While rummaging around the internet, I stumbled across a picture of wax tipped bananas on an Instagram feed. I was about to move past it as I always thought that the red wax tips were a marketing ploy and something to do with bananas lasting longer.Well it turns out that the wax tip is a marketing ploy, and a good one. The wax tips are a brilliant, trade marked 'ploy' owned by Pacific Coast Eco Bananas to tell you that the banana has been grown ecoganically. THE BANANAS ARE GROWN IN NORTH QUEENSLAND ON ONE OF 6 FAMILY OWNED FARMS, WHO GROW ETHICAL, PESTICIDE FREE BANANAS WITH THE LEAST INTERVENTION OF ANY FARMING SYSTEM IN THE WORLD, UNDER A SYSTEM THEY HAVE CALLED ECOGANIC. The bananas are grown with no organic or synthetic chemicals, just plain old mother nature, growing bananas the 'normal' way. Well, what used to be 'normal'... These wax tipped bananas are also harvested by hand - as you can clearly see this man doing here with a cane knife - pre wax tipping (for all of you who think they grow that way)... After harvesting, the bananas are washed by hand and then dipped in food grade wax - also by hand. (And before that 'special' group of you ask, no you don't eat it. Food Grade just means it won't poison you.) That's a whole lot of love for one small banana.When you buy a wax tipped banana from anywhere - greengrocer or supermarket, you know it's been bought up in one of the very good homes of these lovely farmers. Pacific Coast Eco Bananas weren't always so eco. The change came about when came when Frank Sciacca realised that all the chemicals and fertiliser he was using to improve his crop yield was killing everything else - and anyway, the taste of his bananas wasn't as 'banana' as it should be. And there seemed to be increasing pest problems.So Frank began researching alternative farming systems and eventually realised that nature was actually pretty keen to help him grow his crops. In concert with nature and a well balanced eco system, Frank now grows a superior quality banana with no introduced pesticides or fertilisers.
Five other banana farms have now joined Frank in building a vibrant ecosystem where organisms, insects, reptiles, birds, and other animals help grow the bananas - a tastier, healthier banana that you can easily identify for what it is amongst all the other fruit on the supermarket or greengrocer shelves.
FNQ Neighbours of EcoBananas are Rob and Krista Watkins, who are the founders of Natural Evolution Foods and inventors of green banana flour. Something they invented to use up their massive amount of discarded bananas.
Bananas pack a powerful nutritious punch. They contain a high level of potassium, in addition to a good amount of fiber, iron zinc, calcium and magnesium. Bananas are also a great source of vitamins, containing vitamins B1,B2, B3, B6, B12 and vitamins C, D, E and K. Bananas are at their most nutritious when fully ripe.