Farmers are selling direct - FNQ style
CONSUMERS living in the tropics of Far North Queensland really are the poor mouse to the city cousin rich mouse yet again, this time when it comes to farmers’ markets.
The region, defined as the area from Cardwell north, is not serviced by any dedicated farmers’ markets, though there are several markets that do sell locally-grown produce.
The much acclaimed Rustys Markets, in the heart of Cairns, only has about half a dozen truly local farmers who supply through that outlet.
But for those who do buy from those few, they find if they get in early, they might be able to buy organic bananas grown on the Atherton Tableland, for $3.50/kg before they sell out at lunchtime on Friday.
Or they might find potatoes dug out of the earth the previous day, and tomatoes so rich red and sweet you could eat them like an apple.
And an attempt to instigate a dedicated farmers market in Cairns, essentially did not proceed because consumers were not able to obtain the full range of produce they wanted there.
Food industry consultant Nola Craig says the Farmgate Markets at The Pier were a success in that they prompted the organisers of the famed Rusty’s Markets to return to its origins of hosting local farmers, in a small way.
She says people in Cairns were so accustomed to gaining all their produce from Rustys, that they still found people went to Rusty’s after going to the Farmgate Markets.
Ms Craig says she remembered the “old days” when the Rusty’s Market was based around an old mango tree, but it had since become more commercial, with a large percentage of re-sellers.
“I don’t think farmers’ markets have caught on up here like they have done in the south because farmers here don’t have the time to sit at a stall for three days. They probably want some time with their families. But some of the farmers at stalls down south are more hobby farmers, they’re not really at a commercial level,” Ms Craig said.
But she was very enthusiastic about a relatively new development in Cairns, the Real Food Network, where customers buy a Realfood Box
for $40 each Tuesday, filled with produce from the Atherton Tableland.
The contents are mostly organic or biodynamic and all must be local.
Long time resident, farmer and organic farming proponent, Andre Leu, says there have been several attempts at dedicated farmers’ markets in FNQ however they have not succeeded - mostly because of the limited population base.
Mr Leu is president of IFOAM (the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) and chairman of OFA (Organic Federation of Australia).
He says while there are no dedicated farmers’ markets, there are many markets where local producers sell their produce directly to customers - such as Rusty’s, Kuranda, Port Douglas, Mossman, Archer Creek and Yungaburra.
Several of these markets such as Rusty’s and Kuranda have stalls selling fruits and veges, however they are not local or fresh and have been purchased from wholesalers in Brisbane. “People need to check if they are local and also if they are organic,” Mr Leu says.
“Local markets tend to be the places where we get the most number of complaints about fraud, with people saying that they are organic, when others who know the stallholder know that this is not true.”
And he adds that he believes government agencies usually ignore complaints about organic fraud in markets. “The better farmers’ markets in Australia have policies where the stall holder has to have a certificate of certification from a recognised organic certifier.”
Some of these also include the newly emerging PGS (Participatory Guarantee Systems) peer reviewed inspection systems.
Other markets have a system where they visit the farm to verify that they are organic when they are not certified.
“The critical issue is that there is a need to verify the integrity of the claims that the food is local and organic,” said Mr Leu.
“There is also the emerging issue of local versus organic. How are the pesticide uses verified to ensure that there are no residues and no harm to human health and the environment?
“Is it better to have local produce that is sprayed with toxic chemicals as against a certified organic product that has travelled several hundred kilometres?”
Possibly one of the most popular and ‘true’ markets in the region, is the famous Sunday Port Douglas Markets.
Originally set up as a fundraiser for the Labor Party in the mid 1980s, they were taken over by the then Douglas Shire Council in 1996, which was re- cently amalgamated to form part of Cairns Regional Council.
Stall holders are generally about 166, though there is space, on the picturesque Port Douglas foreshore, for 185.
Co-ordinator Tanya Morris says an average Sunday will see 5,000 people pour into the grounds - comprised of locals and tourists - and the markets are one of the true drawcards for the famous little village.
“We’re actually trying to grow it into more of a cotter’s market over time,” Ms Morris said.
“Although there are a number of stalls who sell imported goods this is being phased out with a policy of handmade items or services only,” she said.
“We do encourage local producers, ie. with honey, nuts, vegetables and we even have a farmer marketing their wagyu beef.
“The markets attract a lot of tourists so a variety of stalls are encouraged.
“We regularly do surveys of stallholders and the public to gauge their opinions, and are constantly evolving.”
Andrew and Analie Cifuentes have been selling some of their farm produce through the Port Douglas markets for about five years.
Andrew says 90 per cent of what they sell there is grown by them, the rest by other Mareeba farmers.
For this young couple, income from the markets supplements other income from tree crops.
The family farm is home to 500 custard apples, 400 mango, 4,000 papaw trees (with another 8,000 to go in) and 400 passionfruit vines.
Most of the produce from the fruit trees goes to Sydney, Andrew explains. “All our other crops are annual and you have to wait for that one time of year to be paid,” Andrew says.
Of the 17ha farm, about 4ha is devoted to small crops such as carrots, tomatoes and other commonly consumed vegetables - all to be sold at the Port Douglas Markets.
The couple say the weekly income supplements what they earn from their more commercial crops. Andrew, a third generation farmer, says they often have repeat customers.
Geoff and Leanne Haines of Tableland Wagyu Beef, say they only sell their produce through the markets.
They travel to monthly markets of Yungaburra, Mareeba, Tolga and Gordonvale, as well as the weekly Port Douglas markets. “It’s about cutting out the middle man,” Ms Haines explains.
People also can submit orders for delivery online. They have found that by marketing and selling their locally grown and processed meat themselves, there is more of a margin in the business for themselves.
When we found them at the Port Douglas markets, they had been selling their unique Wagyu meat for about 12 months, after moving from the traditional brahman breed of beef. Along with their three sons, they started their wagyu stud in 2002, after experiencing the taste of the meat.
They initially bought one full blood wagyu cow and with AI, embryo transfer and more purchases, now boast a herd of 100 fullblood cows.
Yungaburra Markets co-ordinator Nicole Johns says they have about 280 stalls at their monthly markets, and she often has a waiting list of 50 to 100 wannabe stallholders.
“As our permanent stallholders cancel, our waitlisted stallholders move into their sites. If I have any waitlisted stallholders with fresh/ local produce, they are the priority,” Ms Johns says.
There were tables for 14 stalls at the inaugural market but by its first birthday, there were 50 stallholders.
Today, organisers say it is the biggest and oldest market on the Atherton Tableland with everything from fresh produce, flowers, homemade crafts, local wines, timber furniture, clothing, jewellery and skincare among the stalls.