Fresh State of Affairs - Issue #52

52 APR 2020 ISSUE

of affairs

We’re all in this together Unfamiliar working environment soon to become ‘normal’ — Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day

'Go To Those Who Know' Why buying local really matters

ISSUE 52 — APR 2020

Contents 04

4 — Letter from the CEO Letter from Jason Cooper, Fresh State CEO.

5 — Generosity that Counts Melbourne Market community shows generosity in Bushfire Appeal.

6 — Unfamiliar working environment soon to become ‘normal’ — Coronavirus (COVID-19)

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8 — Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day A successful Golf Day has come and gone again, read up on the happenings at the event.

10 — Around the market: Golf Edition

See some of the photos from the Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day.

12 — Go To Those Who Several measures put in place at the Know: Why buying local really matters Melbourne Market to ensure the safety and health of Market users.

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15 — Never a dull moment for Australian horticultural exporters Read Andréa Magiafoglou’s article on the challenges fresh produce exporters currently face.

16 — Sharing food & support FareShare support Australians in need, see how they continue to work during this time.

20 — Positive experiences all round in Melbourne Why buying local is ‘A Better Choice’. Market Credit Service Hear from Melbourne Market Credit Service members and their experiences.

Published By:

CEO: Jason Cooper jason@freshstate.com.au Editor/Advertising: Dee Sherry dee@freshstate.com.au

W: freshstate.com.au P: (03) 9408 6627 2

Photography: Dee Sherry

Design & Print:

Distribution: Fresh State of Affairs is produced by Fresh State Ltd. and is a free publication.

ISSUE 52 — APR 2020

President’s Message 22

22 — Avoiding the ‘double whammy’ this flu season It’s important to ensure you have a healthy immune system this flu season.

24 — Recipe Try out this Healthy Pizza recipe!

25 — 2020 Postponed Events Unfortunately, Fresh State has had to postpone a number of events this year. Take a look at the list here.

27 — Calendar of Events 25th of April — Anzac Day 10th of May — Mother’s Day 8th of June — Queen's Birthday

We hope everyone is staying healthy and safe during these difficult times. The last few months have presented the Market with several challenges, and it looks like we are not out of the clear any time soon. We are here to support members and the market community; their safety is always at the front of our minds.

In this issue of Fresh State of Affairs, you will see a prominent theme around Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Though we don’t want to bombard the community with more about the virus, it’s important to showcase how the Melbourne Market and external companies are tracking. Just before the pandemic hit, we were lucky enough to hold our annual Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day. Read up on such a successful event and see the overall donation achievement. As always, this magazine is packed with excellent and insightful reads about many different topics.

Due to the restrictions concerning Coronavirus, this magazine will be our first online-only version. We know that the market community loves a hard copy that they can touch and read, however, we have to work with the times, so this magazine is easily accessible anywhere, on any screen. We always appreciate input from our members and the community; if you have any feedback, please let us know.

Shane Schnitzler President Fresh State Ltd. 3

ISSUE 52 — APR 2020

Letter from the CEO What a beginning to 2020. We’ve seen drought, bushfires, flooding, and now a global pandemic.

Our thoughts are still with those struggling with the aftermath of the bushfires and know the burden of this virus will be a terrible strain on rebuilding again. Thank you to the Market community for coming together earlier this year and showing your support for those affected. Donations collected for the Victoria Bushfire Appeal were highly appreciated, and I’m sure it helped a lot of impacted Australian’s.

As we all now know, Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become a severe threat to our nation, economy, and daily lives. Currently, at the Melbourne Market, we have moved to ensure operational changes have been put in place to protect the health and safety of market users. Social distancing rules, market visitor rules, and temperature testing, amongst other things, have all been enforced to make sure the market community is safe from COVID-19. The Melbourne Market is an essential service and will continue to remain open to support Victoria’s food chain supply. These precautionary measures are put in place so that the market can keep supplying fresh fruit and vegetables daily.

Though it may seem bleak and unknown at the moment, we must not forget the resilience of the market community. In times like these, we all come together as one, showing love and support when it’s needed most.

