Centre Plantation, High Street , Lancefield, Victoria
http://www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/market/lancefield-district-farmers-market
Ah, Lancefield. Lancey one day, fieldy the next.
At the foot of the Macedon Ranges, an hour
and a bit from Melbourne up the Calder Freeway (past the airport), sits
Lancefield. According to Wikipedia:
Lancefield district had a reputation for
some of the best fertile soils in Victoria. Prior to being cut up into small
blocks during the early 1970s the region produced high yields per acre of
potatoes, fat lambs, fat cattle, wheat and other cereal crops.
Its elevation apparently also makes it very
good for growing grapes.
But did you know they had a farmer’s market? Neither did I; but our “rural brethren”
around central goldfields Victoria are all over it like a rash.
OK, I know, I know, Armstrong and Miller said it best when they sang it.
Still, this was one of the better ones I’ve
been to, and I’d encourage you to go for “sustainable” and organic food, and a
nice day out. Now, read on!
Located in the grass strip down the centre
of the town’s main street, there’s music, cooking demonstrations, and it’s
almost impossible to get a park. It’s a veritable institution for
locals, having started in 2003, and a very positive sight in rural Victoria
which (let’s face it) needs things like this to get their economy moving.
Our friend Lachlan had invited us up for
lunch at Riddel’s Creek. It was a
lovely cold morning, and we dropped over a hundred bucks on cheese, wine,
coffees, dumplings, etc with Lachy and his son Lucien. A few tips for new starters:
They Don’t Have Everything
Do not go to a market like this looking for
a supermarket shopping experience.
This is more the traditional style of market, what’s grown and made
locally, seasonal, and you kind of have to wing your menu based on what’s
available. But treats are in store
a plenty.
Still, there looks like an opening for
someone who does a cheddar and a blue cheese…
Wear a Coat:
It was freezing when we went, and one of
the traders was wearing a big fluffy down snow style coat. “It’s my Lancefield coat. It’s always cold here.”
Coffee:
There is a coffee stand, and you're going to need something hot to drink, but I got a tip
from one of the bakers to go to the Lancefield art gallery (Mad Gallery, 16High St).
Everyone local was going there, but expect country style service; where
you stand at the counter for ages while someone with a red face flusters
because they can’t cope with having fifteen people in the shop simultaneously.
Start Early:
Get there early-ish. Some stands run out of things (soft
goats cheese – we got the last one), and it’s difficult to get a park right
next to the market.
TOP STANDS:
Animals: There’s
livestock for sale. Buy live
chickens, turkeys and piglets from a trailer in a gap in the median strip. It’s like a petting zoo, but you get to
take one home, slaughter it and eat it.
Yeah baby, yeah.
Burek: savoury filled flakey pastry
Booze: People are there who make their own wine and have the sun damaged skin to prove it.
Dumplings: There’s
a dumpling stand which is modestly priced and delicious. They also do pork buns, etc. and
there’s a queue lining up for them.
Goats cheese
Galloway beef
Organic veggies; including
garlic, just the thing if you want to plant some yourself.
Seedlings: An
old Italian farmer who sells seedlings of whatever should be going into the
ground at the time. We picked up
lettuces and broccoli, ten seedlings for five bucks.
So there you have it. Go to Lancefield, have a plunge, then
find a fireside and spend the rest of the afternoon reflecting how very nearly
like Europe Victoria is becoming… then wipe the chook pooh off your eggs.
I rate the Lancefield Farmer’s Market Six
and a half tentacles out of eight.
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