Eveleigh Farmers' and Artisans' Market Opens 13th December

Shoppers, farmers and food artisans participating in the Traditional Christmas Farmers’ Market are in for a surprise when they discover Sydney’s best-kept and newest food shopping secret – Eveleigh Market, Sydney’s first undercover city-based community produce market.

The vast permanent market site is housed in the custom-renovated railway workshop at the heritage listed Eveleigh Railyards, a focal inner-city destination that also encompasses the emerging Carriageworks arts and cultural precinct creating a core community facility of the major Redfern Waterloo urban renewal project.

The Redfern Waterloo Authority and its associate entity the Australian Technology Park have refurbished the Eveleigh site to create this exciting facility – Sydney’s first all-weather public market complex located at 243 Wilson Street, Darlington.

The Traditional Christmas Farmers’ Market will offer both shoppers and vendors a preview of the benefits of this ideally suited, revitalised historic site, which is expected to become Sydney’s icon Farmers’ Market.

Products on sale at the Christmas Farmers’ Market will include traditional artisan goods such as hams, turkeys, cherries, spiced jellies, puddings, gingerbread and mince pies, as well as Christmas trees and summer flowers.

Over 70 genuine farmer and artisan food producers will offer a diverse selection of fresh, seasonal and festive food ranging from pasture-fed pork, cider, cherries, goats cheese, saltbush lamb and traditional Italian fennel sausages, to sourdough bread, olive oil, free-range eggs, brandied figs, seasonal stonefruit and paddock-to-plate vegetables. Small breweries and family winemakers will also be represented.

A smoking ceremony with local Aboriginal Elder Uncle Max will signal the start of the market, which will engage the surrounding Redfern Waterloo community. The market will include an Indigenous food stall in conjunction with the Yaama Dhiyaan Café that will feature a special festive menu developed by the café’s Aboriginal chef Matthew Cribb.

The spirit of Christmas and seasonal produce is the focus for the event, which will also encourage community dining. A Long-Table Christmas Brunch will feature Hugh Wennerbom’s suckling pigs from Taralga and a menu designed by chef Stefan Stavropolous from Café Guilia in Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, who with his team of family ‘spit’ experts will feed 400 market shoppers.

Market-goers will be entertained and educated with cow-milking and butter-churning demonstrations, along with organic farm fresh milkshakes from 2008 Royal Sydney Show winner Country Valley Organic Milk.

Shoppers will be entertained by farmers on stilts, street performers, local carol-singers and Farmer Christmas will be there with farm treats.

The Christmas Market precedes the regular weekly Eveleigh Farmers’ Market that will commence trading every Saturday morning (8am – 1 pm) on 28 February, 2009.

It is expected the 2009 Market will open with at least 100 stallholders featuring a vast array of seasonal fresh and value-added produce including organic, biodynamic foods from farmers and artisan food producers across New South Wales. The array of farm produce will encompass seasonal fruit and vegetables, nuts, organic pasta, kangaroo, free-range pork and grass-fed beef, artisan cheese, dairy foods, and baked goods.

The Eveleigh Market seeks to uphold the principles of farmers’ markets, to provide consumers with authentic farm produce sold directly by food producers, or their family or farm staff. Collaborative ‘farm-share’ participation will be permitted whereby a group of neighbouring or district farmers choose to operate a joint stall.

‘Eveleigh Market provides a unique destination for Sydney’s residents and visitors to shop and buy fresh food with a face,’ said market spokesperson, Denny Hall.

‘It is intended to make this Sydney’s landmark farm-direct food market, a non-elitist food open air shopping opportunity, which appeals broadly to local residents and Sydneysiders seeking alternative food sources, who choose to support hard-working farmers and their families.

Waterloo will strongly embrace a local food market,’ continued Denny Hall.

The undercover heritage-listed Eveleigh Market is Sydney’s only custom-renovated ‘rain, hail, shine’ market venue.

‘From the outset we focused on the requirements of farmers to ensure that the market is both financially and environmentally sustainable for all involved,’ she said.

Eveleigh Market collects its own rainwater for onsite use. All green and other waste will be recycled. Expect too, at next year’s markets, to see vendors selling worm farms, live poultry, seeds and seedlings – all part of the greater food chain.

As the Market expands the intention is to embrace and develop other community networks with organisations including Community and School Gardens, Permaculture, local Indigenous community groups, and complementary food education and community health programs. Special events and programs will focus on sustainability, urban agriculture and children’s food education.

Transport options for shoppers include parking at nearby Sydney University. Alternatively, they can park at the Australian Technology Park and use the ‘Park&Ride’ shuttle bus service. The nearest station is Redfern.

The complementary Eveleigh Artisans’ Market commences trading on Sunday 1 March, 2009 (8am – 1 pm) and will showcase a diverse and exciting collection of art, sculpture, design, fashion, craft and Indigenous artwork. The Sunday artisans will also support the local creative community and offer artworks unique to Eveleigh Market.

www.eveleighmarket.com.au

EVELEIGH MARKET 243 Wilson Street Darlington NSW

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Denny Hall Business Development Manager

MEDIA LIAISON + MARKET IMAGES: Alison Drover