Farmers' market.
We spend gazillions of hours picking and washing and packing our gorgeous organic produce into the trailer, driving to market, setting up enticing, visually exciting displays and then chatting and selling and buying and enjoying the market thing.
We love farmers' markets. We love the direct connection between farmer and consumer, the freshness of the produce, the integrity of the produce and mostly the best prices.
In all the best cases a farmers' market is like a festival of the farmer and of great food. We love that!
On this road trip, finding fresh, homegrown produce has been a priority. Buying from the stupid market goes against everything we stand for. Buying products with an essay as it's list of ingredients has not filled us with optimism or joy.
So it is with delight and excitement that we hunt down and visit farmer's markets when ever we see them along the way. It is a thrill to buy fresh and chat to the producer, and it has been wonderful to check out the displays, the different products and be inspired to go home and revamp our market setup.
Margaret River farmers' market was the best we've found so far on the west coast.
Farmer Bren went a bit berserk and had to go back to the car to unload his back pack a couple of times.
There were wonderful, colourful displays.
Lots of bunting.
Cute chookies.
Crowds.
Buskers.
Giant vegetables.
Gorgeous signage.
Clean veggies. (I know I am an organic farmer but I get really irritated by clumps of dirt on vegetables at market. Why not be proud and show off your gorgeous veg?!)
Lots of organic produce. (Well we had to assume it was organic because unlike the markets on the East coast, these markets have not been accredited and who really knows what organic means.)
And lots of treats.
For us it was like coming out of the desert into an oasis.
Yum!!
But I guess the real heart behind this post is Margaret River. The real reason behind my sitting outside the caravan this morning flicking through my photos is the bushfire that is raging and threatening and devastating the part of the south west coast that we have just spent a month in and loved.
We know well the names of the towns on the news.
We are hoping for it to be all over very, very soon.
Our thoughts are with you Margaret River. We know how terrifying bush fires are.
Happy travels and stay safe my friends. x