From top potatoes to perennials, Doug and Elizabeth are your go-to
Most people love either flowers or vegetables, but Doug and Elizabeth Dagg are two sides of the same coin.
Trading as “Farmer Doug’s Potatoes and Plants”, the couple run a unique farming business growing the best spuds that money can buy, and a range of plants specifically designed for Central Tablelands conditions.
With COVID-19 having crimped their community retail-based business, until lockdown ends you’ll have to make the trip to the Browns Creek Road near Blayney to experience their unique offerings (travel restrictions permitting).
“We used to do the farmers markets, we did all of them, Orange, Bathurst, Blayney, Oberon, Tarana, Blackheath, but they’re all shut down at the moment,” Elizabeth said.
However the lockdown has not stopped Doug from producing his famous top-of-the-line potato varieties including such high-end favourites as Midnight Pearl, Crimson Pearl, Otway Gold, Elizabeth’s Choice, and Jacklyn.
“Jacklyn, that’s the one that I provide to the restaurant ‘Charred’ in Orange and to the Union Bank,” Doug explained.
Producing some of the best spuds in the central west is no fluke for Doug who comes from a background with senior positions at some of the world’s most prestigious food producers.
“I’ve been an agronomist by trade my whole life. I set up a wheat research station for the University of Sydney at Narrabri... I then worked for the CSIRO at the Ord River Project in Western Australia. I also did research into grain sorghum production,” he explained.
His other work included setting up a production plant for a pharmaceutical crop (for eye drops) at Alstonville near Gosford, and as agricultural manager for Arnott’s Snack Foods in Sydney.
Potatoes became his game when he was contracted by one of the world’s largest snack food processors to provide their local supply of the humble spud.
“I was basically an agent who had to source 10,000 tonnes of potatoes per annum, I did that for 15 years,” he said.
But it was a chance conversation with a friend that saw him develop his latest career line.
“I was talking to a mate of mine in Victoria and he said, ‘I know you and Elizabeth go to markets and the like,’ and he sent me some samples of his potatoes.
“So, I went to the markets at Bathurst and gave them away, next time we went, everyone said ‘where are your potatoes?’ so we started growing them ourselves.”
Doug now produces two to three tonnes of the tastiest spuds money can buy – they’ve been a favourite at our currently-suspended farmers and community markets.
Doug has two 30-metre by 6.5-metre hot houses he’s built on his 80-acre farm in order to plant an early crop that he can dig up in time for Christmas. He then programs plants so that he is digging up fresh potatoes all the way through to April.
“I use the hot houses for new potatoes for Christmas, but I also grow cabbages, lettuce, and other crops like that,” he said.
Elizabeth’s specialty is plants specifically acclimatised for our nuanced and tricky Central Tablelands conditions. “I grow everything from roses, perennials, shrubs, and trees. I grow them all myself and hot house them here, and they’re all acclimatised for the Central Tablelands – they’ll all grow well here,” she said proudly.
“Due to the lockdowns, I have a large amount of stock available at the moment,” Elizabeth added.
“We can’t go the markets at the moment, we’re just waiting for everything to open up again, so we’re just working from the farm and selling in person,” Doug said.
So, whether it’s top local perennials or restaurant-quality potatoes that are your thing, give Doug and Elizabeth a call – two of the friendliest and charming farm folk you’ll ever meet!
Farmer Doug’s Potatoes and Plants are at 1008 Browns Creek Road and are open 9am to 4pm Saturday or Sunday by appointment. Email spud.one@bigpond.com or call mobile 0428 234 602.