NOTHING beats biting into a deliciously juicy apple – at least that’s what Glenda Jones believes.
Co-owner of Jeff Jones Plants and Produce in Bacchus Marsh, Glenda is a keen advocate of consuming fresh fruit and vegetables when they are in season.
This is the advice the avid fruit grower will offer people when they visit her and her husband’s orchid during the Bacchus Marsh Harvest Festival in March.
Having spent the past five decades dedicating their life to producing the freshest apples, pears, stone fruits and pumpkins, the pair are desperate to spread the word that nothing compares to fruit that is free from pesticides and preservatives.
And with apple season just around the corner Glenda hopes the annual festival will offer consumers a chance to try the popular fruit in its truest form.
“All our apples are not waxed, they come in all shapes and sizes and are eaten straight off the tree,” she said.
“It’s all about taste … the best time to buy products are when they’re in season.
“We are quite spoilt as a continent … the differences in temperatures from north to south allow us to buy fruit even when it’s not in season.”
Jeff and Glenda’s orchid will be just one of the businesses on display during the two-day festival. Other program highlights will include sipping local wines and ciders and exploring local heritage and cafés.
While more adventurous patrons can take part in barefoot grape stomping, testing out their baking skills in the hotly contested Best Apple Pie Competition and gumboot throwing.
The festival will take place on Saturday, 16 March from 6pm onwards and Sunday, 17 March from 5pm at various locations across Bacchus Marsh.