Typical day to day business has been altered, and I have seen many of you adapt to ensure the safety of your staff and fellow market users is at the forefront of your thinking. The community here at the market never fails to show its generosity and compassion when difficult times are present.

Resources and support will continue to become available to our members and the market community.

I understand it’s a challenging time for business owners and staff, so we want to make sure you’re up to date with the stimulus packages becoming available from the Australian government. We are also working closely with the Melbourne Market Authority, to regularly update you when new rules and measures need to be put in place. Please don’t hesitate to contact me or the Fresh State office for any assistance. This may be an unfamiliar time and environment, but we are all in this together and will continue to push on to support our local greengrocers, local supermarkets and providores, and continue to deliver quality produce to all Victorians.

Kind regards,

Jason Cooper CEO Fresh State Ltd. 4

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Generosity that Counts One thing that the Melbourne Market community never fails to show is generosity. When the devastating bushfires swept over Australia, the upset was felt around the country. Some lost their homes, some lost their crops, and tragically some lost their lives. It was a disaster that won’t soon be forgotten.

To support those who have been affected, Fresh State and the Melbourne Market Authority set up a bushfire disaster appeal, to allow the Market community to come together, show their support and raise donations.

The Melbourne Market community raised a great total of $34,775.35, which will go directly towards the Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Both Fresh State and the MMA donated $10,000 each, and other significant contributors included Produce Time, Fresh Mix Produce, Hai Ha Supplies, and Biodynamic Marketing.

Thank you to all who donated, your contribution is extremely appreciated and will help rebuild the lives of those affected by the fires. Our gratitude goes out to our emergency services and volunteers and our deepest sympathies to all those who were impacted.

The Melbourne Market community raised a great total of $34,775.35, which will go directly towards the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

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Unfamiliar working environment soon to become ‘normal’ —

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

With crisis and disaster hitting Australia one by one, it's hard to know how this year is going to pan out. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is on everyone's mind at the moment, and it may be up to six months or more until the country can get back to normal again.

As an essential system and an integral part of Australia's food chain supply, the Melbourne Market continues to operate. However, precautionary measures have been put in place, leaving business far from usual. As the spread of the virus began to increase, the Market introduced safety rules and procedures. Social distancing rules were put in place, where it is no longer acceptable to congregate in areas together, and Market users must maintain the 1.5 metre social distancing rule. Visual guides have been placed on the floor in selected areas of the Buyers' Walk and trading floor to demonstrate the 1.5 metre social distancing rule. Additionally, if any Market user is deliberately not following social distancing rules they will be excluded from the market.

Temperature testing is conducted at Gate 1 and ensures that every person, driver, passenger, or pedestrian entering the Market will be temperature tested. Persons who record an average temperature range of under 38C will be able to proceed through gate 1, into the Market site. If a person registers a temperature of 38C or above, they will be asked to move their vehicle to a holding area, where they have the opportunity to be tested again 10 minutes later. The second test is conducted to allow a person time to cool down if the temperature was not from a fever, but the result of strenuous activity or similar.

If in 10 minutes, the person's temperature still records as being 38C or over, they will not be able to enter the Market. At this point, the person would be advised to seek medical advice.

Several changes were introduced regarding visitors to the Market. Market users have been encouraged to refrain from inviting non-essential visitors. Gate 1 personnel will be getting all visitors to determine if the visit is warranted and if the meeting could be done via phone or video conference instead. Every person entering the Market also needs to present their access cards. Those who do not have their access card will be required to go into the gate 1 security office to verify their identity. Operational changes have also been put in place, where electric vehicles being used on the trading floor are limited to one person per vehicle.

And as a constant reminder to the Market community, the following message has been distributed on a regular basis. "If you are feeling unwell, you should stay at home and seek medical advice. Do not attend the Market for work, or to purchase flowers or produce, if you are feeling unwell in any way."

Temperature testing was introduced on April 2nd, as a screening tool to help ensure potential COVID-19 infected persons do not enter the Market.

