Farmers Markets have been popular in the US and on the east coast of Australia for quite a while now, but they are only just starting to take off here in the West of Oz. Lately, I have been making the early (early for me, anyway) trip to the Mt Claremont Farmers Market located at Mt Claremont Primary School. Even though it has been running since 2007, I have only recently started going. Since we own a Growers' Market, and I can get super fresh fruit and veg from local growers pretty much whenever I want, I never really saw the point in going. However, as well as amazingly fresh fruit and veg, they have so much more there!On my weekly shopping list:
- Winterville Angus beef - straight from the farmer, and grown without hormones. This beef is so yummy, and since we eat beef about twice a week, I think switching to hormone free beef is important. And the best part - it is the same price as the stock standard beef I used to buy from the supermarket, and about half the price of the organic beef.
- Organic multigrain rye bread - my husband has never been a fan of rye bread, but even he loves this one. It is rich and dense and so, so yummy!
- Over The Moon dairy's organic jersey milk, butter and fetta - these products are more expensive than their supermarket counterparts but on par with the matching organics. These taste just the way milk and butter used to taste. The milk is almost yellow, and the butter IS a rich sunflower yellow, not the pale and insipid butter I have been using in the past. Their marinated fetta is sinfully delicious and I have had to stop buying it - I just eat too much! They also do two wonderful yoghurts (plain and honey), and some camembert and brie.
As well as great fresh and seasonal fruit and veg, there are jam and chutneys, pickles, nitrate-free bacon and ham, cookies, cakes, curry pastes and the list goes on. The best part is that as well as the regulars, there are lots of other stalls and you never know what you are going to find.
A great additional benefit of the market is that all proceeds from the stall hire fees and the gold coin donation for parking goes towards the school's Parents and Friends Association and so far, thousands of dollars have been raised for various projects around the school.
So for those of you in Perth, make sure you go and check it out:
Saturday mornings 8am -12pm (but for the best selection, get there before 10.30)
Mt Claremont Primary School
103 Alfred Rd, Mt Claremont
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Labels: eco living, food, health, lifestyle
