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Key points
- Regional Farmers Markets will host its first farmers market at Abbotsford Convent on Saturday 13 May with around 40 stallholders selling goods ranging from organic fruit and vegetables to gourmet pies.
- The new market follows the closure of the long-running Abbotsford Farmers Market in January this year after 20 years of operation.
Four months after announcing its demise due to a “perfect storm” of rising costs and low customer numbers, Abbotsford Convent will revive its monthly farmers’ market.
The Abbotsford Farmers Market will return on May 13, with around 40 stallholders selling goods ranging from organic fruit and vegetables to gourmet pies.
David Tatman from Spring Creek Organics is one of the stallholders returning to the farmers market at the Abbotsford Convent. Credit: Mark Chew
The market was one of Melbourne’s first community produce markets and had traded for more than 20 years until its operator, Melbourne Farmers Market, shut it down in January this year.
At the time, Melbourne Farmers Market founder Miranda Sharp described the closure as the result of a “perfect storm”, blaming it on the rising costs of doing business, extreme weather and low customer numbers.
Claire Crocker, director of Regional Farmers Markets, said the new market operators came on board at the behest of some of the previous stallholders, who were upset at the event’s closure.
“We had a number of our stallholders who were also at the prior market contact us incredibly upset about the closure,” she said.
“We just see it as an absolutely iconic site for Melbourne. It is an incredibly special space and offers a really good platform for what we believe makes a farmers market important.”
Crocker is confident the market’s loyal customers, normally sporting active wear and puffer jackets and pushing a baby in a pram or leading a dog on a leash, will return.
Regional Farmers Markets operates eight regular monthly farmers markets across the state in locations including Williamstown, Essendon, Churchill Island and Inverloch.
The Abbotsford Farmers Market had struggled to attract stallholders towards the end of its operation, with as few as 12 attending some events.
The previous Abbotsford Farmers Market at the Abbotsford convent. Credit: Mark Chew
However, the new organisers said it was already oversubscribed.
Former stallholders at the Abbotsford Farmers Market returning to the new convent market include Allenbee Fields Preserves, Pasta Reggio, Hazeldean Forest Farm, Pudding Nana, Mumma Made, Gourmet Pies and Spring Creek Organics.
David Tatman of Spring Creek Organics said he had been disappointed by the closure of the Abbotsford Farmers Market and was optimistic about the prospects for the new endeavour.
“It used to be a really thumping big market years and years ago,” he said. “New management in control with a bit of fresh blood and a bit of pizzazz might turn it around.”
Puffer jackets and dogs will return to the grounds of the Abbotsford Convent with the comeback of the farmers market. Credit: Mark Chew
Georgia Dale of Rieschiecks Orchards will return to the market as a stallholder after an absence of many years and said she hoped the event could return to its former glory.
“There are so many [farmers] markets now in Victoria, there is a massive over-population but this is in a good spot and hopefully it picks back up in the right hands,” she said.
“When we came back from COVID, people wanted to shop local and support small business. I really noticed it. You are getting decent quality food and fruit and vegetables coming from growers, not supermarkets … you would be crazy not to want to shop like that.”
Collette Brennan, chief executive of the Abbotsford Convent, said she “could not be happier” to have the farmers market return.
Organic produce for sale at the former Abbotsford Farmers Market at the Abbotsford Convent. Credit: Mark Chew
“We are equally a place for making as well as presenting. You can come here and meet an artist or meet a wellbeing practitioner. The same with this market. The stallholders are all very genuine producers of incredible products from beautiful honey, to people who run orchards to cheese makers,” she said.
“It is that wide spectrum but the convent experience where you get to be up close and personal with people who make these products.”
City of Yarra councillor Steve Jolly, who was critical of the closure of the farmers market, said its return was really good news for the local area.
“I wish them well,” he said. “At face value it will be great for the community and great for options for the area.”
Miranda Sharp, the operator of Melbourne Farmers Market which ran the Abbotsford Farmers Market was contacted for comment.
The farmers market at the Abbotsford Convent will be held once a month with the first market on Saturday, May 13. Entry is $2.
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