Sue and I braved public transport and headed off to Sydney today on the train to take part in the first producer lunch in the new Becasse and Quater 21 resturant located in the westfields complex Sydney.
Chef Justin North along with Monty Koludrovic and Michael Robinson produced an amazing combination of colours and tastes with produce from local producers.

Alto olive oil from Crookwell, Bilpin Apple Cider, Honey from Maya Sunny Honey and of course free range pasture raised pork from non other than Melanda Park.

Keeping with Becasse's philosophy on using the whole body the 40kg black pig that I sent down exclusively for the lunch underwent an amazing transformation with the second dish to come out being a mosaic of pork shoulder, neck smoked hock and pickled tongue, served with a chilled cider consomme. It was positively delicious.

The main coarse off course, had to be roast pork loin and belly, served with Jerusalem artichoke, pear, celeriac and licorice. The crackling was like no other and the taste was sensatonal. I really have to give it to the chefs at Becasse and quarter 21, they did a brilliant job with my humble little pig.

No dinner would be complete without a beautiful dessert and this time it was Ironbark honey cream and mousseline with compressed melon and melon sorbet. Yum.

You can get some beautiful Melanda Park heritage black pork from Eveleigh farmers market, or from North Side, Orange Grove, or Pyrmont farmers market stall under Farmgate to Plate or from the Farmgate to Plate shop at 7 Botany rd. Waterloo. 0412 886 669

Spring in May

With all the rain we have had in last few weeks and sunny days now it feels like spring in May. The lagoon is full, even if it is covered in duck weed and the wood ducks are getting around with plenty of ducklings, the grass is green the air is fresh with a slight chill, and there are piglets being born all over the farm.

It feels just like spring.

This poor girl had 18 piglets

This is Kate, she had a healthy 10, little black a white suckers.

These little guys are up to no good at the irrigation tap.

Guilts for sale

Every few months I try to put aside the best of my guilt's to replace sows that are coming to retirement age. Guilts are young female pigs that have not yet had thire 1st litter of piglet. This year I have been blessed with an abundance of good quality guilt's and as a result will be offering them for sale. $450 each.
I dominantly keep 2 types, Landrace X Large White, and Blue Merle's which are Large white x Large Black. The Landrace X Large White are a leaner well muscled pig more suited to the regular butcher trade as apposed to the Blue Merle's which are slightly fatter and preferred by the restaurants and people who enjoy the flavour of fat.
This year we also have a handful of Large Black guilt's.

Contact Matt for more details
matt@melandapark.com.au

Large Black

Bleu Merle

Landrace X large White

A big puff of wind

It was a relatively small storm but after having over 300mm of rain in the past 3 weeks it only took a big puff of wind to blow down all the trees. 14 in total, some of which would have been 800mm across at the base and well over a 100 years old. They fell across the roads, over fences and on top of the tractor.

A tree fell across a fence in the paddock of 10 sows all about to farrow, (give birth) most of them seized the opportunity to go bush and left. It has taken the past 3 days to bring them all back. Most of them made a comfy nest in the bush and had a litter of up to 13 piglets. It can be hard enough to move a sow that has made a comfy nest without having to move a dozen piglets with her.
Finally all are back safely in their farrowing paddock, 91 in total.

Jimmys Farm

Has anyone heard of Jimmy Doherty? Apparently they made a TV show about him and his farm ‘Jimmy Farm’. Any way I called in today for a feed of rear breed pork, it was rather nice, slow roasted pork on buttered cabbage and new potatoes with a cider mustard jus, very nice. Found this hanging on the wall and thought it sums up a pig farmers moral dilemma.