Katrina BRANDON
EXCITEMENT brewed at the Korumburra Show Grounds last month as the South Gippsland Garlic Festival took off.
Formally known as the Meeniyan Garlic Festival, it is known for being Victoria’s biggest celebration of Australian Garlic, according to the South Gippsland Garlic Festival website.
The event expected over 5000 people to attend the festival throughout the day, sharing in 70 stalls and activities suitable for all age groups while also showcasing an array of Australian garlic.
It was no surprise that the grounds were packed with people of all ages who had come from far and wide to celebrate the day’s event. People rolled in from all gates to the festival; even the locals took a stroll into town or participated in the event.
People came in bright and early to the release of music from the Burratones, a local band, while already sparking up conversations with the stallholders, some of whom were still getting set up for the day.
During the day, many event areas were open for people to enjoy, including a Garlic University Talk, a kid’s stage with growling dinosaurs, a cooking stage, music set up with undercover areas and more spreading through town with local businesses giving it a go with garlic-based food items on the menu.
Stepping out of the hot, 30-degree heat, Australian Garlic Award judge Penny Woodward helped enthusiastic garlic growers about the different types of garlic and why or why not it may act a certain way in the soil.
Alongside Ms Woodward, John Olliff of the Australian Garlic Industry Association joined the conversation and shared the group’s purpose.
“The Australian Garlic Industry Association is a member-owned organisation,” he said.
“Our aim is to ensure we grow better garlic. If we can grow better garlic, we get more demand for the garden.
“We get more demand for the garlic; eventually, we can start thinking about replacing some of the imported garlic that comes into Australia. That’s really important.”
Created in 2017, the festival has continued for its fifth year, skipping COVID-19 years and 2024, when there were not enough volunteers to help. The move to Korumburra has created room for growth for the festival, with a part of the oval open to more opportunities.
The town, which has its own website (korumburra3950.com.au), shared an interview with the festival’s creator, Joel White, prior to the festival.
Mr White told the interviewer that he has been passionate about the food industry for about 25 years and has shared the passion through his business (Burra Pantry and Larder).
“Right now, we focus on Gippsland products. If we can’t source something locally, we look at regional Victoria, and if that’s not possible, we turn to artisan producers elsewhere,” he explained.
“One of the classic examples was driving past beautiful paddocks full of livestock and realising you couldn’t buy that meat anywhere. So, we thought about different ways to bring Gippsland produce to consumers.”
Bringing the conversation back to the festival, he talked about his involvement with the garlic world and how much people value the event.
He said, “I’m on the board of the Garlic Industry Association, and I know how much garlic producers value the event.
“It’s a crucial sales day for small farmers. Without it, they lose a key opportunity to market their products and reinvest in their businesses. We couldn’t let that disappear.
“The festival is a great way to showcase this and inspire people to grow their own garlic at home. If you find a variety you love, you can plant some and have fresh garlic year-round.”
