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| 31 Jan 2006 | |
Hamilton’s new “gate to plate” fresh produce market starts on Sunday, February 5.
The Hamilton Farmers’ Market will be held on the first and third Sunday of every month on the Wintec carpark at the corner of Tristram and Collingwood Streets. Stalls will sell a variety of farm fresh produce and processed foods from around the Waikato. The market opens at 8am, with no trading until that time, and finishes at 12pm. It’ll run, rain or shine.
The market will give shoppers easy access to seasonal produce, specialty foods and direct contact with growers, while also helping small scale growers and food entrepreneurs expand their customer base. More established businesses can use it as an opportunity to test new products or simply maintain visibility.
The market’s goal is to encourage local growing and local buying and the rules make that clear, with only growers or food-makers able to take a stall and no re selling allowed.
“One of the reasons farmers’ markets are becoming so popular around the world is because people are increasingly interested in knowing where their food is coming from. They like the idea of meeting the grower and of buying from someone they come to know and trust,” says Hamilton Farmers’ Market Trust chairperson Tracey Lowndes.
“They can be confident they’re buying truly fresh and healthy produce and they’re also supporting new food businesses sprung from the region and showcasing regional cuisine. When you buy local, your food dollars are reinvested in the region so it’s beneficial to all.”
Stalls for the first market include free range eggs, a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, gourmet preserves and jams, ground coffee and coffee beans, plants, herbs and cured meats. The market is expected to begin with around 15 stallholders confirmed and others in the process of getting established and will grow over time.
Similar markets around the country have met with a strong response and the growing interest in setting up new markets has prompted establishment of the New Zealand Farmers’ Market Association. New Zealand has around a dozen farmers markets so far, while Australia has 50 and the US 3500.
Traditional farmers’ markets sell only food – primary produce, fresh food, and processed produce such as preserves and relishes. The only exceptions are seedlings, cut flowers, compost and fertilisers.
