Three years ago a dozen producers in The Great Southern region took a punt that a farmers’ market would be a good avenue to sell their products to the residents of the growing City of Albany.
Today there are more than 40 producers involved in the Saturday morning market, which in the past year has hosted many of the thousands of tourists visiting Albany and its surrounding areas, as well as countless locals.
According to the Albany Farmers’ Market co-ordinator Ian Haines the market was originally made up of fruit and vegetable producers but has grown to include meat, diary, and other suppliers.
“It’s getting full but there’s still room for expansion,” he said.
Mr Haines said the market was based in the town centre and had a 12-month lease.
He said inquiries had been made with regard to shifting the site to gain greater security of tenure, particularly when the market’s popularity with tourists was considered.
“We’re OK for the moment and we are pretty central and we have control of our site but we have explored alternatives,” Mr Haines said.
“There’s been a significant increase in tourists in the past eight months, this summer in particular we saw an awful lot come through.
“We have people who are staying in self-catering sites or mobile homes who come and buy things and then there are those who head back to Perth but buy flour, honey, extra virgin olive oil, or olives.
“It’s all fresh produce that is picked the day before, so it is like you’ve just taken it from your own garden.
“The locals have a great sense of pride in it. Whenever they have relatives come to visit they bring them to the market.”
Mr Haines said part of the market’s success has been its consistency.
“Every Saturday morning of the year regardless of the season we are on, but we have the best of what we do in the region.”
A year after the market first operated the organisers formed The Great Southern Farmers’ Market Albany Inc, as a not-for-profit body.