This month’s Wingham Farmers’ Market feature producers are Les Mulder and Annette Owen-Mulder of The Edible Forest.

Les and Annette have a 140 acre property at Wherrol Flat which they manage sustainably using principles from permaculture and others such as holistic management.

This year for the first time, savvy locals will be enjoying Les and Annette’s ham on Christmas day, as their pork products have been a new enterprise in 2016.

Their free range, pasture raised pork stands out for both flavour and texture. The meat is darker and moister and has great intramuscular fat layers. What this means is that you can slow cook it without it drying out. It doesn’t even look like shop bought pork. They do a range of cuts, including Christmas ham and everyone’s favourite, bacon.

Les and Annette believe that the difference is raising them as ethically as they possibly can, for their whole life.

”They have sun, trees, wallows, grass, covering, plenty of food - everything they need to be a pig” says Annette.

The pigs are fed on whey from Comboyne Culture cheese; veggie scraps from their garden, Granty’s and Town Head; and pig nuts from the produce store.

Les and Annette also go the extra mile to ensure the pigs have no stress. This includes driving them themselves to Frederickton abattoir in a trailer loaded with pig food. They chose this abattoir because handling of the pigs there is the most humane they’ve seen.

They have a Wessex saddleback boar, “as placid as all get out”; and four breeding sows. There is Brunhilda, a Berkshire x large white; Esmerelda and Bludwin, Wessex Saddleback x  large white x Berkshire; and Ladybird, a Duroc.

They allocate the pigs different areas. They move about every few months - once they’ve bred they need to stay put until the piglets have weaned, which is about three months. Any time from six months they are driven to the abattoir.

Annette also has her preserves available including jams, pickles, chutney, relish; all made with chemical free local and home grown fruit and veg, “and love - the essential ingredient” adds Annette. They are the perfect accompaniment for the pork!

Wingham Farmers’ Market is on Saturday January 7 at Wingham Showground, between 8am and noon. If you have something to sell at the markets new stallholders are always welcome, with site fees waived at your first market.

Direct stall holder enquiries to Annette on 6550 7213. Don’t forget if you have any excess produce to sell you can drop it at the community stall to sell on your behalf.

There is more information online at www.winghamfarmersmarket.org.au and on Facebook.

Pytt i panna – or translated from Swedish "small pieces in a pan."

This is one of Les’ favourites.  He used to hate leftovers but now he asks for them.