Ballan Farmers Market - February 2013

Here we are into February and yes, am very well aware I am running behind in my blog posts and there are quite a few events happening around the area over the next few weeks that I do need to let you know about!

But first of all, don't forget the Ballan Farmers Market on this coming Saturday!

The Farmers Market is again looking splendid and lovely to see everyone out and about enjoying themselves.  Last month it was a beautiful sunny day here in Ballan and it was lovely to see so many people wandering around chatting to each other, having coffee at the Mill Cottage, purchasing the fresh produce and generally enjoying themselves!

But there was a new person there I had not seen before.

I wonder if you got to see him?

the littlest busker in Ballan!

so cute to watch him play his 'guitar' to all the passers by.

This Saturday the market will have the usual fabulous stalls plus a new meat and small good seller, loads of berries, fruits, even a wool producer and moorabool landcare display.  So get down there early to make sure you don't miss out!

Hope to see you there too.

click LIKE on the Ballan Farmers Market Facebook Page for all the latest information.

Fresh Produce is always available at the Ballan Farmers Market as you can see in one of the previous blog posts HERE.

Dates: 2nd Saturday of the month
Location: Mill Cottages gardens, Inglis St, Ballan

and a couple of those events coming up are:
Ballan Vintage Tractor Pull & Engine Rally - Ballan Racecourse Reserve.  
17th February, 2013.  Grounds open Saturday 16th February 2013 and some camping facilities are available.
The Ballan Autumn festival just gets better and better! Enjoy the fantastic street parade with wood chop, art and craft shows, bands, amusements, concerts, pet show, and much more..... that's coming up next month!

Road Trip (Geelong to Queenscliff)

(above image is just after Geelong on the Bellarine Highway - B110)

The previous blog post is about the drive from Ballan to Geelong (Victoria, Australia) which we did earlier this week.

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, 75 kilometres (47 mi) south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia. 

The urban area runs from the plains of Lara in the north to the rolling hills of Waurn Ponds to the south, with the bay to the east and hills to the west, an area with an estimated population of 160,991 people.It is the administrative centre for the City of Greater Geelong municipality which covers the urban and surrounding areas and is home to over 191,000 people.

After driving through Geelong we continued towards Queenscliff on the B110 to visit friends and that drive was just as pretty once we got out of the city center area of Geelong.

The distance from Ballan to Geelong on the C141 is 72.5 klms and between Geelong and Queenscliff on the B110 is 31.2 klm.

In total, from Ballan to Queenscliff it is 103.7 klms.

Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. At the 2006 census, Queenscliff had a population of 1,416.

Queenscliff is a former 1880s seaside resort now known for its Victorian era heritage and tourist industry and as one of the endpoints of the Searoad ferry to Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.

once again we came across a small amount of fog, but it soon cleared ....

just 30 mins after leaving Geelong we were in the Queenscliff area and it was not long before we were sitting down to coffee with our friends......

We have been to this area often as there is much to see at anytime of the year. It is certainly a great area for cycling.

On the Bicycle Network website you will find a few interesting bike trails, one being the Bellarine Rail Trail which is a 32km trail for walking and cycling built on the old railway line between Geelong and Queenscliff. 

This trail is a great day or weekend destination close to Melbourne and Geelong.

Drive or catch the train to South Geelong Station to start your ride, then coast along the best of the Bellarine Peninsula on your way to Queenscliff. Make sure to look out for the Bellarine Peninsula Railway and take a ride if you get tired.

We had a superb day and soon it was time to head back home to Ballan....

Other road trips:

Ballan to Gordon

Ballan to Daylesford

Ballan to Mt Egerton

Ballan to Bacchus Marsh (via Glenmore Road)

Gordon to Wallace

Mt Egerton to Yendon

Ballan to Geelong

Bike Ride:

along Glenmore Road



Train Journey:

Ballan to Melbourne

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Fresh produce always available at the Ballan Market.

One of the main reasons for going to the Ballan Farmers Market is to pick up the fresh local produce!

One of my favourite's is the Silver Beet .... if I don't get my fix of fresh silver beet I am not happy. Always pick it up just inside the gate in the garden area as seen above.

Silverbeet is more popular than English spinach in Australia and easier to grow as it is more heat tolerant. In other countries, Silverbeet can be known as Chard or Swiss Chard. It may be green or green with red stems and veins. Many Australians feel that spinach and Silverbeet are interchangeable. But there is a difference in nutrient analysis and some recipes work better with one rather than the other.

