In Melbourne, a city full of food and obsessed by coffee, I cook, I eat, I share the good news and the bad. essjay eats

Fairfield Farmers’ Market

I was very excited today to be going to a new Victorian Farmers’ Market Association accredited Farmer’s Market at Fairfield Primary School, Wingrove Street, Fairfield.

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I didn’t take the “serious” camera as it was drizzling, but I will do a wrap up for those if you who didn’t get out of bed today, to encourage you to come to the next market on 16 June.

This is the fifth Melbourne Community Farmers’ Market (my favourites) – St Kilda, Collingwood Chidren’s Farm, Gasworks Park and Abbotsford Convent “Slow Food” market. Held on the 3rd Saturday of the month it’s an alternative to Gasworks Market and currently opens from 9am (which seems so LATE for some of us!).

While I waited for the stall holders to set up I grabbed a coffee made from Eureka Coffee beans and chatted to Josephine of Paterson’s Pastry. Josephine is continuing the tradition of the fondly remember Paterson’s cakes, by using the family recipes to bring ready made pastry and uncooked biscuit dough to the markets. I can personally vouch for the shortcrust, puff, lemon biscuits and dutch spice biscuits.

The Vietnamese Street food stall next door smelled amazingly good, but I didn’t try the spring onion pancakes with pork floss this time, maybe next month.

The market has good access, on a bitumen playground mostly and has a childrens’ play area.  There’s plenty of room, train station nearby and parking in the street.

I was really pleased to see Darryl’s Dry Roasted Peanut Butter. I’ve really missed freshly ground peanut butter from health foods stores. It seems to have disappeared.  Darryl dry-roasts Queensland nuts and adds just salt. No emulsifiers, no oil, no sugar – Hooray!  It’s bloody delicious too!  I spread it on a pretzel from Rustic Sourdough bakery  – double yum!

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I’ll be having some of the baguette I brought with my french style cheese from L’Artisan Cheese. I bought a raclette style, a washed rind and a coulomniers style brie.  Hmmm…. Can’t wait.  And they also bring fromage blanc to the markets which I will be researching straight away for recipes to use it in.

I caught up with Simon from Schulz Organic Milk and had a long chat to Lauren from Bundarra Berkshires.  Her free-range, rare breed delicious pork is used by some of our best restaurants.

On my way out I picked up a dozen free range eggs from Real Free Range Eggs

Here is a list of some of the other producers – I know I missed some, let me know if you’re not on the list.

Alpine Cherries & Chestnuts

Blac LEather Creek Farm

Hi-fye Pistachios

Mackieson Highland Beef Pies (Weekly Times story on them)

The Mushroom Shed

Otway Prime meat

Pacdon Park (pork pies, sausages and bacon)

Peregrine Ridge wine

Raw Honey

Spring Creek Organics (vegetables)

Villa Pilegi Olive Oil

There was also garlic, berries and another vegie stall … sorry guys!

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A very promising market.

VFMA has posted a link to a Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry paper on food suppliers in Australia.  From page 51 they talk about Farmers’ Markets and their expansion in Australia.  Thankfully, they are growing in number, and in market share.

This market is VFMA accredited


 

5 thoughts on “Fairfield Farmers’ Market

  • Hi Denise, let me know if you get to Collingwood (or Abbotsford Convent this Saturday) and we can meet up. Peanut Butter is *only* at Fairfield I’m afraid – but it’s worth it for many many reasons. So lovely to meet you too, I’m glad you were nearby. Fingers crossed back at you.

    Comment from: essjayeats

  • Oooh .. I haven’t been to one of these for ages .. I hear the peanut butter calling my name .. Will absolutely go to the next one at Collingwood Kids Farm.

    Lovely to meet you on Sunday. You are absolutely lovely and I am crossing my fingers for you ..

    Comment from: Denise

  • Thanks for the nom “Piggy”, very kind of you. 🙂 – the market is a short stroll from Fairfield train station and Station street buses if that helps.

    Comment from: essjayeats

  • Gosh I need to find out how I can public transport it there- that Viet food stall sounds good!

    Btw, I have nominated your blog for the “One Lovely Blog” awards 🙂 Check it out here: http://pigouttravels.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/one-lovely-blog-award-and-7-extra-random-things-about-piggyeatalot/

    Comment from: piggyeatalot

  • It sounds like a great market. I love the idea of the double whammy: dry roasted peanut butter & pretzel!

    Comment from: The Food Sage

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