This loquat tree (see pic above) was a volunteer seedling that popped up in my front yard about five years ago.  And this week, after thinking that it might never fruit, it announced with an abundant coverage of creamy blossoms that it was indeed fecund. Some of you might remember an email from last year where I revealed that as a kid I thought loquats were watery and that their greatest attribute was a handy shape for throwing in neighbourhood turf battles.  I was however set straight by Alex, our dry goods manager, and a few Fair Food customers with some quite tasty loquat examples. So this year I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of fruit emerges from this tree and whether come spring my sons with be eating loquats or throwing them at each other.

But that’s not what I’m on about here – what I wanted to say was that the loquat is one of those rare fruit that blossom in the autumn and fruit in the spring.  They’re sort of like an almanac entry signaling the change of seasons and that we know when we see them flower that farmers like Kane Busch in Lindenow will be digging up the last of their carrots, while Ian Cuming from Beenak Farm will have just started his kiwifruit harvest and that Vince, down at the Merri Creek Market Garden, will be dodging the rain getting the soil ready for his broad beans.  And whether you love them like Alex or are ambivalent like me, the loquat, whether flowering or fruiting, will always be there in someone’s front yard gently announcing change is afoot.
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