By Tania Phillips
October is a big month for the Granite Belt Farmers Market, not only is it one of the best months for fresh produce in the area but it’s also the group’s seventh birthday.
It has been a big 12 months for the markets with a new name and a new home but they have now settled into the Railway Station Precinct and are ready for a busy season throughout October and beyond.
In March when they made the big move to the Davidi Street precinct market managers Bridget Ryan and Natasha Jackson said they had loved being in the centre of town in Stanthorpe each Friday morning but it was time to move to a bigger location.
Now a few months down the track Bridget said it had been a successful move with more parking, more room and it was all undercover.
“It has been really good, for us personally it’s been great but for our customers it’s been amazing,” Bridget said.
“Parking in Stanthorpe can be very difficult and there is plenty of parking at the Railway Station. The volunteer groups who have worked on the gardens and buildings have done such a wonderful job – its such a lovely space all around and it’s going to be a really good community asset going forward. It is really nice to be part of that.”
October is getting into their peak season now and Bridget and Natasha and all of the stall holders are looking forward to a busy time ahead of them over the next few months.
“We always have produce in the Winter period because the Granite Belt is such a good area for all year round production but the peak season is now starting,” Bridget said.
And it’s been a better year for growers so far too without the threats of drought and fires hanging over the heads of local growers.
“There is lots more optimism from everybody and we are getting new young farmers or people moving here, people wanting to grow a bit of stuff – we don’t have a lot of big producers, we have lots of smaller producers and we can sell bits and pieces belonging to a grower,” she said.
“There are a lot of people who want to be part of that movement. Which makes for some fabulous variety that you might not get anywhere else and we do have some different climates within the area. We have people within half an hour of here who have had their spring season already so we have a longer season because of them.
“There are quite a few smaller growers coming from different nationalities who will grow produce from their own counties which they grew up with. Everybody brings something new to the party because we grow what we like. We do have a really good variety across the season and we don’t always know what’s coming. Our farmers will bring new items and we get to try different tastes and talk to our customers about them too.
The markets are also a chance to meet and talk to the people who grow and make the products that are on sale and those products are many and varied with fruit, flowers, honey and vegetable growers, meat producers as well handmade cakes and ready-made meals from local produce and egg producers. There are even books from time to time.
During October there will be a birthday celebration coming up through the month.
“The reason we started in October is that it’s a good season and stone fruit will be starting to come in and we will have all local stone fruit,” Bridget said.
Find the markets (packed with fresh produce and helpful advice) at the Railway Precinct in Stanthorpe from 7.30am until 1pm every Friday.
