Farmers Markets
We have listed our Farmers Markets by state:
If you have feedback on any of these markets please visit us at the forum where you can send a personal message or leave a comment under the relevant farmers market topic.
A piece of the country in the city
Picture a circle of tent style stalls with trestle tables, each stall selling a few things. Around you swirl kids, dogs and people who have scraped themselves out of bed early armed with bags and little shopping jeeps. You’re at a Farmers Market.
The word has gradually spread that shopping at Farmers Markets is a good thing. When they started they were considered expensive and you just went there to buy a couple of home made treats. But more and more people are beginning to buy the bulk of their fresh food at one. That’s everything from meat and eggs, dairy, fruit and vegetables, to artisan baked bread, fresh pasta, spice mixes and cereals.
Why? Well as it turns out, as supermarket prices have risen, markets have stabilised and in some cases with increasing popularity have become cheaper.
Price aside, the lettuce or herbs that you buy at a supermarket usually last a week if you’re lucky before they go off. At Farmers Markets the produce has only just been picked so you can keep them for six weeks in many cases, which means that your money goes further and there’s less waste.
And then there’s the taste.
Remember when food had flavour? Well it’s back, at Farmers Markets. The reason food lost its flavour is that supermarkets need large volumes of fast growing vegetables in order to make their big profits. So many farmers stopped growing the old style vegies and meat, choosing to farm the fast stuff instead. The trouble is, faster breeds have less flavour. Fast grown also uses up way more water and takes its toll on the planet.
Slow grown food is more filling too, so you find a little bit goes a long way. Freshly picked it contains more nutrients so is better for your kids. It also hasn’t been treated with nasty chemicals in quarantine that foreign produce is exposed to that can possibly harm your kids tummies. It’s also satisfying that your money is going back into the community and not overseas to the mega corporations that service the big supermarket chains. It’s keeping Aussies in jobs and on farms and that’s pretty cool.
Some of the food at Farmers Markets is organic, and some of it is Heritage breeds of meat and vegies, but all of it is local and produced in an ethical and sustainable manner. Most of it is chemical free and all of it is grown with passion by small farms or made by small businesses with plenty of heart. Pop along to your nearest market and get to know the farmers, they’re fascinating people and they love a chat.