You cannot go wrong when you choose fresh local silver beet, you can just about see them little vitamins doing the happy dance!

Native to the Mediterranean, silver beet has an earthy flavour and is a good source of folate, fibre and vitamins A and C and iron.

This is the vegetable, with its big, dark green leaves and white veins and stalk that many Australians mistakenly call spinach. Silverbeet is in fact a close relative of both spinach and beetroot. Used for many centuries, silverbeet was mentioned in Roman writings dating back to the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. Even before this time it was a popular vegetable, thought to have originated in the Mediterranean.

....... and beetroot.

Wow, have you ever seen such delicious looking beetroot?

Beetroot is a root vegetable with dark purple / red skin and firm flesh. It has a rich, earthy flavour with a mild, bitter edge.

Baby beetroot is smaller and sweeter than the regular variety, and is ideal for salads.

Beetroot leaves can be used like spinach, cooked on their own as a side dish, or in soups, salads and sauces.

Choose beetroot without splits, and with leaves and stems intact.

Beetroot is high in fibre and folate and contains manganese, vitamin C and potassium. The bright purple colour is from antioxidants called betacyanins that may help prevent high blood pressure and protect blood vessels.

Beetroot leaves are rich in vitamin K and the antioxidant beta-carotene.

When cutting beetroot stems, leave about 3cm of stem attached, or the colour will bleed. Wear disposable gloves when preparing beetroot to avoid staining your hands.

Click HERE for some great tips on preparing beetroot.

Hope we see you at the next Ballan Market on September 8. Be early so you can have the best choice of all the fresh produce that will be available.

our previous blog posts on the Ballan Farmers Market are here:

1. APRIL

2. APRIL

3. MAY

4. JUNE

5. JULY

6. AUGUST

  

 

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did you forget what today was?

Second Saturday of the Month

Today is the second Saturday of the month and if you missed today's Ballan Farmers Market you are now going to have to wait till next month!

The Ballan Farmers' market commenced in November 2011 in its unique location at Mill Cottage, 96 Inglis Street Ballan.

The first market had 1,000 visitors and subsequent markets are held on the second Saturday of the month from 9am to 2pm. 

Maybe put these dates in your diary now:

• September 8
• October 13
• November 10
• December 8

We were a little late arriving at the market today as we had stayed overnight in Melbourne. But still managed to buy the fresh produce that we needed.

Today we spent some time looking at the plants available as we are now starting to think about the garden and what plants we may need once spring arrives!  This particular stall at the market has plenty of fresh vegetables,  plants and seedlings as well as a good display of cactus as seen in the images below:

so next time you are at the Ballan Farmers Market, do check out this stall. It is located (usually!) way at the back, you cannot miss it:

don't forget, the next market is:

our previous blog posts on the Ballan Farmers Market are here:
1. APRIL

2. APRIL

3. MAY

4. JUNE

5. JULY

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John's ride along Glenmore Road .......

The weather this morning was superb ... clear blue skies and the temperature was expected to reach 13 deg.  So the decision was made to get out for some fresh air ..... John on the bike and myself in the car and stopping where possible for any photo opportunity!

Last week we had seen the VisitMoorabool website and in particular noted one of the bike tours that was suggested out of Ballan. It was called the PARWAN VALLEY GRASSLANDS Touring route that covered approx 40 klms. But have since been told it is actually the Rowsley Valley as Parwan Valley is east of Bacchus Marsh. Never mind, we decided this is what we would be doing anyway!

above: We left Ballan (E) mid morning and headed south on the Ballan-Geelong Rd (B), after approx 15 klms we turned left into Glenmore Road. This is where John started riding the bike.

above: The following images were taken along this east west section (grey) of the Glenmore Road.

above: as we turned left into Glenmore Road, the first thing we see is a sign that warns John of a "very steep decline" ahead.

above: those white spots on the hill are sheep and the lonely rider on the road is John!

above: and it was here at this intersection that we needed to turn left to go towards Bacchus Marsh.

John continued riding for awhile, until we hit a headwind. Next blog post will be of the scenery I captured along the way. Truly is a beautiful area to explore, the road is mostly narrow and there is one very steep decline of about 2.5 klms. Other than that it is a good area for bike riding.

Just be aware the vehicles do travel close on the narrow tarmac.

It was certainly a ride (and drive) through a landscape of extremes.



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