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Hahndorf Community Craft and Produce Market

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Posted 2014-03-12 by Haydn Radford ⇒ follow

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During my recent revisit to the Lion's Market at Woodside several stallholders mentioned how they also attended the The , which is organised by members of the St. Michael's Church. . Some of St. Michael's people have stalls which they run, but it is not a St. Michael's Church Market, it is strictly a Hahndorf Community Market. All in all, some 30 – 40 people volunteer to help with the cooking, baking, setting-up and looking after stalls and tidying up afterwards. The market is held in the St. Michaels's Car Park, Balhannah Road, Hahndorf, on the fourth Saturday of each month from 8.30am - 1.00pm, except in December.

There is parking close by. The stalls offer a large range of goods from various cottage industries. Some stalls are located inside the hall within the tea room, while many other stalls are set-up outside. For those of you who love to explore an old shed for treasures, there is a shed with a wide assortment of items.

What I found interesting is the number of people who utilize this market to sell items that you would usually find at a garage sale. Some families get together and combine their goods and help one another to manage their stall, as well as checking out items they wish to buy.

[ADVERT]This market has been going for nearly 13 years. They have a policy of only two of each kind of stall, their aim being to have a variety of goods so everyone gets a fair go. The stalls offer everything including jewellery, handmade greeting cards, socks, cakes and biscuits, jams, chocolates, confectionary, chutneys, sauces, Lego toys and collectables, semi-precious gemstones, antiques, collectable crockery and glassware, home-wares, books, bric-a-brac, and a great assortment of plants.

The range of stalls varies even more leading up to Christmas. The outside space is absolutely 'chockers' (sic) and being in the hills it varies according to the weather. Being Hahndorf late morning onwards we sometimes will see a lot more visitors and tourists.

"We don't have a lot of produce from farmers," says Julie. "We are not a fresh produce market. We have one farmer who comes in with fresh potatoes. We have a local grower who sells honey and another sells olive oil."

"Over the last six years we have sold fresh Mullet from the Coorong; we sell between 70 – 90 kgs on a Saturday morning. Much of it is pre-sold." Unfortunately, there wasn't any mullet for sale on the day I attended, due to the windy weather during the week.

For those craving a hot breakfast, brunch or lunch there is the popular tasty BBQ sausage and onion wrapped in a slice of bread, sausages supplied courtesy of Tim and Max Noske of Noske Meats in Hahndorf.

"We are also famous for our special homemade potato fritters, the German name being 'Kartoffel Puffe,." says Julie from the Hanhdorf Market. "In Germany, if you lived on a farm you would have them for a Sunday night tea as they are very tasty."

"It's made from grated potato and onion, flour and egg; it's pretty basic, but it's good stuff. People drive up from town just to buy them. We had our group cook them for a special function in Hahndorf. They are cooked non-stop by the volunteers from 8.30 – noon; we go through 25 kilograms of potatoes morning on our market day. A local grower donates the spuds."

Cynthia and Syd Whittle are one of the original stallholders, as they have been with this market from the word 'Go!', with their range of home knitted items and plants. Cynthia knits the figures and creatures leading up to Easter and Christmas as well as other pieces during the year.

Rosalie Flavel of Forest Range has a tasty range of gluten free jams and chutneys, which are well known to her customers at the various markets in the Adelaide Hills. Rosalie and her husband are apple and cherry orchardists. "He grows 'em, I cook 'em," she says with a friendly laugh. "They are all made in my own kitchen, and I stir them all."

Tabitha Eades of A Brush with Magic is known as a successful artist specialising in original hand painted portraits of animals.

[IMAGE="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/000/02/hahndorf-community-craft-produce-market1212512.jpeg" width="662" link="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/000/02/hahndorf-community-craft-produce-market12125121.jpeg"
align="CENTER" thumb="http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/000/02/hahndorf-community-craft-produce-market12125122.jpeg" border="1" caption="Artist, Tabitha Eades painting animal portraits." wrap="0" title="Hahndorf Community Craft & Produce Market" margin="5"]

Tabitha is also known for her range of gem stones and her knowledge of the mystic qualities of the stones as well. She offers an assortment of different stones that produce a sense of well being with people.

Tabitha is a firm believer that even if someone doesn't need something specifically from her, they will stop and chat with her, and they both will feel better for it.

Bronwyn and Steve Schmidt are just establishing their new honey business Sweet As.

Di Gray ENJOpreneur offers you an easier means to clean your whole home and outdoors (including your car and barbie) with chemical free, quality fibre technology.

Di said, "I have worked with children for many years and I have seen such an increase in allergies and thought there has got to be a better way to help families improve their general health."

The Book Lady is a regular at this market with her large variety of pre-loved books.

Diane has hand made and machine quilted ladies handbags, which are made from left over pieces of material. She also sews pillow-cases, tablecloths and tea-towels. "I have always sewed a lot, learning in the beginning from my mum," she says.

Malcolm McDougall's Sweet Peas

His family, going back three generations, have grown sweet peas. He originally grew them in Gawler many years ago. Today he has 56 colours of one variety of the South Australian sweet pea. It is a climber and if grown correctly will grow to a height of three metres. It is the kind of plant you plant in March and lasts until nearly Christmas. You can collect your own seed if you wish.

