How to tell a farmer you love them

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Farmers’ Markets. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it another 5000 times.

I love them.

Having that contact with the growers and producers makes the food taste so much better for it. Knowing that my rhubarb was picked the day before. My milk comes from a single herd, and my tomato comes from an heirloom variety thrills me to bits. (A feeling I don’t tend to get coming out of the supermarket.)

Visiting Orange Grove Farmers Market recently I was actually quite excited to see the place had grown since I was last there. At 8.45am the place was jumping. Baskets were emptying, queues to pay were forming and independent stall holders were all doing their thing.

With the recent devastating floods around the country, I feel this is the time to make that special effort to support our local producers. By shopping like this I am showing my support for what they do. Giving them some love in the form of our dollar. For an idea of what it is like as a farmer on the other end please read Kate’s, (from Daylesford Organics) recent post. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it must be.

Buying straight from the producers gives you a freshness that just can’t compete with buying in a supermarket. That oddly misshaped heirloom tomato the size of a babies head, you are not going to find it in your leading supermarket. Tasting of summer, with seeds squirting down your chin. Team that up with some locally made cheese and you are in business.

Heirloom, natural, organic, single herd, artisan, picked yesterday, seasonal, fresh, locally grown….it’s all there, just go take a peek. Our job is the easy one, go that extra kilometre, pay that extra dollar and show them your love.


29 thoughts on “How to tell a farmer you love them”

  3. Big fan of supprting local farmers, esp. the organic & biodynamic ones, and love farmers markets, or as we are lucky to have here, a ‘farmers outlet’ which has amazing local, organic, sustainble produce. I am back into SOLE eating & shopping this year, it’s so worth it in every way!

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    • Kate you are more than welcome. I really hope that more people will begin to support their local producers. There are so, so many reasons to start doing so. Your 10 things post is lovely to read coming from the other side of the stall.

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  8. Oh, I love the farmers’ markets too. We are slowly getting a few happening in the metro area. It is so wonderful to build up a rapport with the people growing our food. As you say, it is great being able to eat something that you know was in the ground a day earlier. I do find it a little difficult finding a variety of organic sellers. It is a good sign that so many people are using these as a way of buying all of their fresh foods.
    The social aspect is wonderful too.

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    • The social aspect is great isn’t it. I really enjoy finding out more information on the produce I’m buying.
      More and more markets seem to be starting up. Some of them seem to be in really unlikely sorts of places, that start off as a trickle and then take off as more people enjoy doing their shopping there, and the ‘to market, to market’ word spreads.

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  9. I am fairly new to farmers’ markets, but I am now converted. I love the Powerhouse markets in Brisbane and go whenever I can. I like the idea of knowing where my food comes from.

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  11. Lovely, lovely,lovely!
    I WANT that lavender!
    All of your pictures are making me envy you, so much
    I love buying from the actual growers when possible- I think it is certainly worth a couple of extra dollars to keep them in business.
    AND it makes me so happy to have fresh and local grown foods.
    (Although I do enjoy my stash of goods from “down under” as well!)
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  12. totally agree! If your local farmer’s market doesn’t have it, it means it’s not locally in season and you shouldn’t be buying it anyhow, not just because it will have ridiculous amounts of food miles on it, but because it won’t be at all nice.

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  14. Beautiful pictures. I’m completely salivating over those tomatoes. As I try not to buy them out of season, it’s a very long time since I had one. Love the reuse egg boxes cotton poster.

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  17. Well written and well said! I wish we had farmers markets where I live now, in Norway. Perhaps I should sell my produce this coming spring? Hmm….

    You are inspiring! Typical of you.

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