Fruit and vegetables will continue to be a vital part of Australia's food chain and not to mention the importance of staying healthy in times like these.

These unfamiliar operational conditions at the Market will soon become familiar as we continue to work like this for months to come. Fresh State and the Melbourne Market Authority continue to provide support and guidance in this unknown future and will ensure the market community is safe and work is pushing on.

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Melbourne Market

Charity Golf Day soars once again And just like that, another Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day has come and gone again. In times like these, organisations who are not-for-profit and don't receive any government funding, struggle the most.

DEBRA Australia, the volunteer-based organisation, works tirelessly to support those living with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). EB is a rare disease whereby the skin blisters and peels at the slightest touch. Affecting all three layers of skin and internal mucosal linings, EB has been likened to living with third-degree burns. The Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day is one of two major charity events that support DEBRA Australia.

Just like the years before, this years Golf Day was a roaring success. With 23 teams joining the day, the event was guaranteed to be fun and enjoyable.

The day began with registrations opening up at 10, where players received goodie bags and DEBRA t-shirts. This year, players were given tokens to put in two boxes for the chance to play with a celebrity.

Essendon Football Club legends, Terry Danniher, and Paul Van Der Haar joined us for the event. They were selected to play with the teams from Toyota Material Handling Australia and Brescia Wholesalers.

After a welcome speech from the Golf Committee Chairman, Joe Amalfi, the event was underway.

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During the Golf Competition, the weather held out on us, providing a warm day with relatively clear skies. Of course, the day was filled with a bit of rivalry, as well as sportsmanship as players passed each hole. Their competitive spirit came out in full force for the Putting competition, Chipping competition, and Nearest to the Pin competition.

This year we had three Hole in One prize up for grabs, a Toyota Forklift donated by Toyota Material Handling Australia, a Mercedes-Benz GLA 180 donated by 3 Point Motors, and the Fresh State $50,000 Cash prize donated by the Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day Committee. While no-one managed a hole-in-one to take out one of the major prizes, the spirit of the day was not lost.

As the golf comp drew to a close, attendees moved inside to enjoy a great buffet dinner and a touching presentation from Simone Baird and Lisa Brains from DEBRA Australia. Lisa Brains has lived a life with EB, and even though her life involves so much pain, she still works hard to try and help bring awareness to the disease. At the Golf Day,

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We want to thank the following Sponsors for their support and assistance with the Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day: Fresh State, The Melbourne Market Lions Club, Toyota Material Handling Australia, The Melbourne Market Authority, Perfection Fresh Aus., 3 Point Motors, Shine Wing Australia, On Tap Hospitality, CHEP Australia, Heidelberg Golf Club, Brolec, Ringwood House of Golf, Timeless Watches, Art and Style, Cobra Puma Golf, CP Travel, Bertocchi, and DEBRA Australia.

she was an inspiration to us all as she talked about how she goes above and beyond to help DEBRA with fundraising, and shows us how the disease can be "the definition of pain, but yet those that live with it are the definition of resilience." We thank Simone and Lisa for attending the event and giving presentations.

The Golf Competition and Raffle winners were then announced:

Winners: Overall Golf Competition — Vincent Brancatisano, Joe Tullio, Anthony Tripodi, Tim Jones (Prestige Produce Team) Nearest to the Pin — Jason Gianginis (Flavorite) Chipping Competition — Steve D'Andrea

Australia, Fresh State, The Melbourne Market Lions Club, and the Melbourne Market Authority (MMA) all joined the day to make sure the event was a success.

You may not know; many hours of work and several meetings take place, so an event such as this can go ahead. The Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day Committee is made up of members from the Melbourne Market, Fresh State, The Melbourne Market Lions Club, DEBRA Australia, the MMA, and Toyota. All committee members put in so much effort into this event, making sure attendees can enjoy a day of golf and, most importantly, raise as many funds as we can for such a deserving charity.

Thank you to all who organised, attended and supported this event we are glad to announce $101,460 was raised on the day and will go towards helping those with EB.

