Shop local, Support Farmers

Supporting small business has never been more important ­and the farmers market is one of the first places to start!

The local markets are a place to find produce that is affordable, fresh and supports local businesses – you can find everything from fruits & vegetables, flowers, herbs and spices, dairy & organic meats. Depending on the market you go to, some are organic only (like Miami) and others are a mixed bag. I usually go for the “spray free” options as a personal choice, as organic status is hard to get for a lot of farmers even those that don’t use pesticides, and the certification is very expensive which brings up the price of the produce.

The produce I get from the farmers market is no comparison in freshness compared to that of the supermarket. A bag of fresh spinach or rocket or a bunch of silver beet that will go limp in 3 days from the supermarket, will last up to 2 weeks if I bought it from the markets.

I will often hear the stall owner shouting about how the potatoes were dug up yesterday, or the avocadoes picked this morning from Tambourine Mountain – you just can’t beat local produce.

If you’re searching for your local market, you can usually find them with a quick search on your local city council website. For the gold coast, you can find that here: (https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/thegoldcoast/farmers-markets-22944.html)

Personally, I love the Markets in the Meadow in Bundall – I go with my dad every Sunday, it’s one hour a week I can spend with him & get my veggies, milk, eggs & flowers fresh for the week ahead.

Enjoy!