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For Customer Service &
Phone Orders :
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Tel/Fax : 07 54498581
Int : 61 7 54498581
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Write to us :
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OzeVillage
P O Box 1494
Noosaville DC
Qld 4566
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A Grassroots Movement |
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One of the major success stories for those who provide the food for Australian tables, is the growth and interest in markets around the country. With conditions on the land so vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather, it is inspirational to speak to those who have taken the big step of bringing in their produce to sell at the Growers or Farmers Markets which are proliferating across Australia...
One of the major success stories for those who provide the food for Australian tables, is the growth and interest in markets around the country. With conditions on the land so vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather, it is inspirational to speak to those who have taken the big step of bringing in their produce to sell at the Growers or Farmers Markets which are proliferating across Australia.
There is something very basic about shoppers being able to buy fresh produce direct from the grower. It returns them to their roots and encourages personal interchange that was once commonplace but is now, with the advent of supermarkets, a thing of the past. How wonderful to discuss with the person who grew the product the methods used, if it was sprayed or not, how best to prepare and cook it and to be able to buy something picked or produced within hours of being sold. Apart from freshness and quality, that shoppers look for is a return to the flavour and taste that is so sadly lacking in commercially grown crops.
Many of the farmers who bring their goods to the Growers Markets run small enterprises and often grow speciality produce. Those who make the cheeses are doing so from their own herds be they cattle, sheep or goats. It is the same for those who sell meat or poultry. Specialists abound and they are only too pleased to talk to their customers and to explain their growing methods. Free range, chemical free, organic are not buzz words in the markets - they are the norm.
Mind you it isnt easy providing customers with your produce when you live a long way away from the market you supply. If you review our list of Growers Markets you will see that there are many in the major cities and most of those who sell their produce there come from vast distances to do so.
Mark Taylor for instance, who sells his Mandalong Lamb, Veal and Beef comes to Sydney twice a week from his property in Walcha. This means leaving home at 4.00am or before depending on the time the market starts.
In fact, his is a real success story. Having first only supplied restaurants with his specially grown and slaughtered lamb, he now sees his future being more and more tied up with providing meat for the markets. Five years ago he was supplying only the food service industry, now they are only 40% of his business. His success has also engendered employment in Tamworth where he has 17 staff who slaughter, hang and cut his meat to his special specifications.
Speciality bread makers, olive oil producers, coffee growers, egg and poultry suppliers, venison farmers, fish smoked and poached, cheese makers, flowers, fruit, vegetables, home made dips, jams and chutneys, there is no end to what can be tasted and bought at the Farmers Markets.
Nor is the interest of those who wish to shop at the markets diminishing. In fact Growers Markets are opening up everywhere including in country Australia. Every region it seems is setting up these events, usually once a month, and the market has taken on the role of a community get together. One market, in country NSW, had close to 3,500 attendees when it made its debut and the list of new markets grows every month.
The list of Growers Markets on our site is by no means complete and we would be most appreciative to hear of any that are not on our list. It seems that we all want to be part of a real grassroots movement and to enjoy the best our land has to offer.
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Membership Bonus Points
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