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10 Episodes 2013 - 2013
Episode 1
Matthew has bought a new farm, 70 acres, a 10-minute drive from Puggle Farm. There's a lot of work to be done: roads to build, fences to repair, and a polytunnel and smoker to build. All of this forms part of Matthew's grand dream to produce and direct-sell his own and local produce. His philosophy is "grow it, kill it, make it - and if you don't do this, you need to know where it comes from." Then there's Matthew and Nick's new shop venture, A Common Ground, in Hobart. They only stock local produce, but supply is inconsistent. Matthew would love to stock the shelves year-round with produce from his new farm, but that's not going to happen overnight. In the meantime, he needs some fresh ideas.
Episode 2
Matthew is challenged to have a regular supply of vegetables when his garden is up and running. He is keen to build a polytunnel to ensure year-round supply and he's heard of an approach to construct a polytunnel where chickens have helped fertilise and prepare the soil, which is exactly the sort of integrated farming system that really excites Matthew. Matthew has a microbiologist come to Fat Pig Farm to test the soil where the pigs have been and where Matthew would like their vegetable garden. Two beds are made, one with microorganisms and one without, to see the comparison in yield, size and taste. Only a blindfolded taste-test can reveal the answers.
Episode 3
Festivale, Tasmania's biggest food fair, is looming and the caravan would be perfect. Matthew discovers that the caravan has a special bun warmer, which gets him and Ross thinking about their menu for Festivale. Knackwurst made with Matthew's own free-range pork, made by local Thomas Beuke, and pulled-pork served in buns. It's also tomato season and the guys, along with their families, get together for their annual tomato passata and sauce day. This year, things have become competitive as Nick and Sadie have each found tomato-sauce recipes handed down from their grandmothers. Only a tasting with visitors to Festivale will resolve the matter.
Episode 4
There's a stand of old eucalypts on the new farm which can provide the perfect lumber, so Matthew has a local miller come to fell a tree and a builder help him construct a cold smoker. The Fat Pig Farm apple orchard needs attention, and, after consultation with a local orchardist, he decides to severely prune the trees and graft different apple stock varieties to them, which gives the orchard the potential to have fruit for most months of the year. No apple wood is wasted as it's the perfect wood to be dried, chipped and used in the cold smoker, producing apple wood smoke.
Episode 5
Matthew and Nick's new shop venture, A Common Ground, provides many challenges: meeting demand with a varied supply of seasonal local produce; and maintaining commitment to ethically grown and prepared food while managing the bottom line. The shop isn't in the ideal location and a couple of new ideas are needed to increase sales and foot traffic through the shop's doors. They decide selling and shipping seasonal food hampers, along with diverse advertising, might just bolster profits. They embark on a lengthy process of making specific products for their hamper.
Episode 6
Matthew is keen to use all parts of the pig to ensure he's adding as much value as possible to his future porkers. He has a plan for a "Breaking Down" day, where one pig is broken down into its constituent parts, ready for cooking and preserving. In Italy, it's traditional for the whole community to join in, so Matthew will be enlisting the help of his Italian friends as some familiar faces.
Episode 7
Nick has bought himself a wine fermenter and is hoping to enlist both Matthew and Ross to make a barrel of their own vintage. The three boys go on a cellar-door road trip around the Tamar Valley, researching wine varieties and winemaking - with a not-so-hidden agenda to secure enough grapes for a barrel.
Episode 8
Fifty acres of pasture is a lot of grass to manage, and the local NRM (National Resource Management) - the mob who consult on how to improve and maintain a healthy farm - have told Matthew he desperately needs to get animals to graze his grass - to regenerate it and add fertility to the soil. The quickest way to do that is with a large animal such as cattle. Matthew researches the best cattle for Fat Pig Farm, and how to produce the best quality meat, which is when it's been dry-aged for up to 12 weeks. Value adding his beef means cured products, such as bresaola or condiments like stout mustard, can be sold at the Common Ground shop.
Episode 9
This week, the boys learn how to sail, meet some keen fishermen, are visited by dolphins and whales, and explore Maria Island, hiking and snorkelling at the marine national park. With wondrous views and scenery, they cook up fresh fish, abalone and local produce.
Episode 10
It's been a year since Matthew expanded his business and bought the new farm, and it's been a steep learning curve for both him and Sadie. Their passion to have visitors at Fat Pig Farm to share and experience their lifestyle and taste products made from the farm has led them to set a date for their very first open day and feast. Though there have been many months of planning, some huge setbacks put them on the spot and have them foraging for alternative products from their farm and surrounding area. With a few days till opening and bad weather on the horizon, only time will tell if they can pull it off.