June 27, 2007

Field Trippin’

Our class went on a trip to the Adelaide Hills, home of yet more lovely wineries but more notably home of Tumbeela Native Bush Foods, one of the areas only suppliers of native foodstuffs. As we sipped lemon and licorice myrtle tea, the proprietor told us the history of his business. He’d been living in the hills for many years, enjoying hippie life on the land, when in a organically enhanced haze it occurred to him that he could grow bush tucker foods and market them to South Australian restaurants and shops. Because nothing that he wanted to grow is actually native to South Australia, he imported seedlings from all over the country and for the first several years repeatedly lost most of his crop. At last, in a moment of clarity, he realized that he needed to learn a little something about farming. He spent several more years (and more money, although he was vague about its origins) and now runs a profitable, if not exactly thriving business. And I’m pretty sure he’s still a hippie. After the tour we chowed down on lemon myrtle and wattleseed ice creams. He told us he always keeps these on hand for when he has the munchies.



This is a Banksia Bush. The cone part contains little edible seeds, and is filled with a sugary syrup that you can suck out for quick energy. That would make you a bush-sucker, which is just fun to say.