The Nashdale farmer grew 37,000 garlic plants this year and harvested them last month.

The aromatic power of thousands of dried bulbs hanging in a shed is noticeable from the driveway.

Garlic is a fairly recent addition to Mr Reynolds’ eclectic farm, which tends towards unusual varieties in small plantings.

He has been growing garlic for about six years “because nobody else was doing it”.

“Back in the late 90s there was a lot of stuff coming in from overseas. Everyone thought it was great and cheap. Now they say it’s garbage. We sell ourselves in Sydney but we don’t sell through the central market system. The taste is so fresh. I’ll always sell out,” he said.

Among the garlic grown on the small Nashdale farm is the elephant variety, an enormous version with a mild flavour just right for baking.

Mr Reynolds also grows Japanese garlic, Australian white and Italian white, red and pink varieties, with a total of about three tonnes harvested this year.

He describes the Orange climate as perfect for growing garlic, however, the process itself is expensive and time-consuming.

“Our acre and a half costs were about $30,000. Our returns are quite good but we have to get that $30,000 back. To plant the garlic it took two fellows 10 days. To weed it over six months probably cost $9000 or $10,000. The harvest took six guys two and a half weeks, and then it had to be washed by hand and dried,” he said.

Most garlic sold in Australia is imported from China, Peru, Mexico and New Zealand.

The bleaching and spraying process used to kill pests and bacteria for import can kill growth cells in imported garlic, meaning seed produced locally is also in high demand.

The farm also produces apples, stonefruit, rhubarb, horseradish, figs, cherries, quinces and 24 potato varieties.

Selling direct to consumers and avoiding wholesalers is the secret to the farm’s success.

Mr Reynolds said it was possible to make four times as much money selling the potato crop directly to consumers than through a wholesaler.

“Small farmers need to sell their own stuff,” he said.

The farm’s produce is sold at farmers’ markets at Castle Hill, Manly, Marrickville, Glenbrook and Penrith.

“People from the city want to talk to the farmer. They really do. That’s just how farming is now. It’s a really big trend now in food. Everyone wants different tastes and so the small farmer has to cater to them,” Mr Reynolds said.

He said selling direct to the people who were going to eat his product was hard work which had rewards for both producer and consumer.

“It’s a lot of work but when you’re selling to a person, when you get feedback and they tell you how much they liked something, it makes it all worthwhile,” he said.