Albany Farmers Market gearing up to celebrate 21 years of supporting and supplying community

The Albany Farmers Market is preparing to celebrate 21 years supporting growers in the region. On April 20, 2002, 13 stallholders turned up to the first market to sell their wares, and it has grown from that point. Market co-ordinator Ruth Speldewinde said “within a few weeks” the market had grown significantly because there was “so much support from the community”. “Before the farmers market, a lot of people were getting interested in being able to access locally grown food but it was really hard to come by,” she said. “It has stayed very true to the reason it started, which was to provide local farmers with a direct outlet for the food they grow and for consumers to have access to locally grown food. “The thing people probably wouldn’t have foreseen is the community it would create and how important that community is to people that want to get to know the farmers so they have that trust about where their food is coming from.” Ms Speldewinde is the market’s third co-ordinator after taking over the role from long-time co-ordinator Ian Haines in 2020. Mr Haines took on the role from inaugural co-oridinatorr Jeanann Barbour. The markets now take place on Collie Street and have become the site of a weekly pilgrimage for some residents, and even a destination for visitors. “It’s become a stop on the tourist destination list and we get included on all the top 10 things to do in Albany lists,” Ms Speldwinde said. “It’s a place where tourists can come to see the food of the region all in one place.” Originally, plans were being made to have a celebration of 20 years in 2022 before COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible to bring people together. Ms Speldewinde said more than 100 people would converge on the Mostert’s Farm for celebrations on March 25. “We’re putting on a big feast of local produce made by a few volunteers from our stallholder base who are amazing cooks,” she said. “The invite went out to anyone and everyone who has ever been a stallholder. “We’ve managed to dig up quite a few people and it will be a chance for them all to get together to share memories and the experiences which helped the market reach this milestone. “It’s a big effort for the people involved to get to market every single week because there is a lot that goes into it, so they all share that experience of having created what we have now.”