When I was invited to the Launch of Genuinely Southern Forests Market Floor launch at Market City, I was slightly unsure if this was the right place for me. However being there was a great opportunity, one in which I learnt a fair amount about Western Australian Agriculture especially the Southern Forest region.
Buying local, is great for our economy and our health. Shorter wait times between farmers and retailers mean fresher healthier food for us. And it’s a great way of supporting our local farmers especially when agriculture is such a key area in WA’s economy.
The Southern Forests region has been called the ‘Gourmet Platter of the South West’, and the event really did showcase this though a variety of creative little bites and the opportunity to sample fresh produce. The region has 80,000 hectares of Agricultural land of which 8,000 hectares is currently planted for crops. It produces 50% of our Apple production (and is the home of the ‘Pink Lady’ apple), 90% of our Broccoli from the middle of December to the middle of May, 70% of Australia’s Avocados from October to February and the list continues. The region has an abundance of great produce which is sold around Australia.
The great thing about the new floor at Market City is that it provides a central place for all these products to be showcased and a great meeting point for retailers, wholesalers and producers. Market City in Canning Vale has been providing a wholesale clearance market which is open to the public on Saturdays in the Central Trading Area for quite a while now. But its new floor dedicated to Genuinely Southern Forests Western Australia just recently opened as is just and exciting as it sounds. The markets are open every Saturday to the public, access is via the front entrance at a charge of $3.00 per vehicle (no pedestrian access is allowed).
We are truly blessed to be living in a state that produces some of the country’s best fruit and vegetables. The southern Forest region is located around 300km from Perth, beginning just outside Manjimup and extends all the way down to Walpole. For those of us lucky enough to have visited this area, we know how absolutely beautiful it is. But something that is a little less known is that this are is prime agriculture land that produces some of the countries best produce.
Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mark Lewis, praised the initiative as a great collaboration project, a way to open doors to better local and international supply. Which is exactly what this floor is about. Each region of the Southern Forests area are famous for their produce, whether it be Black Truffles from Manjimup, Avocados from Pemberton or Honey from Walpole, the new market floor gives us the opportunity to buy and sample these products straight from the producers which is incredibly exciting. The floor features a range of over 50 fruits and vegetables, along with added grocery lines, such as Honey, Green Tea and sparkling non-alcoholic Juices.
If Canning Vale is a little bit too out if the way for you, there’s participating retailers all around Perth;
• Peaches Fresh Food Market, South Fremantle
• Napoli Mercarto, Harrisdale
• Rustico Gourmet Grocer, Riverton
• Gilberts Fresh Market Mandurah
• Gilberts Fresh Market Midland
• Gilberts Fresh Market Willetton
• Gilberts Fresh Market Hilton
• Fresh Provisions, Mt Lawley
• Fresh Provisions, Bicton
• The Good Grocer, Applecross
• Canning Bridge IGA
• Shenton Park IGA
• Limes Fresh, Myaree
• Supa IGA Wembley
• IGA Leederville
• Basil’s Fine Foods, Mindarie
