FAQs

The SAGE Farmers Market is held every Tuesday afternoon, in any weather, at Riverside Park in Moruya.

It starts at 3pm with the ringing of the bell.

The market is held in an open public space, so there are no gates or fences for crowd control while the stall holders are setting up. Due to the huge popularity of the market, the crowd usually starts to gather before the start time of 3pm.

Customers are often tempted to buy before the official start time, however, once one stall holder starts selling early, more stall holders feel pressured to do the same. The start time gradually gets earlier and earlier, which is unfair to customers who can’t get to the market until after 3pm.

It also creates public safety issues, as vehicles are often still moving about the park as stall holders arrive, unload and set up.

There are many opinions about the best start time for the market. Earlier, later… we’ve heard them all and good arguments can be made for both. The managing committee has considered them all (several times) and has decided to keep the start time at 3pm.

To assist our stall holders, please don’t ask to be served before 3pm.

No.

Well, ok. If there’s an extreme weather event, such as a catastrophic fire danger, or it’s been cyclonic for a few days, then yes.

But we have held our market in some pretty crazy weather and have only ever cancelled twice, so if it’s just a bit of rain, you can bet the market will be on. It might be a bit smaller and a bit shorter, but it will be on.

Farmers are made of some pretty stern stuff and our customers are equally faithful. It takes a lot to make us cancel.

We do not require our producers to grow organically. The market welcomes any grower from within our local region.

However, many producers do grow following organic principles, without the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides or pesticides. A few are certified organic.

We encourage you to ask questions about the food you’re buying. The stall holders are all happy to talk about what they grow and how they grew it. It’s a great way to learn about the food you’re eating and get connected to your local food system.

Yes and no. There is no short answer to this question.

There are many things that influence price at a farmers market.

One is seasonality. When something is in season, there’s a lot of it and prices are low. Often lower than the supermarkets. So depending on the time of year and what the product is, farmers markets can be cheaper.

Generally speaking, stall holders at farmers markets grow on a much smaller scale than farmers who supply supermarkets. They lack the advantages of the larger growers who have various economies of scale. Growing food is a 7-day-a-week job and farmers deserve a fair wage, just as everyone who works does. This can mean that some products are more expensive than the supermarkets, who have the buying power to negotiate down prices they pay their suppliers, so they can sell cheaper without incurring any loss themselves. When you buy direct from the farmer, you know that you are paying a fair price for the work it has taken to bring that product to the market. That’s how you support a local food system.

We encourage our customers not to think in terms of “cheaper” or “more expensive”. We believe thinking in terms of “value” is far more relevant. The food at a farmers market is fresher and lasts longer in your fridge. As our market is an afternoon market, the produce is picked that morning. No supermarket can compete with that.

The contribution you make to your health, your wellbeing, the wellbeing of the farmer and the wellbeing of the local community is the real value of buying from a farmers market.

But if it does come down to simply spending more or less, follow this advice:

Eat seasonally and eat mindfully (ie. with less waste) and it will not cost you any more to shop at a farmers market.

Our market is pro-competition. We do not restrict the number of stall holders selling the same products. As each stall holder is a separate small business, they have the freedom to set their own prices, as they see fit.

This creates competition within the market, as stall holders vie for your custom. This is great news for customers. Take the time to compare prices between stall holders. Check for quality and ask questions about how the product was grown. One product might have nutritional benefits over another, for example.

Look for value and remember: a farmers market is not a wholesale market. You are paying a fair price to the farmer for the work they have put in to bring that product to the market.

They sure do! You can use your card to pay for your produce, or the stalls also accept cash.