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Fresh milk has become such a rarity in our pasteurized, slickly packaged world that most of us have forgotten the rich taste of milk straight from the cow. The Halls sell raw milk, leaving the option to pasteurize up to the buyer. Free range and pasture raised hens provide fresh farm eggs and chicken for sale – as natural born foragers, they are kept outside year round, which means they are able to roam, scratch, dust and bathe in the tropical fresh air – all of which gives their meat and eggs a better flavour. The Halls keep a scrupulously clean dairy, sterilizing bottles and caps, and the equipment used for milking. In her rare spare time Vicky makes a tangy yoghurt cheese and creamy ricotta cheese. Aldrick “Tru” Aska is a more unconventional farm-totable producer. Alongside his wife Denise, they run a family backyard farm and catering business where cultivated crops, herbs and salad vegetables are transformed into mouthwatering vegetarian and ital dishes, pastries, hot pepper sauce and even unique fruit wines. Tru started farming after becoming fascinated by the variety of crops he saw at the market. He collected seeds and bought produce he was unfamiliar with, planting them to see which would grow. He now harvests an eclectic collection of produce and medicinal plants in his humble hillside garden. Tru grows almost any herb you can think of and many others you may never have heard of. Tru explains, “anything that runs is mint, and anything that stands is basil.” The vast arrays of mint plant varietals include cinnamon, black, baby, pineapple, lemon and mountain. Regular and Thai basil are also grown. Other interesting produce thriving on the farm include curry plant, paracetamol plant, camphor, inflammation bush, bay leaf, Bajan cherry, purple, white and pink guavas, plantain, banana, bugament (bananas), coriander, papaya, aloe vera, dragonfruit, celery, thyme, shado beni (ram goat), rosemary, nunu balsam, sweet tamarind, cabbage, red leaf cabbage, kale, spinach, sweet potato, watermelon, okra and avocado. You may be surprised to learn that the farm also produces strawberries, Mediterranean figs, grapes and blood oranges! You can sample some of of Tru’s enlivened dishes and Denise’s pastries during a football match at the Antigua
Recreation Grounds or at the famous Rastafarian club, Watoo every Friday night. For an all-inclusive farm-to-table experience visit the Colesome Farmers Market and Indies Greens Aquaponics Farm. Both establishments grow much of their produce on site using two distinct farming techniques. Colesome Farm operates a traditional, top of the line produce farm incorporating organic methods as much as possible, whereas Indies Greens utilizes a contemporary soil-less method of farming called aquaponics. Aquaponics is the joint cultivation of fish and plants in a recirculating water system. The nutrient-laden water from Tilapia fish tanks is piped off to growing bins where vegetables are grown on floating rafts. The plants take up the waste nutrients and clean the water, which is then returned to the fish tanks. From ground to gourmet, Colesome Farmers Market has it’s own on-site Ital restaurant, Lion Pavilion, which prides itself on healthy, tasty and visually tantalising dishes. Chef Kashif Cole is happy to mingle with diners as he prepares his original plantbased vegan meals hemp banana pancake, spelt crust almond-cheese pizza, vegan tacos and power salads with super greens such as dandelion. On Saturdays, Indies Greens hosts a busy fish fry where guests are welcome to dine on freshly fried or steamed Tilapia fish served with salad greens from the farm. Indies Greens also offers formal training to aquaponics enthusiasts interested in setting up their own farm. Visitors are welcome to spend a leisurely outing at either establishment where staff lead multi-sensory tours – satisfying mind, body and soul. The daily St. John’s Public Market, the weekly Jolly Harbour Farmers Market and monthly Artisan Antigua Travelling Market offer a great opportunity to enjoy a fun, social, homegrown bazaar. Buy your own local agricultural produce; locally reared meat, fruit & vegetables, dairy products. Also at hand are fresh fish, honey, baked goods, crafts and natural cosmetics. These newly established marketplaces aim to connect farmers and producers with food buyers, making the farm-to-table process seamless. This sustainable outlook for the future of food makes our community healthier and more environmentally aware.
Sheer Rocks restaurant - (268) 562-4510 - www.sheer-rocks.com Garden Grill restaurant at The Tides - (268) 464-0207 FB: Artisan Antigua Travelling Market - (268) 726-8070 Jolly Harbour Farmers Market - High-season Saturdays 8am-12pm Hall Valley Farm - (268) 720-3595
Indies Greens - (268) 720-3474 or 726-3532 Colesome Farmers Market - (268) 782-6895 / 732-3328 / 782-0150 Aldrick “Tru” Aska - (268) Miss Jean-Marie - (268) 726-5640
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