Community
16 October, 2024
Get a taste of the south west this weekend
MAKERS and growers from across the Otways will gather at the Colac Showgrounds this Sunday (October 20) to celebrate the region’s bounty with hands-on fun for the whole family.
The Otway Producers Festival will showcase the region’s excellent food, drink, flowers and fibre with a full program of activities and an indoor market.
The market will feature more than 40 local makers and growers (some of them selling direct to the public for the first time).
“There’ll be no shortage of delicious food and drink to try, and we’ll have hands-on fun for kids of all ages,” president of the Otway Harvest Trail Tom Dennis said.
One of the big drawcards on Sunday will be a kids’ pasta recipe competition, with a prize of $400 for the winner’s school and $100 for the young cook.
Primary school students across the region are busy submitting their favourite quick and easy stove-top recipes using Otway Pasta Company pasta.
“Bonus points will be given to recipes with plenty of fresh Otways produce,” Steve Robinson, owner and chief pasta maker at the Otway Pasta Company, said.
“I’ll be cooking the winning recipe on the festival stage. I can’t wait to see what our young cooks come up with.”
The $2 entry fee includes an animal nursery and farm-themed face painting for the kids, plus maker demonstrations and an informative line-up of speakers on the festival stage.
Mr Dennis said the volunteers behind the Otway Harvest Trail want the festival to build community connections and remind locals of the world-class food, drink and fibre in their own back yard.
Stallholders this weekend include winemakers, distillers, brewers and makers of ice cream, cheese, pasta, preserves and other tasty treats.
“We’ll have Timboon Fine Ice Cream churning fresh ice cream to taste, and Schulz Organic Dairy will be hand-churning butter,” Mr Dennis said.
In the activity tent, visitors can learn how to grow veggies and take home their own seedling.
“We’re lucky to live in such a productive region with good soil, rain and some seriously hard-working people on the land,” Mr Dennis said.
“Our region is home to much-loved big brands like Bulla, Western Star and Australian Lamb, and this festival is a way to remind locals that smaller scale operators add so much depth and flavour to the place we call home.”
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