Putting Competition — Pat Galle (Continental Pacific) Longest Drive — Tom Cohen (Perfection Fresh) This day wouldn't be possible without the lovely people who volunteered on the day. Volunteers from DEBRA 9

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Around the Markets

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‘Go to those who know’

Why buying local really matters The A Better Choice National Campaign is up and rolling.

Using the same theme as the recently implemented Victorian Campaign, the ‘Go To Those Who Know’ campaign should be bursting through your radios and showing up on your social media. Once again, we aim to encourage consumers that independent greengrocers and independent supermarkets offer the best in service, knowledge, and fresh produce from wholesalers and growers at the Melbourne Market.

Why buying local really matters A Better Choice For Freshness When you eat local and shop local, there is a guarantee that your money stays within the community. ‘A Better Choice’, is the first national advocacy program to represent the independent retailers who supply more than half of Australia’s fresh produce across the country. Buying local is giving back — lending a hand to the young family who runs your local fruit store or supporting a thirdgeneration pineapple farmer to get back on their feet.

Still not convinced?

Here are a few benefits of buying local: You’re Buying the Freshest Produce Knowledge is power when it comes to buying fruit and vegetables. The more you know about where your weekly shop came from, the healthier you’ll be for it.

Fresh produce is often delivered within 48 hours of picking to ensure the finest quality produce is ready for you to purchase from your local store. When produce is stored for long periods of time, the nutritional value significantly decreases, and the taste will deteriorate.

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You’re Boosting the economy Local communities benefit from consumers spend in their town. You contribute to creating jobs for local kids, supporting a local business run by a hard-working family, and contribute to the longterm prosperity of the local economy. Farmers can receive as little as 3.5 cents of every dollar made at the larger supermarkets, but independent retailers are connected to the central markets system, which means everyone in the fresh produce industry benefits from the growers to your growing family.

You know what you’re buying Larger supermarket chains often sell their own ‘organic’ or ‘local’ range of produce, and frequently for an additional marked up price. The smaller grocers stock produce from local farmers with fewer chemicals added, better quality, and half the price of your average supermarket chain value.

So next time you’re shopping for fresh, quality produce, try your local independent retailer, it’s A Better Choice for your health, your family, and your community.

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Never a dull moment for Australian horticultural exporters The sector has had much to deal with over the last few months with ongoing drought and bushfires impacting key production areas. To overlay this, fresh produce exporters have other challenges in play, namely coronavirus, export certification cost increases proposed by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), and hurdles in the Indonesian import application process that resulted in many rejections of importers' Recommendations to Import Horticultural Product (RIPH).

By: Andréa Magiafoglou

As many of you would be well aware, China is the number one export destination for approximately 30% of all fresh fruit exports. Trade following the Chinese New Year is typically subdued, therefore a clearer impact of the coronavirus on Australian exports will become more evident in oncoming weeks. At the time of writing, airfreight capacity has been greatly reduced with direct air services (Qantas) between mainland China and Australia (Sydney-Beijing and SydneyShanghai) suspended from 9 February until 29 March 2020. Sea freight is still a shipping option; however, concerns exist with the logistics of moving product within China.

Many exporters are currently looking to distribute product to other destinations, although some commodities are limited by the number of market access pathways available to them. Despite these concerns, the Australian dollar is low, and the quality of Australian produce is excellent which bolsters the opportunities afforded to Australian exporters looking to establish trading relationships within other markets.

Another hurdle for Australian exporters moving forward are the fee and levy increases for export certification proposed by the DAWE. These changes will have a varying impact on individual exporters based on business structure, export destination, commodity type, volume and value. Overall, they represent a massive 40% increase from current export certification costs. The Australian Horticultural Exporters’ and Importers’ Association has united with ten other horticultural Peak Industry Bodies in opposing these changes. This united voice across

horticulture represented the majority of fresh horticultural exporters in Australia and we wait to hear the DAWE response to our submission. Alongside this, we also await the release of the Independent Review into Export Certification by Ernst & Young, who were commissioned by the department.

