By Jeremy Sollars
FROM little things, big things grow – that’s the inspiration behind the Yangan Farmers’ Markets which held its first event last Sunday, 13 November.
Fine and sunny weather following Saturday’s storms greeted visitors to the markets, held in the picturesque village’s Bicentennial Park.
The vision of the markets is to be a weekly opportunity for Warwick folk to pick up locally grown and produced fresh produce, including meat, bread and fruit and veg.
The Yangan region, nestled in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range with its famously productive blacksoil paddocks is part of the region’s “food bowl” and the market organisers are passionate about their produce.
Margaret Bateman, one of the organisers behind the Yangan Farmers’ Markets is herself a local producer of pork, bacon and ham and is keen to further the ‘paddock to plate’ concept at Yangan.
She told the Free Times there were 17 stalls at last Sunday’s markets and overall the inaugural event was “a good start”.
“We are planning for it to be a weekly event,” she said.
“A few people have suggested fortnightly or even monthly, but if you’re going to have the focus on fresh produce it has to be weekly – local producers aren’t going to get their produce off if it’s going to sit around for a couple of weeks.
“Ideally, we’re showcasing Yangan and surrounding producers, but we’re very open to the idea of producers from the rest of the region getting involved.
“What we’re hoping to see more of is fresh pork and fresh lamb and we need more fruit and vegetable stalls.
“Eggs can be tricky – everyone has chooks in the backyard but you need the proper permit to sell eggs to the public, so we’re looking for someone to fill that gap.
“We are also hoping to have fresh, artisanal breads available, so the locals can just walk down the street and grab a great loaf of fresh bread – the same with local cheeses.
“It’s about furthering the food experience.”
Craft stalls were also popular last weekend and are likewise encouraged.
The next Yangan Farmers’ Markets will be held this Sunday, 20 November, in Yangan’s Bicentennial Park from 8am to noon.
Interested stallholders should contact Margaret Bateman on 0400 830 391.
