Gold medal garlic takes the prize

A passion for growing top quality fresh produce has helped Tasmanian farmers Mark and Shelley Bennic win a major award for their home-grown garlic.

Mr Bennic is originally from Tamworth and for a number of years, the couple have been growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetable on their property at Westbury.

They purchased the Organic Grocery Store in Launceston about five years ago.

“We wanted to grow our own vegetables and when we got the store it was a matter of ok how do we scale up and put things through the store,” Mr Bennic said.

“Now about 90 per cent of what we grow goes through the store and the other ten per cent wholesales to other people.”

The Westbury operation is certified organic and also run a small flock of free-range chickens producing organic eggs.

The couple have had the small farm since 2012 and now grow a range of crops including cucumbers, beans potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, beetroot, lettuce, radish kale, and zucchini as well as garlic.

“At the beginning of the season it’s labour intensive but after that it’s myself and my wife and that’s about it,” he said.

“We harvest the produce and take it to the store.”

They started growing garlic a number of years ago and now produce several different varieties.

Each year they start planting in late April and then again in June to stagger their production.

They produce about 7000 garlic bulbs a year.

“We love garlic it has got great health benefits as well, it’s fantastic,” Mr Bennic said.

In the last few years, the couple have been member of the Australian Garlic Industry Association, which now holds an annual garlic competition. Last year was their first time competing and they won a couple of silver medals.

This year however they managed to win a Gold Award in the national competition for their standard purple stripe or Shvelisi Chesnok Red variety and a silver medal for their Marbled Purple Stripe garlic.

“The purple stripe grows really well here, and it has great flavour,” he said. 

“It has quite a lovely flavour , it tastes really good but it’s not too hot and you can use it for anything.”