Where do all those marked, undersized, scratched and cracked pieces of fruit and vegetables end up? Most shops and consumers won’t even look at them. But my guest today is turning second-grade produce into top-notch snacks, meals and garnishes. It’s amazing how with a dehydrator, aesthetics suddenly aren’t all that important. The magic of turning fresh rejects to prized dried all happens in a factory at Monarto, east of Adelaide. To learn more about Woodlane Orchard, founder Kelly Johnson joins me to discuss:

• Kelly grew up on the land and shares what she loves most about working with farmers.
• While unemployed, Kelly had a friend who had to throw out a tonne of peaches, and shares how she saved them from going to waste.
• We’ve all heard of dehydrated fruits, but Kelly took it to the next level with dried vegetables.
• Drawing on her Scouts training, Kelly now makes delicious tasting dehydrated meals, which need no refrigeration and can be prepared in minutes. .
• How best to prepare the meals as they are raw and dehydrated.
• Her ultimate goal was to reduce food waste and how she has helped farmers do this.
• There is no shortage of supply – Farmers have an endless amount of produce which is not sent to the fresh food market.
• What started as a market-based business has now grown into a wholesale operation.
• How this circular economy works with farmers and how this had made a profit.
• Kelly has already saved 40 tonnes of fresh foods from going to waste.
• What Kelly loves most about her work.
• The most unexpected fruit or vegetable she has been able to dehydrate.
• Kelly explains a common misconception – a vegetable soup that weights 300g will turn into a 3 litre this hearty family meal.  
• The nutritional value of dehydrated foods.
• Returning food scraps back to farmers to feed their animals.
• The ultimate dream for the future of Woodlane Orchard

We hope to see you back on the road soon, to learn more about how Australia grows on the next episode of Australian Farmers with Angie Asimus.

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Woodlane Orchard

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