If you haven't yet discovered the fresh seasonal produce, relaxed community atmosphere and delights of
your local farmers' market, you must. They're springing up all over Australia - and the world for that matter. It's a growing trend, and the benefits to farmers, producers, the public and the environment are huge.
Farmers' markets sell farm-origin and associated wholesome food products direct to the public. This basically means that the fruit and vegetables you buy might have been picked, say, yesterday. A word of warning: once you've tasted the difference, you might never buy a fruit or vegetable from a supermarket again.
Other products you might find include: just-baked bread, free-range eggs,
organic meats and smallgoods, fish, cheeses, honey, or maybe some healthy, ready-to-serve foods for convenience. There are lots of other products to discover and enjoy too.
Foods have generally been transported only as far as the grower or maker could travel that morning. This results in low
food miles and a much lesser negative effect on the environment. Locally grown food hasn't made a nasty
carbon footprint on the planet through being transported from Timbuktu!
Because only seasonal produce is sold, each market day brings a new surprise. I must admit that spotting my first summer strawberry or autumn
chestnut gets me pretty excited! I am, however, food obsessed.
Eating according to nature's seasons makes sense to me. I mean, if we were meant to eat peaches in winter, they'd grow naturally in Australia in winter! Seasonal produce also requires less energy and water to produce.
Click
here to search what's in season when. Better still, get to your local Farmers' Market this Saturday or Sunday, take a look around, and all the research will have been done for you. Whatever the passionate growers and producers are offering is in season!
There's something very satisfying about eating seasonal, local produce in the safe knowledge it's doing your body, Australia's food-growing and producing communities, and the environment a whole lot of good.
Get to the market early. Don't sleep in if you want the best of the best!
