THE hunger for fresh, seasonal, local produce is growing, and farmers' markets are proving the perfect way to cut out the middle man and break down the so-called city-country divide.
Farmers' markets have seen a steady rise in the past 15 years and the movement is continuing to grow as more people shun the big shops to support local and regional producers.
The country's first modern-style, community-run farmers' markets began in Victoria in 1999 and they've continued to grow, according to Australian Farmers' Markets Association (AFMA) spokeswoman Jane Adams.
"In 2002 The Bulletin ran a cover story about the food revolution and the next year we had the national conference in Bathurst which was another trigger for growth," Ms Adams said.
"Numbers doubled between that and the second conference in 2005 and there's been really steady growth since."
Australia has more than 160 markets registered with the AFMA, with more than 40 of them in NSW.
Ms Adams said markets didn't need to be a huge event, but geared towards to the local community.
"It all depends on the growth of the region and climate and soils," Ms Adams said.
"If you look at a place like Young, predominantly it's an orcharding part of the world, but the market brings commercial growers and small hobby plots together.
"Commercial growers may have a cancelled order and they'll bring that to the market.
"You can take hail damaged apples to farmers' markets and sell them as juicing apples.
"It's a supplementary channel for many growers and for others it's their sole channel."
The increase in farmers' markets has led to improved customer knowledge, with more people knowing where their food comes from and how it's grown.
"The benefits to the consumer is they're buying super fresh, nutritious, healthy food; you talk to the producers, you know who they are where their farm is, their growing regimes and farming practices," Ms Adams said.
"You can't have any better guarantee of the quality of the food."
It can also be an educational experience, introducing new produce or varieties to the customer.
Being able to get cooking tips from producers has seen a change in the way fresh produce is used.
"A good example is the cavalo nero, part of the kale family," Ms Adams said.
"It's a black Italian dark-leafed cabbage and nobody had ever seen that until a few years ago.
"Now you see piles of cavalo nero at markets.
"It's a great way to educate people about food and how to cook."
Ms Adams said consumers got more enjoyment from shopping at the markets.
"You end up talking to the person next to you while you're waiting to be served," she said.
"It's a really friendly way to go about your shopping.
"In a supermarket these days you don't even talk to the checkout girl because it's all automated.
"You can do your whole supermarket shop and not utter a word."
Supporting Australian farmers is a major reason behind many consumers switching to the farmers' market.
"We've got a very strong emotional attachment to the country," Ms Adams said.
"I think being proud of our farmers is part of Australia's ethos and we can support them by shopping at a farmers' market."
Ms Adams said markets have helped break down the city-country divide, not only with food production but regional issues.
"Coal seam gas is one thing that's been communicated in some places through farmers' markets to people in the broader community," she said.
"It's not just about understanding drought, but also other issues that affect rural communities.
"It's a way that producers can talk about some of the constraints and issues they face."
