CARPARKS were few and far between at Riverside Park on Sunday morning as crowds flowed into Swan Hill’s second ever Farmers’ Market.
A slow but steady influx of people streamed into the market from 8am onwards, according to market manager Kate Redfearn.
Ms Redfearn, who was up at 4.30am, said running the market was a, “real education process,” and it will keep evolving as more stallholders join the fray.
“We’ll eventually push it out a bit more but we’re keeping it amongst the trees for now because it’s shady,” she said.
After holding a stall at the first market in December, Shepparton artisan bakers Amar and Dalbir Singh made the trip to Swan Hill again this month.
Last market the demand for bread was so high the Singh’s sold out of all bread in less than an hour, so yesterday they arrived with three times more wares, making sure to stock up on their famed potato and rosemary loaf.
“I was surprised. It’s the first time that’s happened,” Mr Singh said.
“He got here and couldn’t get his stall up,” added Ms Redfearn.
“Not even one bread roll was left.”
Lex Fisher from Kingfisher Citrus had a stall overflowing with oranges, garlic and onion all grown on his family farm in Narrung, near Boundary Bend.
Mr Fisher and his wife Glenda are seasoned stallholders, attending around 20 farmers’ markets a month around the state.
Mr Fisher told The Guardian the new Swan Hill market allowed local consumers to learn the background of what they are eating.
“It’s that personal contact,” he said.
“You can explain to people what you do and how you grow it.
“It is fresh. People are picking it a day or two before the stalls, it’s not like the stuff that goes through the regular supermarkets.”
The next Swan Hill Farmers’ Market will be held on Sunday, February 7 at Riverside Park.
