WHERE TO GO FOR FRESH PRODUCE

happy to find a local farmers market which had been here for three years but they were planning to move permanently to Mudgeeraba,” she said.

“That was really devastating news because Helensvale was losing a vital part of its community. I decided to bring a market back, which would be a little bit different to what we had. I own farms in Gippsland and it is really important for farmers to bring their food to people; it opens up the community and engages everyone.

“In Melbourne there is a demand and expectation for local markets across the city and it is absolutely bursting with fresh food, but I’m finding on the Gold Coast there is an even stronger demand. In Melbourne there might be two or three fresh produce stalls but the Gold Coast has five times that amount.’’

Ms Crocker said the new market only included direct producers from local areas such as Mt Tamborine.

“The only rule is no wholesalers, so we are doing things a bit differently,” she said.

“We launched the market in about 18 days. It officially kicked off on November 25 and since then has had huge growth. We started with 20 stalls and the next weekend we had 28.”

Australian Farmers Markets spokeswoman Jane Adams said market numbers had been increasing since the late 1990s. Nine markets are registered on the Coast. They include:

• Currumbin Community Markets

• New Helensvale Markets

• Bundall Farmers Market

• Mudgeeraba Farmers Market

• Burleigh Market

“At first we all thought it was a bit of a fad but now a lot of people are relying on a weekly market and it is becoming a life source for a community,’’ she said.

“The more markets popping up, the more we find people relying on them.

“Recruiting farmers can be quite difficult but for the Gold Coast they are on Mt Tamborine and farms out in northern NSW.’’

Ms Adams said to qualify

• Nerang Fresh Produce and Craft Market

• The Organic Gold Coast Farmers Market

• Palm Beach Currumbin Farmers Market

• Marina Mirage Farmers Market.

as a farmers market, stalls had to be predominantly food based.

Marina Mirage market operator Wendy Vaughan said the Main Beach market was one of the first on the Gold Coast. Social media had since driven the trend.

“Numerous markets have since popped up and even we have gained more marketgoers, mainly from social media. They see the fresh food online and it’s really attractive for them,” she said.

“There was only half as many when we first started.”

Currumbin Community Markets is fresh to the food scene, launching in late November. The venture is the brainchild of Gold Coast mums Hannah Sheppard and Chana Warry-Stokes, who said Currumbin locals were desperate for a weekday farmers market.

Set up across the road from the Currumbin RSL every Thursday morning, about 20 market stalls cater to locals.

“Next week will be our eighth market since we launched in early November and we do have a few different stalls, from organic skincare to florists and, of course, fresh food,” Mrs Sheppard said.

The mums said there was a big demand for local produce and they wanted to create a fun way to do the weekday shop.

“We thought it was time we had our own community farmers market so that locals could access real food grown locally at a convenient time and place,’’ Mrs Sheppard said.

“As mums, Chana and I struggled with the drive to Murwillumbah and in trying to beat daylight savings, so we decided to bring the market to us.

“We live such a laid-back lifestyle and we want to celebrate that. We cater for barefoot locals covered in sand who have come straight from the beach to do their groceries, or families spending time together before school.’’