In the early hours of the morning, while most of us are still asleep, farmers and producers from around the Sunshine Coast are making their way to various locations, their vehicles laden with fabulous array of edible goods, special, fresh, delectable offerings that are presented to a regional community of market goers. Fruit and vegetables are harvested the day prior to the markets, fresh and vibrant, brimming from baskets and boxes as they are unloaded to fill stalls in the true tradition of a farmers’ market.
There are the artisan cheeses and breads, decadent cakes and cookies, gelatos and ice creams, colour palettes of condiments and preserves as well as a spectacular range of savoury morsels that beckon to be taken home, if you can manage not to eat them all in the car on the way home.
While we are blessed on the Sunshine Coast with an abundance of producers, we also have an equal abundance of markets to choose from. We have the Noosa, Kawana and Witta Farmers’ markets that are wholly produce markets making it easy to source our favourite food items all in the one location. But we also have the Eumundi Markets that has a large food and produce component, especially on the Wednesday, then there is the Peregian Beach Markets, the Fisherman’s Road Markets, Suncoast Growers’ Market, Cotton Tree Markets, Caloundra Markets, Dagun, Yandina, Pomona; nearly every town has a market of some sort that induces farmers and producers to share with us their freshest and their best.
Food has become a dominant feature at markets, and the quality has stepped up to a level that makes whatever market you go to a gourmet experience and this is especially so with the Farmers’ markets.
Farmers markets differ from most other markets in that they generally adhere to a framework as specified by the Australian Farmers Markets Association. The thing most people don’t realise is that there is a little more to the philosophy of a farmers’ market than just simply being a collaborative venue for selling food.
So what actually is a Farmers’ Markets? As defined on the associations’ website, ‘a Farmers’ Market is a predominantly fresh food market that operates regularly within a community, at a focal public location that provides a suitable environment for farmers and food producers to sell farm-origin and associated value-added processed food products directly to customers.’
It is the ‘farm origin’ element of this statement that so often draws so much speculation from market goers as they debate what is locally grown or produced and what is not and while there are a few vendors that do not meet the farmers’ market criteria, on the whole, most of the producers do grow or produce their own right here on the Sunshine Coast.
A farmers’ market primary aim is to preserve and encourage sustainable agricultural practices, to support and stimulate the viability and trading of the various producers, and most importantly, to provide and contribute to the overall nutrition and good health of the community that supports the market. Additionally with the focus on fuel price increases and the strain this puts on the transport and distribution of fresh food, the reduction of food miles has been an important and relevant topic and at the heart of the food security of a region that only adds to the argument of why a community should support farmers’ markets.
The farmers’ market experience is also not just about the shopping experience, it is about education, an outdoor forum where you are able to interact with the producer directly and ask questions or exchange information about a product and its uses. It is also the platform where producers can launch or trial new products and gain valuable feedback directly from the consumer – many successful and iconic food products began their retail lives at farmers’ markets where the creator used feedback to assist in developing a product range, packaging and presentation.
So farmers’ markets are an adventure all around, and we are the lucky ones who get the best of all worlds – for me that is every reason to support them.
For more information about some of our local markets visit:
http://www.sunshinecoastregionalfood.com/category/markets/
This post was written by Petra Frieser – Pebbles + Pomegranate Seeds
To find out more about the Sunshine Coast’s regional growers and producers visit:
