Farmers’ markets
NSW
Young and Region Farmers’ Market, March 2nd, 16th and 30th The market is set up between the park and the original railway station, which is now the tourist information centre. A small but vital market, it has all-important fresh-picked fruit and vegetables — never a certainty in small country towns where food comes in via city produce markets. This explains the queue at Greg Wilkes and Lani Weston’s chemical-free vegetable stall Gum Tree Nursery (as well as vegetable growers, they are also a tubestock nursery). At Coolabah Produce, Bev Moloney does a roaring trade in homemade tomato relish, made with summer’s best tomatoes, as well as apricot, fig and blackberry jams. The fruit for Bev’s jams comes from Willayoung Orchard, who will also be there with late-season stone fruit. How about a pork roast? Have a word with Muddy Pigs Pastured Pork from Wallendbeen about which is the best cut. Maybe roast it in a soy and honey glaze with honey from local beekeeper Alan Apps. Planning the menu is half the fun of shopping at farmers’ markets. 9am–12pm. Anderson Park, Lovell Street, Young. 0429 323 137.
QUEENSLAND
Palm Beach Food and Farmers’ Market, every Saturday Ex-mondo Organics team Brenda Fawdon and Sonja Drexler now trade as the Real Food Farm Gate and select the best produce from small farms around Tamborine Mountain, the Scenic Rim and Lockyer Valley, which explains why their vegetable stall looks like a jewellery display. Other stalls include spray-free bananas from Urban Mix Farm, the last remaining banana farm in the Tallebudgera Valley, sustainably grown pork and beef from All Natural Meat Co, vegetables from Conscious Grounds Organics, who travel from Myocum in northern NSW, and fresh fish from Mingara Seafood. Three Sons Coffee Cartel keeps everyone powering along. 6am–11.30am. Palm Beach Currumbin High School, Thrower Drive, Palm Beach. (07) 5526 1465.