I was born and raised in a small town and unsurprisingly farming was the major industry. The town was surrounded by primary producers, sheep, cattle and crops mainly, is right on the fringe of the world famous Barossa Valley wine region and to the west lies many of the State's market farmers. It meant loads of extremely fresh produce.
There's many big players out there supplying the chain-supermarkets around the country however what I love the most is the little folks who do their own thing: Grow responsibly, look outside the square and deliver fresh produce with a healthy serve of passion.
When I moved to the city, a fact I still regret, I missed the wide open spaces , laid-back vibe and the fresh foods I had come to love back home.
I still visit home sometimes on my way through to the Barossa Valley and seek out those small producers picking up items here and there to support them; life is busy though so I had to come up with a better plan so I could indulge on a more regular basis. That's where farmer's Markets come into play.
Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market
This is the largest farmers' market in the State; a true farmers' market as the stall holders are required to meet specific requirements to gain permission to operate. The market management visit the farms, kitchens and businesses to ensure compliance, that the produce sold at the market is of the very best quality and the stall-holder is the actual producer of the products they sell. This Producer Guarantee ensures amazing quality.
The market has a website that highlights the upcoming week's stall-holders and any events that might be happening on Sunday like cooking demonstrations and children's activities. The list of stall-holders comes in handy as the produce sold here is seasonal; knowing who is attending and who is not allows one to plan the morning and purchasing opportunities. The map comes in very useful also...Not that it's a massive place, but as the market is only open for four hours one must make the best of the available time.
All of the produce is one hundred percent South Australian made, grown, caught or produced and it's a good feeling walking amongst the stalls speaking with the very people who are responsible for bringing the produce to market. I had a good chat with a few today including the mushroom guy and balsamic vinegar guy. The latter actually knows my family as he's based in the Barossa Valley himself. He met my father a few times apparently and was saddened to hear of his passing. It was nice to hear that.
I bought one of his balsamic vinegars, aged eighteen years, after a taste test of course.
The plan is to drop it into a small dish of olive oil, (the flavour-infused oil I made myself), and use it to dip bread into - then dip that bread into a dukkah (Duqqa) mix and pop it into the mouth; one understands what joy is soon enough. Above is the product I bought from him and a nice looking sourdough rye loaf I grabbed from another stall-holder.
It's amazing what one can find at the markets and each month, almost weekly in fact, there's new and different produce as it comes in seasonally. We're about a couple weeks away from cherries for instance and even what the local cooks and bakers bring each week changes along with the available produce.
You'll never be hungry at these markets and many people come for breakfast or lunch as well as their shopping. The choices are wide and the quality high.
Alpaca tasting
One doesn't have to buy lunch at this market though; all of the stall-holders are more than happy to offer tastings.
I stopped at an alpaca stall, yes alpaca, and did some tasting. It's not something I'd usually eat however I gave it a try and I have to say it was scrumptious. I had hamburger, spiced pastrami, traditional pastrami, garlic mettwurst, salami and my favourite was the chorizo. One can buy different cuts of alpaca also but I ended up buying the chorizo which will keep me busy for a little while at least. (Probably not that long.)
The markets has an indoor and outdoor section and a lot of stalls so one can buy just about anything from flowers, milk, croissants, ice cream, cheese, flavoured gin, biscuits, fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, cakes, flans and pastries, seafood and fish, oils, cured meats, honey, meat and poultry, craft beers and ciders, mushrooms, beverages, bagels, artisan breads and so much more...Pretty much anything.
Eating lavender
One of the coolest little stalls I found was a chap who was selling lavender products which were simply stunning.
I was fortunate to have come upon his stall when no one else was there so we had a good chat about how he produces the food and lemonade...All whilst I was enjoying the tasting samples. The chocolate brownies were first and whist they tasted like typical brownies the lavender really came through and gave the such a unique flavour. The fudge though? It was like eating a chocolate lavender plant. Seriously good.
I purchased some of each and walked away sipping a cup of lavender lemonade which was equally as good...I'm kind of wishing I had some right now although I have a brownie and coffee so that'll do.
Ok, just brownie crumbs are left...Ok, I ate the crumbs too! Don't judge me ok?
