BOYANUP FARMERS MARKET
By Dave Roberts
As a refugee from the city, there are a lot of things
we just don't understand until we get to live here
in a producing area.
It's not really like we're stupid, just
that things in the city are so pre packaged,
and it's really hard to see the detail of
what's going on.
Take for example our life in bustling downtown
Mumballup when we first came to the south
west. Until then, water had been stuff that
came from a tap. Suddenly we had to collect
roof water. The tank was huge, but with
seven of us in the house we found that it
ran out very soon. It really is amazing
how much of it we use. Once the tank was
used, we had to pump it from the creek.
The creek was a long way away. In one long
summer, the value of the water we use became
much more apparent.
Other things that really aren't obvious to people
that aren't from the land are how important the city
buyers are to the farmers, how important the producers
are to the people who do the eating, and how much
industry is keeping them apart.
The farmers market helps us to get a handle on all
these things. In Boyanup is an example of the concept,
and judging from the turnout, there are a lot of us
who want to get back to understanding something about
our food and how we get it. On Sunday morning, November
24 I turned up to Boyanup Memorial Park and found
that I was with about 1500 other people who all seemed
to be having a great time. There they were, eating
fresh stuff (which tastes way different from the supermarket
stuff) and asking lots of questions of the growers.
I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who doesn't
seem to know anything about the produce I eventually
consume.
The auction was set for 9:30 and got underway almost
right on time. Literally hundreds of little people
had rather fondly been looking at nearly as many little
animals. One friend's son was eyeing off a bantam,
but I tried to talk him into getting her a piglet.
It's just as well he stuck to his guns, because i
might have been in serious trouble if he'd really
got the pig.
The market looked like a huge success to me. Twenty
one stall holders, 40 lots for auction, 1500 buyers,
and lots of producers packing up before the morning
finished because they'd sold everything. The food
was great. I ate significant quantities of macadamia
nuts, and let me tell you, the packaged ones are a
very pale reflection. The price is good to me, but
because there is so little distance between the grower
and the eater, the grower gets a much better deal
than he ever has under the mass marketing system.
Everybody who attended was a winner.
The Boyanup Farmer's market is a comunity enterprise.
Like most good ideas, someone has to drive it, and
in this case it has been Liz Kerr, Community Development
Coordinator for the Shire of Capel. Anybody who tells
you that the bureaucrats from the local authority
are only there for the wages wasn't at Memorial Park
figuring out who set the market up at 7am on a Sunday.
While the thing seems to have grown up enough to support
itself now, there has been a lot of shoving by Liz
and a few dedicated others to bring this one to life.
It's now run by the market association.
So how does it work? Well people selling everything
from worms to pigs, roses to oranges (and of course
macadamias) bring their produce to the market to be
set up before selling is allowed to start at 8am.
The rules are that you had to grow it yourself. The
local merchant isn't part of this. The punters come
along and admire, smell, ask questions, prod, and
eventually buy produce from the growers. Kids get
manure on their shoes and grass stains on their knees
and everyone is smiling.
There have been some significant supporters of the
market. The Shires of Capel and Dardanup have put
in cash. Capel has also put in venue, equipment, and
an amount of Liz's time that she's not entirely clear
in counting. Local authorities don't have to do this,
and when we see support for such a good idea someone
should say congratulations, well congratulations Capel
and Dardanup on the foresight to back this one. Other
funds are raised from stall hire to growers, a potato
stall run by the market association, and the ever
present sausage sizzle.
The small animal auction was run by Wesfarmers as
a contribution. Every lot sold pays a commission,
which is split between Wesfarmers to help meet their
costs, and the market association to help keep the
operation going.
Did I mention that the food is good and it's great
fun? It really is worth checking out. The fourth Sunday
of every month, Boyanup Memorial Park, 8am til 12
pm.
December 2002
