BENDIGO Community Farmers\u2019 Market celebrated one year of feeding the community last week at the Good Loaf.<\/p>\n
The market started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to support local farmers and produce.<\/p>\n
Manager of the market Chris Hain said it has grown significantly in 12 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started of very small with very humble beginnings with just two stalls,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s grown now to 24 store holders, all of them small local farming or food business and it\u2019s been our pleasure to support them through what was a pretty difficult year, and they\u2019ve had the pleasure of feeding the community for that time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFortunately, through the work of the Victorian Farmers\u2019 Market Association authentic and credited farmers markets were allowed to trade during lockdown, classified as an essential retail marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Hain said the market has the perfect range of fresh produce, with veggies, fruit, protein, seafood, flowers, pasta, honey and preserves all available every week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe now have a cycle of store holders that come once or a month or fortnightly so we\u2019re actually supporting about 50 different food businesses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re thinking of a basket of goods to feed your family every week you can do all of that here.<\/p>\n
\u201cFill your fridge, fill your fruit bowl and fill your pantry every week.\u201d<\/p>\n
The community market proudly supports local farmers, and Mr Hain said it\u2019s important that farmers get a fair go.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn order to have a resilient local food system you need to be dealing directly with farmers, that way they get a fair retail price that allows them to sustain a living,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really powerful connection when you\u2019re handing over money to the person who\u2019s invested their time and effort into picking those potatoes or raising that cattle or picking the apples.\u201d<\/p>\n
BCFM is calling out farmers that may be interested in setting up a stall.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re here every week if you haven\u2019t discovered us yet make the time come along, we\u2019d love to show you around we know you\u2019ll enjoy the experience, and we know you\u2019ll eat better.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO Community Farmers\u2019 Market celebrated one year of feeding the community last week at the Good Loaf. The market started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to support local farmers and produce. Manager of the market Chris Hain said it has grown significantly in 12 months. \u201cWe started of very small with […]<\/p>\n