There are so many benefits to shopping at your local farmers’ market, but in the case of the Picone’s Farm stall at Byron Farmers Market, one of the best benefits is that you can eat your way around the world.
The stall, run by young farmer Aidan Postle, certainly gets its fair share of attention every Thursday morning, and it’s easy to see why. Its speciality is growing all things exotic – from prickly pears and Brazilian cherries to the wild-looking gac fruit and miracle berries (more on these below).
Aidan, 27, has been running the Picone’s Farm at Tyagarah since November last year, following in the passionate footsteps of owners John and Lydall Picone, who wanted to step back and spend more time with their grandchildren.
‘We are growing over 400 different cultivars – everything from more temperate crops like peaches, plums, nectarines and apples through to the Mediterranean crops like pomegranates, persimmons, figs and feijoas, all the way through to sub-tropicals including cacao, sapote, lychees, longans, rambutans and mangoes, plus all sorts of weird and wonderful things,’ says Aidan.
‘The uniqueness of this farm comes from John and Lyndall and the love and passion they’ve put into it over the past 13 years. John’s exploration into collecting and growing exotic and interesting food-producing plants has led to this almost botanical garden-scale collection of trees from all around the world.’
Aidan says both locals and tourists love visiting the stall, not only for the colourful and unusual foods on offer, but also for the education about them.
‘We can never rush any customers when they come to the stall because the produce we’re selling is more obscure so we need to be able to teach people different ways to use the produce,’ he says. ‘People appreciate this and it’s part of the reason they return each week – exploring and experiencing new foods and the creativity that comes with that.’
Aidan says it’s impossible for him to pick a favourite, but some of the big hits with customers include gac and miracle berries.
‘Gac is a very showy fruit, which is vivid red inside and is known as a superfood. In south-east Asia it’s often given as a gift in times of celebration. You eat the pulp around the seeds, which is super high in lycopene and beta carotene’.
‘The miracle fruit is also really popular. It’s like a party-trick fruit and can be lots of fun, particularly with kids. The berries completely change the way your tastebuds perceive sourness, so things like citrus end up tasting sweet. Kids love playing pranks on people, eating the miracle berries then sucking on a lime. When you eat one, even a Davidson’s plum tastes sweet and juicy.’
You can find Aidan and all his weird and wonderful exotic produce at Byron Farmers Market every Thursday morning.
Byron Farmers Market is held Thursdays 7–11am at Butler St Reserve and Bangalow Farmers Market is Saturdays 7–11am behind the Bangalow pub.