Funny looking mushrooms
One of the more interesting stalls was the mushroom guy. This young chap knows everything there is to know about mushrooms or so it seemed.
Apparently raw mushrooms are very difficult for humans to digest so it's best they are cooked - I like me a raw mushroom so this was news to me. It's something to do with the cell-walls being made of mycochitin which is difficult to digest so cooking is recommended as the heat helps to break down the cell-walls making it more easily digestible. Who would have thought.
After I got my science lesson for the day I decided to buy some mushrooms from the mushroom-meister and whilst they look odd I've been assured they're going to taste wonderful. My plan is to steam some, (apparently that retains more of the nutritional benefits), and sauté some in butter also. Now I think of it I may grill some too.
As I wandered, and took full advantage of the taste-test options, I thought about how privileged we are in Adelaide to have such producers and a market like this that helps to promote them.
I also really liked the fact there wasn't an over-abundance of produce; most would completely sell out their stock which means no waste. As my collapsible farmers' market bollerwagen slowly began to fill up with ethically and sustainably-grown, organic produce and items made by the person selling it to me I was left with a deep sense of contentment and happiness that I live here - Yes, even though it's a city.
The markets open Sunday's at 08:30 and close at 12:30 and if a person was to browse all the stalls, have a few chin-wags and stop for a bit of lunch I'd say a couple hours would be ample. Of course one could rush through in half that time if shopping was all they were there for. I took my time and, as usual, headed to the ice cream stall for a little treat on the way out.
As a diabetic I limit my sugar intake and this little stall has five flavours that contain no sugar at all. The producer is called Bush Tucker Icecream and like the name suggests the flavours are all sourced from Australian bush foods (Tucker means food here in Australia.)
Lemon myrtle, Davidsons plum, coconut and desert lime, muntries and sunrise lime are the non-sugared options and all are insanely scrumptious. I had the plum flavour today which is sugar and dairy free but has all of the creaminess of a traditional ice cream.
I only had a little cup so for anyone who care about my health and well-being you can relax.
It's worth a visit
The Adelaide Showground Farmers' Market is an iconic part of my city and each Sunday one will find some of the best produce available in the State. I've never found it to be over-crowded and car parking is always available - two hours will cost you five dollars; entry is free to the market. It's a relaxed and easygoing way to start Sunday and usually means Sunday evening is a taste-sensation as one is usually cooking with and eating foods sourced that day.
I love the vibe of it, the friendly producers and country-town feel which takes me back to my youth. It's also a great way to support local businesses and their passion for fresh food.
If you find yourself in Adelaide it's really a great way to mingle with some locals and taste some of the amazing produce found here. Look me up, we'll go there and taste-test our way around and finish up with some ice cream.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind
Discord: galenkp#9209
All images are my own
I love farmers markets! We were visiting them regularly for most of our grocery shopping for ages but not so much anymore 😕
Sounds like a productive trip 😊
I came home with all sorts of goodies. The strawberries were eaten tonight, huge, juicy and flavoursome ones.
Ok, I ate some on the way home yesterday too!
I know Willunga has farmer's markets. Definitely keen to get out amongst it.
Yep I heard about that one and that's it's pretty good I've been told; too far off for me though. There's three or four I'm aware of and all are good, much better than chasing down the individual producers.
Wow the shrooms look amazing. Hope they did taste nice.
FYI - Sidenote:
I did not know the word "bollerwagen" is known in english - its a thing I use a lot for my photography and Light Painting trips and I just taught the word to my girlfriend (not native german) as a funny word. But it seems you use it too. Love it!
Cheers
Hey mate, the mushrooms were scrumptious indeed! I'll be back for more.
And yeah, I use the word bollerwagen all the time. It's not common here but I like using it because most people have no clue what I mean and always ask. I find it amusing. 🤪
Now I am HUNGRY dammit..!
Good thing they were not...
Magic Mushrooms...
or were they..?
I ate them for dinner tonight...I'm not sure if they were magic...I don't even know if I'm writing this comment. Am I? Maybe I am. Not. Who knows...Why does everything look pink and green and why does my hand look like an anvil with teeth and my legs resemble Lego man legs but with hands on the end instead of feet and in those hands I'm holding a hotdog in one and a pecan pie in the other.
