Community Spirit Lives on during Koo Wee Rup Floods
Joe Vizzarri, President of the Australian Asparagus Council said, “Established asparagus is a very resilient to adverse weather conditions and asparagus growers are a very resilient bunch. Despite the shortage of asparagus at the present time I don’t think too much longterm damage has affected our asparagus crops. The cold wet conditions have slowed production to a trickle because asparagus likes warm stable weather conditions to produce. I’m quite confident that there will be reasonable supply of asparagus over the next few weeks until the end of March providing the weather doesn’t throw up any further surprises.
In light of the weather conditions being experienced across Australia over the last few weeks I would like to take this opportunity to thank the public and media for expressing concern and support for the rural communities affected by these events. Despite our losses and hardship I do recognise that there many other people and communities who have suffered far more extreme conditions and it will take far longer to recover and return to some sort of normality.”
Regional Produce Luncheon Venue Turned Relief Centre
Tour guests were to continue on to the Cardinia Cultural Centre to dine on the freshest asparagus they had ever tasted teamed up with other local goodies – such as Europa Cheese, Jindi Cheese, Haunted Gully Olive Oil, Red Gem Potatoes, Cannibal Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot, Hardings Orchard Lemons, Summer Snow Apple Juice (Pink Lady and Granny Smith) and Serendipity Lavender Farm - by Cardinia Cultural Centre Chef John Barbaressos and his team of Khan’s Hospitality Services.
However, instead of the perfect venue for a regional produce luncheon, Cardinia Cultural Centre was transformed into a Relief Centre for flood victims.
Produce generously donated for the Farm Tour Luncheon by the above local businesses was collected by Cardinia Shire Council Business Development Officer, Frances Grigoriou and delivered to the 4C’s (Cardinia Combined Churches Caring) Food Bank, where it was gratefully received by the 4C’s Team 9 (see pictured). 4C’s is a voluntary organisation that aims to reach the needy, disadvantaged, homeless and those in crisis within the Shire of Cardinia. It aims to provide the needy with emergency food relief, education, friendship and referral to counseling and advice services if necessary and the NILS (no interest loans to low income people) program.
See pictured (from left to right) Elaine Law (volunteer), Jeni Mathieson (co ordinator) and Tracy Clarke (volunteer).