Cavolo Nero - Black Kale

Featured Grower - Andy Morris

Not far from Melbourne, in the Yarra Ranges, is an Organic Farm owned and operated by Andy Morris. Since 1995, Andy has been certified organic, growing beautiful salad greens, gourmet herbs, spinach, and green vegetables including a variety of asian greens, kale,  broccoli, chard, silverbeet and leeks.  When the farm converted to organic from a conventional cattle farm, Andy began supplying fresh vegetables to Andrew and Paul Heeps, who had just opened their store at Queen Victoria Market (Vic Market Organics). Andy was one of the first local growers to supply Organic salad vegetables to Melbourne. This working relationship has remained strong over the past 13 years, as the Ripe Organic Stores opened in Prahran Market and Albert Park.

Andy Morris specialises in the gourmet salad greens, rocket and baby spinach leaf, which he now supplies to markets throughout the East Coast of Australia.  Growing a diverse crop allows Andy a flexiblity with his land, but a diverse crop does mean a smaller yield. We're lucky at Ripe to get first dibs on the more specialty lines that Andy grows small quantities of, as well as the main crops of Salad Mix, Rocket, Spinach and the beautiful Fancy Lettuces. We can thank Andy for the ever popular (and most delicious) Black Cabbage / Cavolo Nero, as he was the first to grow this for us. Andy's vegetables are boxed in the bright green "Australian Green Growers" boxes.