THERE’S always something different on Glenyce Creighton’s farmers market stall.
The organic farmer is known for the diversity of produce on her Myocum farm, producing everything from potatoes to goose eggs.
“I don’t have a lot of everything, but I’ve got variety,” she says.
Her approach stems from a life of semi self-sufficiency – she and her family planted in such a way that they could eat year-round – when the pecans ran out, the custard apples would come on, and then the citrus and so on.
Glenyce does not own a coolroom, so everything on her market stall has to be picked fresh the day before market. Whatever isn’t sold is put to good use in her home cooking or into baked goods, pickles and jams – nothing goes to waste.
Certified organic for almost a decade, she says being organic is ‘a lot more work’ and makes the farm more expensive to run, but is worth it, as the food ‘is better for you’.
Some unusual produce turns up on Glenyce’s stall throughout the year, like rosellas, cucamelons (cucumbers that look like tiny watermelons), horned melons, chokoes and loofahs. Many are old, hard-to-find varieties grown from seeds handed down to Glenyce from her father.
Right now, she has a great crop of eggplants (which have done quite well considering the weather, she says) along with dragonfruit, okra (good in stir-fries and soups) and basil.
The recent heavy rain took its toll on some crops, like her lettuce, but that’s the beauty of diversity, as there is always something else. She says she has replanted, and the lettuce will be back within a couple of weeks.
Glenyce also has a large flock of free range poultry on her farm, including ducks, who have loved the recent rain and are producing plenty of eggs. Her chickens, quails, geese, bantams and turkeys are also on the lay.
Glenyce says the farming life is always throwing up a new challenge – last year’s drought forced her to scale back what she was growing significantly, and then the heavy rain that has followed was too much for other crops, but she’s not about to give it all away.
“It is very hard, but we’ll get there, we’ll have another go,” she says.
“If you don’t succeed try and try again, isn’t that what they say?”
– Find Glenyce Creighton Organics at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday.