Market Update

The real deal

Great atmosphere, a wide variety of fresh produce, friendly people, less packaging, free cooking tips, … there’s a long list of reasons to shop at Southbank Farmers’ Market.

One that might not be immediately apparent is accreditation. This is the professional standard that ensures the people selling the goods on offer at the market are, indeed, the people who produced them.  

Essentially it excludes wholesale resellers, providing the point of difference that defines a farmers’ market compared with other fresh produce markets. Buying direct from the person who grew, made or farmed the food you’re buying supports them to be on the land and, with no middleman involved, ensures they set their own prices and ultimately receive more coin in their pocket.

The local economy benefits, and our long-term food security is supported which supports the entire community. Accreditation also requires stallholders to be located within 100km of the Victorian border, ensuring the producers are based locally and keeping transport to a minimum.

While the system of accreditation, established in partnership with the State Government and managed by the Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association, supports genuine farmers, it also has a flow-on effect for shoppers.

The breadth of produce at an accredited farmers’ market, for instance, is determined by quality, seasonality and what can be produced locally, rather than the criteria of longevity, uniformity and appearance prioritised by supermarkets.

At Southbank Farmers’ Market this means items such as Camboer Prime’s goat meat, Portarlington’s fresh mussels and wakame (seaweed) and Myrtleford Butter Factory’s cultured butter are available – all in abundance in Victoria, yet less commonly available through major supermarkets.

Within a given food type there is also more variety. Three Bridges offers an array of apple varieties and The Mushroom Company’s range includes shimeji, shitake, oyster and enoki mushrooms. Similarly, meat producers often have unusual cuts of meat as they follow a nose-to-tail philosophy of production so we see lamb neck and pork jowl alongside the steaks, chops and roasts we’re more familiar with.

There’s another benefit too. If there are food allergies or intolerances in your family, or you simply wish to know more about how your food is grown, you can ask the stallholder directly about their production methods: free range, organics, stocking densities, how long the season will last etc. They may even give you tips on growing your own food at home.

For more information on accreditation, visit: www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au

The next Southbank Farmers’ Market is on Saturday, October 4.