Visiting the local farmers’ market has become the cornerstone of a foodie’s weekend (and a nicer way to get your groceries than the supermarket). Stock up your pantry at these top 10 outings.
1. Adelaide Farmers’ Market Adelaide, SA
Marketplace details:
Held outdoors at Adelaide Showground every Sunday from 9am – 1pm.
Market fact:
Each week cooking demonstrations are held inside the Market Kitchen at Adelaide Farmer’s Markets , using local produce to create mouth-watering dishes. You may recognise some of the faces from MKR and MasterChef.
Market special:
Ice-cream in flavours such as lemon myrtle, native mint, lilly pilly and wild ginger from Bushtucker Ice-cream.
2. Collingwood Children’s Farm/Melbourne Farmers’ Markets, Abbotsford, VIC
Marketplace details:
Melbourne Farmers’ Markets is held outdoors at Collingwood Children’s Farm on the second Saturday of each month, 8am – 1pm. There’s a $2 entry fee per adult (children are free), which supports projects at the farm. The kids will love getting to know the farm animals.
Market fact:
It’s completely plastic bag-free here, so don’t forget your canvas shopping totes.
Market special:
The pancake stall is run by volunteers and all funds raised support the Young Farmers program. Tuck in for a feel-good breakfast.
3. Eveleigh Market, Eveleigh, NSW
Marketplace details: Undercover at Carriageworks, every Saturday (rain, hail or shine), 8am – 1pm.
Market fact: Eveleigh Market features well-known Sydney eateries Bourke Street Bakery, Sonomo and Billy Kwong have stands here – you may even see Miss Kylie Kwong herself serving up steamed pork buns!
Market special: Honey pollinated around the city from The Rocks to Marrickville at The Urban Beehive.
4. Farmgate Market, Hobart, TAS
Marketplace details: Outdoors at Bathurst Street every Sunday (rain, hail or shine) from 8:30am – 1pm.
Market fact: At Farmgate Market , everything sold must be grown or produced in Tasmania and only the people who grow, raise, produce, extract or pluck the goods can trade.
Market special: Sourdough donuts filled with apple and cardamom jam or dark choc and salty pistachio.
5. Noosa Farmers’ Market, Noosa, QLD
Marketplace details: Outdoors at Noosa Australian Football Club every Sunday (rain, hail or shine), 7am – 12pm.
Market fact: Noosa Farmers’ Market organisers are also behind the Noosa Food ETrail – a website showcasing a behind-the-scenes-style exploration of the local food region through fruit picking, farm tours, cooking schools. Plus markets and farm gates.
Market special: Handmade quality olive oils, olive tapenade and fresh olives from Fat Hen Farm.
6. Capital Region Farmers’ Market Canberra, ACT
Marketplace details: Undercover at Exhibition Park, most Saturdays from 7:30–11:30am.
Market fact: At Capital Region Farmers Market , the majority of produce at the market (excluding some specialty products) comes from less than 300 kilometres away. The distance travelled by each stallholder is listed on the market website.
Market special: The pâtés of Fine Terrines & Pâtés come in all sorts of flavours from free-range chicken to Porcini and port – but if those don’t tickle your fancy, they’ll try to make one especially for you.
7. Talbot Farmers’ Markets, Talbot, VIC
Marketplace details: Talbot Farmers’ Market is held outdoors at Scandinavian Crescent on the third Sunday of each month, from 9am – 1pm.
Market fact: The Town Hall Market is held on the same day just adjacent to the farmers’ market – it sells books, toys, crafts, clothing and more.
Market special: The award-winning Cooks Treat Ripper Relish and BBQue Brew (both gluten free, too!).
8. Margaret River Farmers’ Markets Margaret River, WA
Marketplace details: This market is held at the Margaret River Education Campus on the third Sunday of every month, from 9am – 1pm.
Market fact: Stalls at Margaret River Farmers’ Market are given priority based on how ‘local’ the produce is: if it’s made by farmers within the Margaret River Region with their own produce, it takes priority over residents of the Margaret River Region using local produce and those who use products from outside of the area and so on.
Market special: Bahen & Co’s factory is not open to the public, so get your hands on the artisan chocolate handmade using cacao beans and raw sugar.
9. Barossa Farmers’ Markets Barossa Valley, SA
Marketplace details: Barossa Farmers’ Markets is held undercover in the Vinters Sheds, Angaston, every Saturday from 7:30–11:30am.
Market fact: The farmers travel an average of just 15 kilometres to get here, so you know all the produce is local and super fresh.
Market special: Fill up for breakfast on the delicious egg and bacon Market Burger.
10. Gold Coast Organic Market, Miami, QLD
Marketplace details: Outdoors at Miami High State School every Sunday, 6–11:30am.
Market fact: All produce at Gold Coast Organic Market must be straight from the farm and Certified Organically grown. But it’s not just the food that’s organic, there are also cleaning products, cosmetics, clothing and bedding.
Market special: The fermented beverages from Buchi Kombucha, made from organic white, black or green teas (or a blend), organic raw sugar, and a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, are meant to be ‘ridiculously good for you’. To sweeten the deal, they come in a variety of flavours including Ginger and Tumeric, Coffee, and Hibiscus Galangal Lime.
