Sunflowers to shine for Farmgate event

THIS Saturday, 19 February is set to be a big day for the small town of Elaine and its iconic Farmgate Shop.

The community focused store is offering two great reasons to stop by the retail space just 25 minutes from Ballarat and Bannockburn.

There’s a Meet the Producers event where you can catch up with some of the more than 40 local farmers and makers whose products fill The Farmgate Shop.

Then, right behind the store will be 27 acres of Insta-perfect sunflowers that are great for happy snapping, and of course picking.

“We’ve got quite a few producers coming and they’ll be giving out free samples for people to try and then you can head into the shop and buy them if you like them,” said The Farmgate Shop owner Mark Dunne.

“You can meet the producers who grow the products and then have a wonder in the sunflower field. It’ll be a good community day out.”

Mr Dunne also runs his own lambing operation with the meat available at the store.

He said The Farmgate Shop was all about celebrating and championing the amazing produce from across the region.

“We have over 40, small, local producers,” Mr Dunne said. “We’ve got Cooks Treat and Sticky Balsamic from over at Bannockburn, Glengower Park Farm at Campbeltown, Jel’s Preserves from Anglesea, Five Ducks up at Pomonal, Meredith Dairy, Inglenook Dairy, the list goes on.”

But with The Farmgate Shop as popular as ever, why plant 27 acres of sunflowers?

The store’s set to relocate a bit down the highway, and Mr Dunne said Moorabool Shire has placed a requirement that a turning lane be added to the A300 to access the new site. That’s set to cost $250,000.

“We’re trying to fund that ourselves by raising some good money out of the day so we can keep the shop going and all the local, little producers that we support going,” he said.

The Farmgate Shop’s Meet the Producers event runs from 11am on Saturday, 19 February.

Mr Dunne said the sunflowers should be in full bloom that day. Access to the field will cost $5 with kids five and under free. Stems are $2 each.

You can also stop by and pick, or pic, the blooms at other times with the Farmgate Shop open seven days a week.

The store is located at 1 Settlement Road, Elaine, just off the Midland Highway on the Geelong side of the train tracks.