Hmm...Nah, I'm pretty sure they weren't magic mushrooms...or were they? Is this all a dream or am I really king of the world but the world is really small and it fits in my own pocket which is actually the universe turned inside out.
It's very pleasant shopping here, I enjoy what you buy, I can see the development of the market in your city, thank you for sharing some detailed information about the shopping center. :)
It's a pretty nice spot to grab some fresh produce and pre-made items all produced locally so the money stays in the local economy.
Thanks for stopping by.
That's right, sometimes there are imported goods so that the economy is not in the local country, a few days ago I was shopping for products from Korea. :)
There will always be exports and imports and that's fine...I think people should support local also though.
It is true as you said, especially when we need different products, although the goods are domestic products, we also have a desire to have overseas products, out of necessity! :)
Es famoso el hecho, de que los australianos son muy celosos con sus país y no gustan demasiado de extranjeros. sin embargo, admito que me gustaría mucho pasarme una buena temporada allá y recorrer esos hermosos lugares. Ojalá en mi país, que tiene un gran potencial turístico y productivo ( agrícola y pecuario) lograra tener esos excelentes mercados. Un abrazo virtual
Thanks for your comment. I can't read Spanish but I appreciate you taking the time to take a look at my post.
Ooooooh. Thanks for sharing @galenkp. I also spent most of my childhood living in farming areas (near Sydney) and love it when I visit areas that have space and fresh food sold by the same people who grew it. I think @new.things and I will have to visit this market when we next visit Adelaide.
Hey there, yep I can recommend this farmers market. It's not cheap but quality costs right?
I hope you're well and have a bonza Wednesday.
Oh I love mushrooms! In fact, I had eaten pizza with mushrooms & pineapple flavor this afternoon.
I'm glad that you've also supported those small farmers. In the Philippines we have many small farmers here and mostly I found myself buying fresh produce to their store. Let's keep supporting small farmers!
It's always great to support the locals and local economy. It keeps things rolling along.
I will start respecting these efforts, when the Ozzies finally start processing and exporting fucking roo meat instead of things that never belonged on that continent.
Kangaroo meat has been exported since the late 1950's with some seventy percent going to the European market. It goes to the UK and Russia also and I believe may be available in the US but I'm not sure about that last.
I can buy no kangaroo meat here, but Australian beef in tons.
It is a shame. They should invest in a maketing campaign, figure out a proper curing process (beef gets aged etc.), design a cuisine around it.
Already, roo Bolognese is better than made from beef, but most people don't even know.
There's a pretty decent market for it here and recipe's also but I'm not a huge fan of it to be honest.
I cull roos on a cattle farm here so can get all I need though.
I'm not sure why it's not more widely accepted overseas although there's a reasonable export trade I guess. Hard to find for most I'd say though...Whilst here there's 70 million of the buggers.
I've worked on farms in Australia for 1 year myself. I have seen it.
...going to waste, being 'culled'.
If you shoot a cow and chuck it on the flame, it tastes nothing like a properly cured cut, neither. I think the same goes for roo and that is why ozzies don't like it:
Went to the bush with grandpa, shot a roo, chucked it on the flame, didn't like it, duh.
Oh btw, I spent a lot of time close to Adelaide: In Kingston SE close to that lobster, lol
Kingston huh? Spent some time there myself, around Robe too. I'm familiar with the big lobster. I have a picture somewhere. Should dig it out. 😊
Looks like such a fun and lively place, best Market
FridaySunday post! :) I'd love to try the alpaca meat and lavender fudge there. Miss those fresh Aussie farmers' markets!The alpaca was incredibly tasty, I was surprised. There's some great health benefits to it also but the taste was really great so a good enough reason to eat it.
The brownies and fudge... Delicious!
Those guys are really smart :) They probably sell a lot more because of the samples - spreading goodwill pays in many ways. I'll need more than a little cup of ice cream 😂
!PIZZA !ALIVE
Yep, a little taste is all it takes and out comes the wallet!
oh my god, I miss these Aussie Farmer Markets. But the ones in Portugal are not bad as well. Enjoy your fresh food.