Onto Indonesia; towards the end of 2019, it came to our attention that the revised regulations for the Recommendations to Import Horticultural Product (RIPH) by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture had resulted in many rejections of importers' RIPH applications. As you may recognise, obtaining an RIPH from the Ministry of Agriculture’s DirectorateGeneral of Horticulture is a prerequisite for obtaining an import license from the Ministry of Trade for many horticultural commodities. The new conditions mainly revolve around GAP certification. Since then, we are happy to report that the revised regulations have since been amended, which now eliminates GAP, GHP, and exporter capacity statement for those origins with food safety Country Recognition Agreement (CRA), which Australia has with Indonesia. However, and at latest notice, some delays were still being felt with a backlog of applications by importing companies that, whilst approved by the Indonesian Directorate-General of Agriculture, were still awaiting the Indonesian Minister of Agriculture’s signature. Hopefully progress will soon be made, and exporters will be able to realise the opportunity to deliver high quality produce under the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) which looks to come into force in early 2020.

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Sharing food & support In times like these, it’s the less fortunate that can struggle the most. The limits to the interaction between person to person put restrictions on charities who aim to support and aid struggling Australians. Fresh State has recently built a partnership with FareShare, and Fareshare is currently doing everything in their power to keep their kitchen running during the current COVID-19 epidemic.

Knowing that vulnerable people need meals now more than ever, FareShare is operating with a reduced number of volunteers, practicing social distancing, and enforcing very stringent hygiene measures to reduce the risk of infection.

FareShare is a charity and relies on donations and the goodwill of 1,000 regular volunteers to fight hunger with nutritious meals.

Here is an introduction to FareShare and what they do.

FareShare’s nutritious, cooked meals can be lifechanging. A typical FareShare meal contains over 65 percent of the recommended daily intake of vegetables and more than 51 percent of meat.

Whether it’s a pre-school child growing up in a home without cooking equipment or a 99-yearold veteran getting by alone at home, FareShare’s cooked meals help transform lives and provide the energy vulnerable people need to cope.

Who is FareShare?

FareShare rescues surplus food and cooks free, nutritious meals for Australians doing it tough.

FareShare operates Australia’s largest charity kitchens, which are powered by volunteers under the guidance of experienced chefs. The healthy, ready-to-eat meals are shared with frontline charities such as soup vans, homeless shelters, women’s refuges, and community foodbanks.

Every day FareShare’s Abbotsford kitchen aims to cook 6,000 nutritious meals making a meaningful difference to the growing number of marginalised Australians struggling to put food on the table at this difficult time. Our protein and vegetablepacked meals boost the physical and mental health of the most vulnerable people in our community, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, the isolated and elderly, and people of all ages experiencing homelessness.

How do they help the community?

What resources (Fruit and veg) do they need to complete the work that they do?

We need fresh vegetables to add nutrition to our cooked meals. At the moment, we would be particularly grateful for sweet potatoes, washed potatoes (unfortunately, we can’t accept dirty potatoes), cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and pumpkin. We cannot use salad greens.

We hope that we can work closely with FareShare and support the broader community in the future. Stay tuned for more collaboration with FareShare to come.

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FC Business Solutions COVID-19 Package To battle through this strange and challenging time, FC Business Solutions has made a number of packages available to companies. Each item on the list below contains resources that may assist businesses and holds relevant information regarding a particular topic. Click on each numbered item to be redirected to resources.

Please call FC Business Solutions on 03 9533 0028 for all your staff matters.

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Positive experiences all round in Melbourne Market Credit Service

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ISSUE 52 — APR 2020

Running a business in such uncertain times can pose many challenges, and it's good to know a professional service backs you. The Melbourne Market Credit Service (MMCS) has been assisting buyers and sellers of fresh produce for over 25 years. Their aim to provide the highest standards of excellence and services is reflected through feedback from members, especially during this challenging time we are currently in.

