MARKET MATTERS Koonwarrafarmers Market

MARKET MATTERS KoonwarraFarmers’ Market

Saturday 3rdMarch2012 Event No. 137 e: m: 0408 619 182

Koonwarra Farmers’ Market Accreditation with VFMA

As from today our Koonwarra Farmers Market is fully accredited with Victorian Farmers Market Association.We can now look forward to the promotional benefits and the anticipation that more happy consumers will be visiting Koonwarra; we are now highlighted by VFMA’s website that boasts over 750,000 hits a month. Today we had a promotion on the ABC’s radio 774 at 6.35am, hope the interview was ok!

Over the next few months offers available to VFMA members will be made accessible to all member stalls and your Market. Part of our market commitment involvesimplementingVFMA stallholder guidelines that are appropriate.

MARKETREMINDERS

►As this market is now accredited we require all stalls to only use the claim “ORGANIC’ or “FREE RANGE” if they are associated with the relevant certification organisations. If your farm is organically certified please clearly display or label products with the applicable organisation and your registration number. If your stall is in the process of becoming “organic” please advise market management with the details. Using misleading claims is detrimental to the markets reputation.

► Several customers have complained that some of our stallholders are not displaying any price tags. This market and VFMA requires all products to be price tagged or the stall to display a price marked board that is clearly visible.

►All stalls are required to have the appropriate‘market & food product publicliabilityinsurance cover.’ Also dueto public liability requirements all power leads at the market must be checked and have a current inspection tag.

HOW ARE WE TRAVELLING

Find us at:

TODAYS EXTRA STALLS ●pleasewelcome back Mark & Margaretof ‘Strzelecki Heritage Apples’.

● Tania of ‘Hens of Halora’ is back with some more point of lay hens

● ‘Growlightly’ certified organic produce will be available at the Bush Flower stall. We are hopeful that this will be a small start in the development of a new certified stall in the future to replace Grand Ridge Organics.

RETURNING STALL NEXT MONTH ‘Thornton’s Bread’ are returning with a wider range of bread than previously(they will not have any shop cakes)

AND MORE - keep smiling folks! Today we shall again be visited by local newspapers The Star and Sentinel Timesto promote our citation as an accredited Farmers Market.

PLEASE...PLEASE… ►do not park your vehicle along the front road, this space is needed for the town’s traders and our customers. Vehicle parking is available at the CFA car park or at the rear of the hall.

Several stall holders at the last market commented that we had dropped in numbers lately, much to the contrary. For those that follow graphs we are not only up on last year but averaging over 25% growth over the past 3 years. The market size deception is due to the compaction of the stall layout as half our stalls are without vehicles reducing the overall site area.Present-day customer numbers most likely will need to increase before further expansion. When this eventuates (we are optimists) market policy dictates that less than 5% of products will be duplicated and onlyin agreement with stalls and market management. This policy allows us to maximize our range of different produce within our limited space andhelps maintain the viability of all stall holders.