Breaking the Cycle

The weekly shop usually takes place at a big supermarket, with bright, artificial colours and regimented aisles. However, the rise of the farmers’ market is beginning to break that cycle.

Alphington Farmers’ Market takes places every Sunday morning and is aiming to break the chain of supermarket supremacy. It does this by turning the urban space opposite Alphington station into a little country escape between 9:00am and 1:00pm.

The market prides itself on “establishing a local food system”, in support of Victorian farmers and food businesses. They are currently transforming the space into the Alphington Community Food Hub, supported by an Innovation Grant from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation in 2018.

Local produce is showcased along the perimeter of this market, dotted with stalls selling artisan goods.

Lockton Farm Gourmet is a family gourmet sausage business that often attends the market. The stall was manned by Brendan, who was intent on making sure his customers had the opportunity to taste his variety of sausages.

“Mangia, mangia,” he said.

Similarly, on the first, fourth and fifth Sunday of the month you can find another artisan business, Elwood Sourdough. This Victorian stockist has a selection of sourdough breads, specialising in the ‘Hiking Loaf,’ perfect for campers and adventure seekers. Their sourdough was generously sliced for tasting with lashings of butter and fig jam.

Free taste testers are no longer the norm in shopping centres and markets. Instead, at the Alphington Farmers’ Market you can expect to have stall holders that stand proudly behind their product and encourage you to keep tasting more. This pride is recognised by the market’s accreditation as part of the Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association.

As an accredited market, locals can be assured that they are buying from producers that grow, rear, catch or process their own products. The accreditation also assures that the producers have intimate knowledge of the products they are selling. A full list of accredited markets across Victoria can be found on their website.

Among the artisan produce there are also many fruit and vegetable vendors. These stalls advocate for their organic produce, focussing on soil biology and no tillage. According to no till expert, Tobin No Till, the method of no tilling aims to obtain the best sustainable return possible from the soil.

“No till is all about creating an environment for the proliferation and health of the natural microorganisms.”

It wouldn’t be a Melbourne market without good coffee and Streat Coffee and Bakery lived up to that expectation. However, Streat is more than just good coffee, it is also a thriving social enterprise, focussing on sustainability and youth homelessness.

According to a Streat Twitter post, “two in every five homeless people are under the age of 25.”

In order to tackle youth issues, Streat have a range of youth programs including vocational training and work experience.

Their dedication to sustainability is made clear when you receive your coffee in a reusable coffee cup, labelled Melbourne Farmers Markets. After drinking your barista made cup of coffee you head over to the wash station to clean out your cup so it’s ready for the next person to use.

The Alphington Farmers’ Market is making strides to connect the local community to local produce and as the Alphington Community Food Hub takes off, it’s reach will continue to grow.

Cappuccino and croissant from Streat.