Tenfarms has been a member of the MMCS since they were established. So far, their experience has only been positive as they believe the Credit Service holds many advantages and endorses the process and structure that the MMCS has put in place.

Director at Tenfarms, David Holman, said "the day to day benefit of the MMCS is the streamlining of weekly collections. The team internally have to reconcile any variances by the deadline or risk either no payment being received, or appearing on the warning bulletin - that creates urgency and a deadline for both the buyer and the seller to resolve any anomalies whilst they are fresh and current. The optional bad debt fund that the MMCS offers is also a major advantage for wholesalers here in Victoria that is just not available elsewhere."

Tenfarms learned the hard way when they traded with a buyer outside of the Credit Service and ended up with bad debt, which they will likely recover nothing from. If they referred to the MMCS buyers list, they would have found out that the buyer was a member of the Credit Service and would have been paid in full many months ago. Holman says, "This has been a good lesson, and a review of our debtor's list found a few similar cases that we have now moved to trade through the MMCS." Coronavirus poses a threat to any stable or unstable business. Companies need to be sure that regular cashflow is guaranteed during this time. "Coronavirus will present new challenges for wholesalers and their customers, and I know the MMCS has already responded. Whilst we deal with the new set of challenges facing our market, it is good to know that what has been agreed and sold up until now will be paid for, and that certainly will not be the case for those who do not have such a facility at their disposal," says Holman.

Efficiency is vital for any trading business, and efficient support services are an essential asset to have. The MMCS offers channels and processes to ensure each company can achieve steady cash flow, which is critical for business survival. A simple but effective process is in place to assist MMCS members every day.

Vincent Brancatisano, from Prestige Produce, says, "the MMCS offers an efficient and orderly process to collect debtor payments with mutual benefits for my business and my customers also. We have traded with the MMCS since its inception and its service has been a contributing factor to the growth of our business over the years. The payment we receive every Thursday adds strength and confidence to our business without a doubt."

Members included in the Bad Debt Fund also carry an extra benefit to their business, especially in uncertain times. "Any business owner that operates in the wholesale sector and understands the intricacies of margin, percentages, and turnover knows how detrimental bad debts can be to your bottom line.

When you receive full payment for the bad debt at any time, its a win, win, win!" says Brancatisano.

Prestige Produce has had an added strength to its business as members of the MMCS, especially during this crisis. They know exactly what cash flow position they are in, which helps when facing new challenges that arise because of this virus.

There is no better time than now to become a user of the Melbourne Market Credit Service. With such uncertain times ahead, you can ensure the MMCS will look after your business and will strive to manage the fresh produce daily trade. If you are a current User and would like more information on how to join the Bad Debt Fund, or to become a new User of the Melbourne Market Credit Service, please contact Carolyn at carolyn@freshstate.com.au or ring the Fresh State Office on 03 9408 6627.

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Avoiding the ‘double whammy’ this flu season Though we are facing a new virus at the moment, it’s also good to remember as the colder weather creeps in, so does the Flu season. Avoiding the ‘double whammy,’ Coronavirus, and the flu may be on everyone’s mind coming into winter. Measures have already been put in place to ensure we are safe from Coronavirus. We are wearing gloves, masks, always using hand wash, using sanitiser, and keeping 1.5 meters away from each other. Still, it’s important to remember one of our body’s highest defences is a healthy immune system.

As always, we need to carefully make sure we are at the healthiest we can be during winter. Bacteria and viruses can easily infiltrate low immune systems. Ensuring you have a healthy body and immune system boosts your body’s defence to fight off those unwanted guests.

3. Get enough sleep.

There are several ways to keep up a healthy immune system.

7. Don’t smoke.

1.

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

2. Get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days

of the week.

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4. Wash your hands.

5. Keep up with your vaccinations.

6. Don’t drink too much alcohol.

Consuming a balanced diet that includes protein, fruits, and vegetables is one of the best ways to improve your immunity. Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals, which help protect the body.

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Try these handy tips: — Blending fruits and vegetables into juices and smoothies are a great way to get lots of nutrients into your diet.

