Laepple's Organic Farm

Experimental as we’ve all become in our cooking – what with all the cuisines we’ve been introduced to and the widespread availability of so many ingredients – there’s still something to be said for a good old meat and potato dinner.

Whether it’s a wintry Sunday supper of gravy-topped roast beef and mashed spuds or a more summer-friendly barbecued steak and baked potato, traditional fare can be a welcome respite from exotic flavours and the constant desire to try something new.

You could find all the fixings for that kind of meal – organic ones, in fact – at Laepple Organic Farm in the wee village of Shingletown. Fritz and Linda Laepple, who have been farming at their spot on Bleams Road (just southeast of Baden) since emigrating from Germany 10 years ago, grow a half-dozen varieties of potatoes, including the ever-popular Yukon Golds, reds, whites and russets. Many of the farm’s 25 acres of potatoes are sold wholesale to Pfenning’s Organic Farm but there are plenty available to buy at the farm gate.

That takes care of the potato side of things. And the meat? That would be courtesy of the Laepple’s cattle, which are fed grass, hay and some of those homegrown potatoes, but never grains. Cows, explains Linda, are not, by nature, designed to eat grain but are often fed corn and the like in order to be fattened up quickly. Grass-fed beef, she says, makes for lean meat that requires very little trimming.

The Laepples have about 140 cattle altogether, and sell their naturally raised, certified organic beef by the quarter, side or cut. There are burgers (just beef, no other ingredients added), pepperettes, summer sausage and soup bones for sale, too. And while they don’t normally sell veal, Laepple mentioned she’ll have some available in the near future. A wet summer has made for poor haying – and when there’s not enough hay, there’s not enough winter feed for all those mouths. That means some of the little ones will have to meet their maker.

There are several other things on offer at the farm, too, which isn’t surprising given that Linda estimates 90 per cent of what her family eats is grown right there. When I visited recently, I also bought a dozen eggs – thanks to the free-running hens that I had to dodge when pulling my car up the lane (the little ones make their home in a doors-open, run down old van – “Makes for good recycling!” Linda points out). And I ordered a tub of flour from the family’s mini-mill, which is housed in a large, metal shipping crate next to the garage. They grow rye, wheat and spelt on the farm and use the mill to grind several varieties of flour. Depending on the time of year, there might be tomatoes or other veg on offer from the family garden.

A perfect time to head up to Laepple’s is next Sunday (August 31) when the family hosts their 6th annual Potatofest. There will be a fully organic buffet served featuring their own roast beef (cooked in the outdoor wood-burning oven) and salads prepped by partnering farms in the LOFT (Local Organic Food Team) Coop program (a community supported agriculture produce box program in which the Laepple’s participate).

There will be hay rides and exhibitors and kids are given a little bag and the opportunity to head out to the field to dig up some potatoes to take home. (Stock up on local potatoes now and stash them in your cold cellar – if you’ve got one – so you’ll have them through winter. Linda says they should be packed in a sack or crate, so the air can reach them, and that 4C is the ideal temperature).

Potatofest is free but tickets do need to be reserved for the buffet dinner. They’re $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12 (but children under six are free) Contact the Laepple’s directly for more information.
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