What’s News at the Market this Week?
We are thrilled to have three dietitian students from Griffith University conducting some research for the market over the next few weeks. Their research aim is:
- To determine the beliefs, attitudes and perceptions of consumers attending the Murwillumbah Farmers’ Market.
To achieve this research aim they are collecting data on:
- Demographics of market consumers
- Why consumers are attending the markets (e.g. social, environmental, health or economic reasons)
- How engaged consumers are with the market (how often they are attending, portions and types of food purchased etc.)
- Barriers to market attendance.
You may have noticed last week that Courtney, Amy, and Tatjana were already conducting interviews so thank you to those who responded. The next two weeks they will be expanding their reach to gather information from a broad cross-section of our market community. If you missed out last week please pop into their marquee (near the break in the fence as you move from one section of the grassed area to the section where the farm stalls are located). It only takes about 10 minutes and they are very friendly.
If time is a problem there is a solution YAY! Courtney, Amy, and Tatjana are working on developing an online survey for those unable to participate in the face-to-face interviews. They are hoping to have it available this week and it will be open for 10 days – closing on 6th November.
The online survey will take approx. 5 minutes and they have set up a QR code for easy access at the market.
They also respectfully ask that if you have done the face to face interviews please do not participate in the on-line survey.
FREE Summit Organics Farm Tour – 31st October
If you missed out on the last two Farm Tours then this is your last chance for 2020. This is a FREE farm tour as it is not catered for this time and will be a much larger group so bring your family and friends. It is such a great farm to visit and to hear their planning, planting, growing and harvesting story. Don’t miss out. Mark this date in your diary.
What’s GREAT at the Market this Week?
This week we are shining the spotlight on seedlings. Mad Mountain Family Farm (MMFF) has an excellent variety of the more unusual seedlings and One Organics.has a range of the more popular and every day variety of seedlings.
Lyn and Tim at MMFF have a wide range of culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, pollinator and permaculture plants so do have a chat to these passionate growers and discover something special for your garden. While you are there check out all their chilli sauces – wow – so many to choose from for lovers of something a little – or VERY hot!
Spring planting in the sub-tropics can be challenging due to the often hot weather, drying winds and erratic rainfall. I think we’ve been lucky with milder weather so far this year but we’ve certainly had lots of winds – at least in my garden – and I don’t have tanks full of water for endless watering to compensate for the drying winds. This makes me a little cautious about what I plant until I know for sure that some rain is coming. Once again I feel especially grateful that if I can’t grow it I can stock up every week from our great farmers.
And then there are our wise advisors like The Digger’s Club’s Arno. I appreciate his tips for spring planting in the sub-tropics. He suggests:
Climbing varieties are also a much better option for high production in small spaces (vertical growth) and less subject to disease during wet weather. Whenever you have a choice, (for example green beans, zucchini) plant the climbing rather than dwarf cultivars. Climbing vegetables include beans (lablab, winged, snake and ‘Purple King’ beans), squashes and gourds (zucchini, choko, cucumber, luffa, snake gourd, New Guinea gourd), and Malabar spinach.
Other reliable vegetables include amaranth (Chinese spinach), Ethiopian cabbage, corn, ‘Australian Gold’, ‘Oakleaf’ and Asian lettuce, cherry tomato, kailan, rosella and pumpkin. Many of these plants will need to be planted by mid spring. I take my cue when the nights start to warm and the coconut oil in the kitchen goes from a solid to a liquid.
Thanks Arno.
We know Christmas is just around the corner when Mad Mountain Family Farm brings their Christmas cakes to the market. This week is their first week and Lyn said that they have small and large sizes available. Their gluten free option is only available in small BUT they are happy to make large gf by order only.
And YES Janette and Jan and the other CWA ladies will have their Christmas goodies at the market from the last week in November.
