such treats. I can’t wait!