FOOD has always been Christine Corner’s “medicine” – she has been, in her words, an unqualified chef - but now she is literally growing her own fermented healthy food saviour from a life-threatening allergy into a unique business enterprise.
Some years later Christine changed her career toward veterinary nursing and as a side-job, dog training, exercise and minding on Sydney’s northern beaches.
It was during this period repeated tick bites took their toll on her health, developing mammalian meat allergy or anaphylaxis.
Her skin rashes and sickness were unexplained at first.
“My body went into shut-down,” she said. “I always ate well, but had a lot of digestive issues.”
A specialist diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome caused by the allergy and the missing link was fermented foods which Christine said she “stumbled onto” while studying for a permaculture design certificate.
“Ever since then and eating fermented foods my gut health is fantastic. It cleared up within weeks, really.
“I was so amazed, the specialist couldn’t help me but eating fermented foods did, so I’ve never felt better.
“It changed my life and this business just evolved.”
Fifteen years on, she says she is free of the allergy. As part of the healing process she moved from Sydney to Mudgee 12 years ago.
During that time Christine began to make her own ferments as she had her “kitchen” cooking skills from earlier years.
“Then other people were asking me for jars of it and I understood how to create flavours and understood the processes,” she said.
“The Sydney specialist said the combination of avoiding other tick bites and the probiotics were the keys.”
Christine now faces the dilemma of deciding when and how to stage the next point of her business.
“Fermented food are living things and need to be refrigerated, kept alive, that’s why they are so beneficial,” she said.
So an expansion into a refrigerated van for transporting deliveries is the next step. At present she has at least 30 eskies and reckons she would be a “hit” for any barbecue with that number of coolers, especially on hot days.
“Fermenting is done at room temperature, and as it started in the cooler temperatures of Europe it wasn’t as necessary to keep cool like here in warmer Australia,” she said.
“In our climate it would continue to ferment and if not cooled would end up like vinegar.”
Christine’s business, Crave Natural, has grown substantially and she supplies health food stores, provedores, butchers and cafes throughout the Central West and through to Sydney with sauerkraut, kombucha, water kifer and other vegetable ferments.
“I try to use locally grown vegetables from chemical-free or organic growers in Bathurst, Wellington, Dubbo and from my own garden or from the organic markets in Sydney,” she said.
A tourism concept among 10 local government areas beginning late last year, Regional Platters, devised by Destinations Management Group as an opportunity for primary producers, agribusinesses and tour operators to connect in group tourism, was an opportunity Christine Corner took to enhance her Crave Natural food business.
Along with a dozen other businesses from throughout central and western areas of the state, she gained a great deal of knowledge to further her business.
“I wanted to diversify my business by encouraging and teaching people the skills of fermenting, preserving and permaculture,” she said.
“I’m a big believer in nourishing communities, whether that’s microbes or spreading the word among others within communities.
“I really enjoy teaching, it’s the favourite part of my business, so conducting workshops is another phase. It’s knowledge that can be passed on, everyone can benefit.
“Your gut health is very important and food is my medicine, we are made up from what we eat.”
Christine currently conducts workshops twice a month and travels to where ever required – Dubbo, Bathurst, Sydney to name a few places.
“I also conduct private workshops for groups of people staring with six and will travel to most places.”
She recently went to Condobolin and Narromine for workshops with small groups.
The fermenting vegetable workshop is a three-and-a-half hour course and all hands-on.
“It has to be fun as people learn in different ways,” she said. “So my classes are interactive, you are doing things all the time, not sitting and listening for the whole time.
“You make things and take them home in jars of ferment and get comprehensive notes.”
Importantly, Christine includes on-going support.
“That’s the difference with me, I believe all must succeed so I respond to queries very quickly.”
Christine Corner can be contacted on facebook – www.facebook.com/CraveNatural; email: cravenaturalfood@gmail.com or by phone: 0417 060 224.