I think it's become a widely accepted thing around the world. I went to a few in France and Italy and a couple in the UK...All good.
Everything is perfectly beautiful). I even wanted to eat)
Thank you and yep, everything looked very tasty.
I'm sure no one who has visited the market will be hungry, hehe but I'm starving reading this. I badly need to try those lavender brownies and have one of those boxes of mushrooms.
It's very interesting what you say about they shouldn't be eaten raw, I like mushrooms both raw and cooked.
Our local farmer's markets are so far from being like this. You are privileged, indeed, to have something like this in the city where you live.
The brownies were pretty good indeed! I can recommend them for sure. There must be a recipe for them though...Hmm, It might be worth looking up!
Yep, I'm curious and I did find some recipes for lavender brownies and I will try one of them the next time I bake brownies. ;)
My new best friend. 😁
Everything in the market looks pretty fresh. They do a nice job ensuring the farmers meet the requirements.
Indeed, it's a pretty decent place to find great local produce.
The farmers are Very hardworking.
They are indeed!
Excellent write up mate, these markets are perfect for a summer time visit.
Indeed...Fairly expensive there but quality doesn't come cheap right?
Usually you get what you pay for, plus supporting locals is worth it.
Yes, and I guess people that go there do so knowing they'll pay more. It didn't bother me at all, I was happy to pay for the products I bought as the quality was there.
My tongue was hanging out 'watching' you go from stall to stall eating away. I didn't know the alpacas were farmed for their meat, it is a clever idea especially given how tasty the cuts are .... and I trust that you are a good taster!
i really don't mind paying more for good quality farm fresh fruit and veggies sold at the markets. Adelaide is a beautiful State and we enjoyed our trips over a couple of years when our daughter and her man lived there. But, they are now in Canungra which is locate in the Scenic Rim and that is also a fascinating area full of so many interesting produce and wineries etc.
Australia is a fabulous country and there is no excuse not to get out there and join in. Regards @galenkp
Lol...I'm a very good taster, make no mistake about it. 😀
Adelaide really is a great spot but, as you say, Australia has so many great places to see and things to do...And eat. I've been to Canungra and it certainly is a lovely spot...Now I want to go back, just remembering my trip there. 😜
Apart from the fabulous shops and cafes in the main street there is so much to do. My daughter and son-in-law have a great social life in Canungra, there is lawn bowls, bingo, camping on friends' properties, dinners and so it goes on.
Good work if you can get it. 😀
WOW! This is my kind of market! Both from a farmer's point of view and a market point of view. What beautiful photos you take @galenkp! Some of those flowers look indigenous to SA. Our area is called the Garden Route - not because of botanical gardens but all the indigenous moutains covered with those pin cushions, proteas and delicate heather. It's a show. But back to your farmers market. Yes to supporting local and those "little folks". Kind of gagging on the alpaca meat - too cute and cuddly for me - but lavender everything? YUM
We have loads of protea's here too, I wrote a post about it not so long ago actually. Australia and South Africa are quite similar in many ways...Different too of course.
Alpaca is an odd thing for me to eat, I'll admit, but it's funny how a person will eat a cow and think nothing of it and baulk at eating some other animal. I figured I'd give it a try and it was good. I'll not make much of a habit of it I guess though.
Thanks for your comment, and here's to lavender everything. 😉
As I was writing the comment I actually thought. Why would we abhor that cute and cuddly alpaca BUT eat lamb and beef? I've raised more than my fair share of both (Lamb and calf) And eaten them (full grown of course) and they are really cute and cuddly to begin. And often later too.
I didn't know proteas grew in Aus would they have been taken over there or is it a different species peculiar to the area? I have Aussie friends who are back there. We always chuckle about the many similarities. Avo. Marmite. Pronounciations
I often find it curious that one culture will look at another and what they eat with distaste when they probably eat stuff that's just as weird.
Proteas grow here, all over the place actually but yes, they have been brought here. I dug up that post I mentioned in my comment above if you're interested. The link is below.
https://peakd.com/hive-163772/@galenkp/hometown-touring
Also...Marmite is heinous...It's all about Vegemite here. It's the best.
Thank you!