FOOD FILE:Next Monday, September 12th, sees the start of National Organic Week, which runs until the following Sunday. More than 50 events including farm walks, cookery demonstrations, in-shop food tastings and discounts on organic produce have been arranged. For a full list of the diverse schedule of events, county by county, see bordbia.ie.
It’s a good week then to welcome one of Ireland’s organic farming pioneers back to the retail sector. Marc Michel’s farm at Kilpedder, Co Wicklow was one of the first to be organically certified, and he previously ran a busy farm shop and cafe, but planning issues meant he had to close the retail side of the business three and a half years ago.
He is now reopening without the cafe seating area, but food will be available to take away. “Many customers choose to eat in the flower fields,” Michel says. “The food we offer can range from one of my farm vegetable curries, to farm-fresh French fries. I decide every Saturday morning what I’m going to cook, depending on what is in season. He calls his offerings “field good food”. All of the produce sold in the shop is certified organic and grown on the farm, including flowers. “The flowers we grow are unusual and heirloom: cornflowers, sweet peas, salvia, hollyhocks, peony poppies and so on,” Michel says. In addition, he is growing 40 different vegetables.
The shop, just off the N11, will open on Saturdays (10am to 3pm), initially, with week-day opening to follow.