THE Eurobodalla’s fledgling farmers’ market has proved the pick of the Australian crop, harvesting a national award on Monday night.
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The SAGE Farmers’ Market, just 18 months old, held off established interstate competition to claim the ABC delicious produce award for best farmers’ market.
SAGE founder Stuart Whitelaw and market coordinator Kate Raymond accepted the award before a packed crowd in Sydney, after “food glitterati” judges Maggie Beer, Guillaume Brahimi, Christine Mansfield, Matt Preston and Matt Moran chose the market over Slow Food Melbourne and another regional contender.
“Take a bow,” Mr Whitelaw urged shoppers and stallholders yesterday.
A conversation with Barossa Valley celebrity cook Beer, herself no stranger to the highs and lows of a rural enterprise, thrilled Mr Whitelaw.
“I told her how important for a small regional town this award was,” he said.
“She said, ‘We have been watching SAGE, I know about the Far South Coast, I know about your market and, in a small regional town, the farmers’ market is like going to church’.
“She said it was about the connections and community and fabulous food was a bonus.
“I loved hearing that,” Mr Whitelaw said.
Monday’s award was bittersweet for the long-time local food campaigner, who lost his best friend and fellow stalwart, his wife Christine, suddenly on July 2.
“She would have been hooting for sure,” an emotional Mr Whitelaw said.
“On our last day together, she wanted to take part in the economic survey at the market and I think she got more interviews than anyone.
“She loved it and the sense of community sustained us both.”
Ms Raymond said the market’s success relied on hard work from many volunteers.
She had not expected to win.
“We were thrilled just to be finalists, given the calibre of the competition,” she said.
“The award was given because the market reflects an ethos and is more than a novelty event.
“It is an important economic driver for a community and they said we were inspirational.
“I know the people whose lives are benefiting and I love that consumers are benefiting with better food, healthy bodies and great social connections.”
Mr Whitelaw said no-one could have predicted their success on January 1 last year, when the first market opened after just three months’ planning.
“We so underestimated the power of that decision,” he said.
“We were naive. It is unstoppable.”
He said a “necklace” of markets could transform the Far South Coast into a powerful food-producing region.