Florists and people like them because all the blooms on the stem, usually about four, come out at once. Malcolm likes to hybridize his own colours. At present they are all seeds, but when in season Malcolm sells bunches of cut flowers.

What is unique to markets is the diversity of goods on offer. Malcolm also deals in Thimbles, an unusual thing, but they are a collectable item. "I like thimbles because they are small, very easy to carry around and they range from $2 upwards. Some thimbles, depending on their names and brands can be worth hundreds of dollars. Some are made from gold, silver or ivory; old ivory of course."

Graham Harrison at Cottage Garden Nursery offers an extensive assortment of trees, scrubs, climbers, roses, groundcovers, grasses, perennials, bearded Irises and herbs and useful gardening advice.

Libby's cards and socks
After nursing for many years, Libby started her cottage industry as a hobby. "I have always knitted and done patchwork and card making just evolved," she says. "I make all the cards and I knit all the socks, which are knitted from proper four ply socks wool. I make cards for all occasions."

"Everything you see on the table I make. Most cards are $5. Many of the children's cards are $3.50, which can be personalized with a name, greeting or age. The age for children is very popular. If any don't have a greeting, I can add a greeting. The socks are $27.50. They are made from proper socks wool and will last for years and years, and will wash in the washing machine on a cold wash."

Volunteers make a huge contribution towards the success of this market. Mavis, Betty and Joyce and about six other ladies all contribute to the making of jams, sauces, relishes, chutneys and sultana cakes, beer cake, apple pies, scones and little quiches. Some bring along bulbs from their garden, fruit, such as lemons. Everything is donated and all proceeds go to the church.

Brick Lady
Kate and her son Thomas specialise in genuine Lego products, accessories kits, books and T-shirts. She sells new and second hand collectables and vintage Lego kits. She will also source hard to find Lego pieces for collectors. Thomas has a sound knowledge of Lego and is the one to go to for information on kits and when they were made.

"I find adults tend to be into the Lego Star Wars, City or Trains really. The City range consists of a huge range of buildings, aircraft, houses and transport vehicles that appeal to all ages," says Kate.

"Lego is a very creative toy and helps children appreciate and develop designs as well as stimulate their creativity and engineering skills."

Denise recycles old records and makes them into plates and bowls for food, fruit or whatever. She has an array of fob watches, novelty watches and nurses' watches and assorted toys, plus a hodgepodge of bits and pieces, including different items every month.

She really enjoys the Gumeracha and Hanhdorf Markets and the folk she meets. "I have been attending the markets for about three years. It's my social life. It's where I have met some lovely people and made friends as well," she says.

Judy and her husband, of PJ Cottage Delights were fruit growers in the Riverland, at Waikerie. "We grew all our own apricots, peaches and nectarines and that is why we valued added. We used to have buses of people come to our property, PJ Cottage Delights," she says. "We did very well, but health became a problem, so we sold, moved to Strathalbyn and now we just go to country markets."

"We get our dried fruit products from Waikerie, from our neighbour up there, and we produce the various chocolate coated and other lines on display."

"Another exciting part of our business involves my daughter, Lisa. It is our hand made greeting cards for all occasions. It's called 'Paper Poll'; it's quite different to scrapbooking. I cut them out and my daughter puts them together, layering them to create a three dimensional effect. We are self-taught, just like making chocolates, self taught; trial and error," she says with a hearty laugh. "Like all the things we produce, it's all trial and error!"

The cards are $4.00 for the small, and $4.50 for the large.

Volunteers Paul Sable and his wife, Annette and Rex provide an assortment of plants on market day.

"We grow them and are responsible for getting them to market where Rex helps on market day. It keeps us going, so it works two ways," Paul says. "We have been doing this for about 13 years. When I retired from teaching we wanted to do something with our lives. With just the two of us doing it, it keeps us busy from dawn to dusk. We have a one and a half acre property with shade houses and tunnels and things at Port Elliott."

The display by Australia HOPE International Inc. offers authentic African jewellery, beautiful handicraft artecrafts and stunning original paintings. Many of these beads and jewellery have been created from re-cycled materials by African women. The proceeds from the sales of these items aid H.O.P.E. projects in Africa and help alleviate child poverty and provide emergency aid for the destitute.

Local author, Geoff Hastwell was on-hand promoting his two books, 60 Years of Success - The Blackwood Players Inc; , the history of this outstanding hills theatre group and its members, and My Sky Blue Trades , a work of faction about three South Australian pilots who flew the notorious Beaufighter airplane, nicknamed Whispering Death. This well researched story is complemented with photographs of No. 30 Squadron. Geoff was also available to discuss the groups unique history and forth coming productions.

Janice's Collectables from Sydney; "I had a shop in Sydney. I closed the business and came to Adelaide for family reasons. I have a variety of good quality collectable items from 1920's up to 1980. They are all in excellent condition; colour, quality and shape; no chips or no cracks. They are mainly English, French and German pieces; something for everyone."