— Eating frozen vegetables are useful as they are dense in vitamins and minerals.

— Good food sources of Vitamin C include kiwi, oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, as well as raw vegetables, including red and green peppers, spinach, leafy greens, and many more.

Trying one to all of the seven ways to boost your immune system will do you wonders this flu season.

With many things impacting lives during this time, it’s important to remember how you’re looking after your body. We need to do all we can so we don’t get sick and ensure we’re helping prevent the current unfortunate situation from getting even worse.

Become a MMCS user for:

Security | Convenience | Control Y O UR B E NE F I T S Simplified buying, select produce, load and go Online consolidated account statement One single payment each week Partnering with you and mediating queries to resolutions Online adjustment claiming any pricing or ordering discrepancies

To become a MMCS User contact the Melbourne Markets Credit Service at carolyn@freshstate.com.au Store 36, Melbourne Market, 35 Produce Drive, Epping, Vic, 3076

03 9408 6627

www.melbmcs.com.au

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Healthy Pizza Despite it being a crowd fave, pizza isn’t always the healthiest option…

However, you can eat our new Healthy Pizza guilt-free every day of the week because it’s got plenty of veg, on a pita bread base!

Ingredients

Method

¡ 1 pita bread

1.

¡ 2 tbsp tomato paste

2. Chop mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

¡ 3 white cup mushrooms ¡ ½ punnet cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 220C.

3. Shave zucchini with a peeler.

4. Place pita bread onto a baking tray and evenly spread tomato paste

over the pita bread base.

¡ 8 kalamata olives, pitted

5. Arrange zucchini, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes onto the pizza.

¡ 1 zucchini

6. Top with olives and mozzarella.

¡ ½ cup shredded mozzarella

7. Bake the pizza for 10–12 mins until the base is crisp and the cheese

¡ Handful parsley, torn

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is melted.

8. Scatter parsley on top, slice with a pizza cutter and enjoy!

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2020 Postponed Events With the risk of contracting Coronavirus (COVID-19) looming over us, several changes have been made to our ‘normal’ working year. In light of the current situation, events throughout the country have either been cancelled or postponed.

In times like these, the health and safety of our community, market users, wholesalers, growers, business owners, and many others, is at the forefront of our thinking. With that in mind, Fresh State has also decided to postpone many events planned for this year and would like to communicate external postponed events that the market community may have also been involved in.

Events: Fresh State’s Annual Gala Ball 2020 — POSTPONED Special General Meeting — POSTPONED Annual General Meeting — Still planned for October. No change at this stage.

Hort Connections 2020 — POSTPONED (New Date: 7-9 June 2021)

New event dates and times will be communicated in the near future. Thank you to all who have supported our events over the past years. We hope you are staying healthy and safe, if you have any questions about events, please email dee@freshstate.com.au.

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Calendar of Events

Saturday, 25th of April — Anzac Day

Sunday, 10th of May — Mother’s Day

Monday, 8th of June — Queen's Birthday

Disclaimer Fresh State Ltd makes this magazine available on the understanding the users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use.

Before relying on, or altering any business practices, users should carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information for their purpose and should obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.

This magazine contains views and recommendations that do not necessarily reflect the views of Fresh State Ltd. Fresh State does not in any circumstances accept responsibility for the accuracy or suitability or otherwise of any information published in Fresh State of Affairs. Fresh State Ltd specifically disclaims all and any liability for loss or damage of any nature whatsoever and however arising, whether due to accuracy, error or omission or any other cause.

In addition, by using the information in this magazine, each user waives and releases Fresh State, its staff and agents from any and all claims relating to the use of this document. In no event shall Fresh State Ltd be liable for any consequential damages resulting from using the information in Fresh State of Affairs. © Fresh State Ltd 2019 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior permission from Fresh State Ltd. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to: The Editor Fresh State of Affairs Magazine Store 36, Melbourne Market 35 Produce Drive, Epping, VIC 3076 27