Farmers’ Markets

The weekend sleep-in always seems to elude me — I spend all week looking forward to it, but enevitably I’m usually first up with nobody to play with. So when I’m not meeting a friend for a walk, I often take the opportunity to escape to a local (or not so local) farmers’ market.

I’m mostly drawn to the super fresh produce — often picked that morning — which is still well fresh after a week (unlike the bag of supermarket salad which turns to goo a couple of days later), those specialty produce items that are often hard to come by — mini capsicums, heirloom tomatoes, edible flowers — and best of all, produce I’ve sometimes never seen before!

Reconnect to eating seasonal and taste the real flavours come through

There’s nothing quite like a brisk morning, wandering around with a freshly brewed organic coffee warming my hands, listening to the strumming of a guitar, experiencing that festive community feeling, seeing people proud and passionate about their products and hearing the full story of how they are made or grown.

I like to fill my bags (reusable cloth of course;-) with free-range eggs, local honey and nuts, natural sausages and cured meats, and those little extras like potted herbs or natural soaps is what brings me back to these markets. I also like to think I’m reducing my carbon footprint at the same time, produce from down the road rather than from the other end of the country or across the tasman.

Oh yeah, and did I mention the samples?!

Small little delectables available for the things that perhaps you’ve always wanted to try but wasn’t convinced enough to buy. Here’s your chance!

By supporting our local farmers we ensure they will still be here tomorrow — and in the future for our kids and their kids — growing real, natural food.

Meet a friend, chat to the locals, taste the real flavours of seasonal fruits and stock your fridge, all while supporting your community and soaking up that lovely atmosphere.

Here are a few of the Farmers’ Markets I go to, based in Auckland — if you know a good local one, let me know and I’ll add it to the list.